Principal Data Engineer

Navy Federal Credit Union; Vienna (VA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Navy Federal Credit Union in Vienna, VA seeks a Principal Data Engineer to lead enterprise Data and Analytics modernization efforts, shaping data strategy and cloud-native architectures across Azure, Databricks, and BI platforms.

The role drives scalable data pipelines, governance, and measurements while mentoring engineers, aligning with security and regulatory requirements, and delivering critical modernization deliverables in a highly regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, CS, engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on expertise with Spark, Python, SQL and cloud-native data platforms.
• Experience designing scalable data pipelines and lakehouse architectures.
• Experience with data governance, metadata, lineage, monitoring, and data quality controls.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for Enterprise Data and Analytics Modernization initiatives across data engineering, analytics, reporting, and data consumption.
• Design, develop, and optimize scalable batch, near real-time, and real-time data pipelines using Spark, Python, SQL, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, and related Azure cloud services.
• Modernize legacy Analytical Data Store and BI workloads by migrating fragmented reporting and data assets into secure, standardized, governed, and cloud-native analytics platforms.
• Lead the design and implementation of API-driven and event-based data onboarding patterns leveraging enterprise API management, integration, and streaming platforms (Gravitee, MuleSoft, Kafka, and related technologies).
• Establish reusable engineering ETL frameworks, design patterns, and automation capabilities for ingestion, transformation, validation, reconciliation, monitoring, and production support.
• Implement automated data quality validation, reconciliation controls, exception handling, alerting, monitoring, SLA management, and production readiness practices.
• Enable metadata management, lineage, cataloging, and access governance through tools such as Unity Catalog, Alation, and related governance capabilities.
• Partners with data architects, analysts, product owners, business stakeholders, governance teams, and platform teams to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Guide engineering teams through architecture reviews, implementation decisions, coding practices, design standards, performance tuning, and operational resilience improvements.
• Ensure compliance with Navy Federal, industry engineering, information security, data governance, and regulatory expectations for secure and reliable data solutions.
• Support Agile delivery, DevSecOps practices, CI/CD deployment, release readiness, defect resolution, and production support for critical modernization deliverables.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers, promote engineering excellence, and drive adoption of enterprise standards for cloud data engineering and analytics modernization.

Skills

Technical leadership

Cloud data engineering

Data governance

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems / CS / Engineering

Tools

Spark

Python

SQL

Databricks

Azure Data Factory

Microsoft Fabric

Power BI

Tableau

Unity Catalog

Alation

Gravitee

MuleSoft

Kafka

Azure

Job description

Overview

Navy Federal Credit Union currently does not provide sponsorship for this role. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

The Principal Data Engineer will provide senior-level engineering expertise, architectural direction, and technical ownership across enterprise Data and Analytics Modernization initiatives. This role is responsible for advancing the organization's data strategy by modernizing legacy data and analytics ecosystems, enabling trusted and governed data products, and accelerating AI and analytics capabilities through scalable, cloud-native architectures.

The role will design and implement scalable cloud data pipelines, modernize legacy Analytical Data Stores and BI workloads, strengthen data quality controls, automate validation and reconciliation processes, and enable governed data consumption through enterprise data platform powered by Azure, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, Tableau, Alation, and related tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and hands-on engineering expertise for Enterprise Data and Analytics Modernization initiatives across data engineering, analytics, reporting, and data consumption.
• Design, develop, and optimize scalable batch, near real-time, and real-time data pipelines using Spark, Python, SQL, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, and related Azure cloud services.
• Modernize legacy Analytical Data Store and BI workloads by migrating fragmented reporting and data assets into secure, standardized, governed, and cloud-native analytics platforms.
• Lead the design and implementation of API-driven and event-based data onboarding patterns leveraging enterprise API management, integration, and streaming platforms (Gravitee, MuleSoft, Kafka, and related technologies) to deliver secure, scalable, and reusable data ingestion capabilities for analytics, AI, and data products.
• Establish reusable engineering ETL frameworks, design patterns, and automation capabilities for ingestion, transformation, validation, reconciliation, monitoring, and production support.
• Implement automated data quality validation, reconciliation controls, exception handling, alerting, monitoring, SLA management, and production readiness practices.
• Enable metadata management, lineage, cataloging, and access governance through tools such as Unity Catalog, Alation, and related governance capabilities.
• Partners with data architects, analysts, product owners, business stakeholders, governance teams, and platform teams to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Guide engineering teams through architecture reviews, implementation decisions, coding practices, design standards, performance tuning, and operational resilience improvements.
• Ensure compliance with Navy Federal, industry engineering, information security, data governance, and regulatory expectations for secure and reliable data solutions.
• Support Agile delivery, DevSecOps practices, CI/CD deployment, release readiness, defect resolution, and production support for critical modernization deliverables.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers, promote engineering excellence, and drive adoption of enterprise standards for cloud data engineering and analytics modernization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Data Engineering, or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Advanced hands-on expertise in Spark, Python, SQL, Databricks, Azure Data Factory, Microsoft Fabric, and cloud-native data integration, transformation, and analytics solutions.
• Strong experience in designing, building, and supporting scalable data pipelines, lakehouse architecture, data warehouses, data marts, and analytical data stores.
• Expertise in automated data quality validation, data reconciliation, metadata management, lineage, monitoring, alerting, error handling, and SLA management.
• Experience with governance and catalog platforms such as Unity Catalog, Alation, or similar tools.
• Experience with BI and analytics platforms such as Power BI, Tableau, Microsoft Fabric, and enterprise reporting modernization patterns.
• Working knowledge of Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, Agile delivery, production deployment, and operational support practices.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to business stakeholders, technology leaders, engineers, and cross-functional delivery teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills, architectural judgment, ownership mindset, and ability to lead delivery in complex, highly regulated enterprise environments.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, Analytics, or a related discipline.
• Experience modernizing legacy BI environments, Analytical Data Stores, and on-premises reporting platforms into Azure, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, or similar cloud-native solutions.
• Experience supporting enterprise Analytics Data Modernization across business, operational, risk, finance, member, or enterprise data and analytics domains.
• Experience with AI-ready data product design, feature preparation, data observability, and governed self-service analytics capabilities.
• Knowledge of financial services data governance, regulatory traceability, audit readiness, data privacy, information security, and operational risk management expectations.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineering teams, establish reusable frameworks, influence technical standards, and drive enterprise-scale modernization outcomes.

Hours

Additional Information

• Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM

Location:

• 820 Follin Lane, Vienna, VA 22180

About Us

Navy Federal provides much more than a job. We provide a meaningful career experience, including a culture that is energized, engaged and committed; and fierce appreciation for our teams, who are rewarded with highly competitive pay and generous benefits and perks.

Our approach to careers is simple yet powerful: Make our mission your passion.

• FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® 2026
• Yello and WayUp Top 100 Internship Programs 2025
• Computerworld® Best Places to Work in IT 2026
• Most Loved Workplace – America’s Top Most Loved Workplaces® 2025
• 2025 PEOPLE® Companies That Care
• Newsweek Most Trustworthy Companies in America 2026
• Military Times 2025 Best for Vets Employers
• Forbes® 2026 America's Best Large Employers
• Forbes® 2025 America's Best Employers for New Grads
• Forbes® 2025 America's Best Employers for Tech Workers
• 2025 RippleMatch Campus Forward Award Winner for Overall Excellence
• Military.com Top Military Spouse Employers 2025
• 2026 Handshake Early Talent Award
• Newsweek America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging and Community 2026

From Fortune Magazine. © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For are registered trademarks of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license. Fortune Magazine, Fortune Media (USA) Corporation, and its affiliates are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Navy Federal Credit Union.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Accommodations:

If you need accommodation or assistance for a qualifying condition to complete the online application (or during any stage of the hiring process), you can contact Navy Federal's Medical Accommodations team at [e-mail] or by calling 1-888-503-6013. This team cannot provide any information on job postings or application status.

Disclaimers:

Navy Federal reserves the right to fill this role at a higher/lower grade level based on business need. An assessment may be required to compete for this position. Job postings are subject to close early or extend out longer than the anticipated closing date at the hiring team’s discretion based on qualified applicant volume. Navy Federal Credit Union assesses market data to establish salary ranges that enable us to remain competitive. You are paid within the salary range, based on your experience, location and market position. For additional details regarding compensation and benefits, review the Benefits page of the Navy Federal Career Site.

Protect Yourself from Job Scams:

Navy Federal Credit Union jobs are posted on our career site, jobs.navyfederal.org and reputable job boards (e.g., LinkedIn, Indeed). We do not post jobs on social media marketplaces, messaging apps or unverified websites. We will never ask candidates for payment, bank details or personal financial information during the hiring process.

Bank Secrecy Act:

Remains cognizant of and adheres to Navy Federal policies and procedures, and regulations pertaining to the Bank Secrecy Act.