Public Sector- Data Engineer (Manager)

Sapient Corporation; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health benefits

Generous paid leave

Wellness program and EAP

Job summary

Publicis Sapient in Arlington, VA is seeking a Manager Data Engineering to lead a team of data engineers and drive our transition to managed PaaS data platforms. The role blends hands-on SQL Server DBA work with modern DataOps, CI/CD, and cloud migrations to AWS/Aurora.

You will mentor a small team (3-5 engineers), collaborate with PMs, and ensure reliable data pipelines, governance, and performance across ETL/ELT processes. Strong leadership required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, database administration, or data engineering roles.
• Strong hands-on experience as a SQL Server DBA with performance tuning, high availability, and operational support.
• Proven experience leading small engineering teams (5-7 members).
• Experience designing and managing self-hosted database environments (IaaS).
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing database migrations to PaaS/cloud-managed services.
• Strong DataOps practices, including monitoring, reliability, and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of 3-5 data engineers across platform and integration tracks.
• Collaborate with Program Managers to plan, prioritize, and execute data initiatives.
• Drive accountability for project delivery, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Provide technical guidance and architectural oversight across all data-related workstreams.
• Oversee setup, configuration, and maintenance of data platforms and environments.
• Lead database administration activities including performance tuning, HA/DR, and upgrades.
• Define and implement access control, governance, and security best practices.

Skills

Data architecture

Leadership

DataOps

Cloud strategy

Program management

Tools

SQL Server

Aurora PostgreSQL

Tableau

SSRS

Power BI

Liquibase

Python

AWS Glue

SSIS

Job description

Job Description

Manager Data Engineering

We are seeking a Manager-Level Data Architect to lead and support a team of data engineers while driving the evolution of our enterprise data platform. This role combines deep technical expertise in SQL Server database administration with modern data engineering practices, and plays a key role in our transition from self-managed IaaS-based database platforms to fully managed PaaS solutions.

The ideal candidate brings strong hands-on DBA experience, proven leadership of small engineering teams, and a track record of planning and executing database migrations to cloud-managed services. This individual will partner closely with Program Management (PM) to ensure effective planning, execution, and delivery of data platform initiatives.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Delivery

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of 3-5 data engineers across platform and integration tracks
• Collaborate with Program Managers to plan, prioritize, and execute data initiatives
• Drive accountability for project delivery, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
• Provide technical guidance and architectural oversight across all data-related workstreams

Data Platform Engineering

• Oversee setup, configuration, and maintenance of data platforms and environments
  • SQL Server clusters (IaaS, self-managed)
  • Aurora PostgreSQL and other cloud-native databases
  • BI platforms (SSRS, Tableau, PowerBI)
• Lead database administration activities including performance tuning, high availability, backup/recovery, and upgrades
• Define and implement access control, governance, and security best practices
• Drive DataOps practices including monitoring, reliability, and performance optimization
• Implement and manage CI/CD pipelines for database and platform deployments (Python, Liquibase)
• Lead security remediation efforts and compliance initiatives

Data Integration Engineering

• Oversee design and development of scalable data pipelines and integration workflows
• Guide implementation of ETL/ELT processes using SSIS, AWS Glue, and Python
• Support development and optimization of data marts and analytical data models
• Ensure strong DataOps practices including data quality, observability, and freshness monitoring
• Lead and support data migration efforts, particularly SQL Server to PaaS transitions
• Optimize performance and scalability of data pipelines and integration processes

Cloud Migration & Modernization

• Plan and execute migration strategies from SQL Server (IaaS) to managed PaaS database services
• Evaluate target architectures and recommend best-fit cloud-native solutions
• Ensure minimal disruption and high data integrity during migration processes

Requirements:

• 10+ years of experience in data architecture, database administration, or data engineering roles
• Strong hands-on experience as a SQL Server DBA (current or prior role), including performance tuning, HA/DR, and operational support
• Proven experience leading small engineering teams (5-7 members)
• Experience designing and managing self-hosted database environments (IaaS)
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing database migrations to PaaS/cloud-managed services
• Strong understanding of DataOps practices, including monitoring, reliability, and performance management
• Experience building and maintaining data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes (SSIS, Glue, Python)
• Experience with CI/CD tools and practices for data platforms (e.g., Liquibase, Python-based automation)
• Familiarity with BI tools such as SSRS and Tableau
• Strong collaboration skills and experience working closely with Program/Product Management
• Solid understanding of data security, governance, and access control

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with AWS data services (e.g., Aurora PostgreSQL, Glue, S3, RDS) or equivalent cloud platforms
• Experience with PostgreSQL or other open-source databases
• Familiarity with stream processing technologies (e.g., Apache Flink)
• Knowledge of infrastructure-as-code and automation tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Experience implementing enterprise-grade data observability and data quality frameworks
• Background in supporting large-scale, highly available production data systems
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders

Additional Information

• An inclusive workplace that promotes diversity and collaboration.
• Access to ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Flexibility to support work-life balance.
• Comprehensive health benefits for you and your family.
• Generous paid leave and holidays.
• Wellness program and employee assistance.

Pay Range: $120,000-$170,000

The range shown represents a grouping of relevant ranges currently in use at Publicis Sapient. Actual range for this position may differ, depending on location and specific skillset required for the work.

As part of our dedication to an inclusive and diverse workforce, Publicis Sapient is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity without regard for race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail]