Senior Data Engineer

Nakupuna Consulting; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Nakupuna Companies is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to support the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. The role focuses on building data pipelines, BI dashboards, and secure data infrastructures within a hybrid Pentagon-based environment.

Ideal candidates will have 7+ years of enterprise data experience, strong SQL/Python skills, and hands-on Power Platform expertise. A SECRET clearance and U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and 7+ years delivering enterprise data solutions.
• Experience taking solutions through full software lifecycle: requirements, design, coding, testing, deployment, sustainment.
• Extensive experience with Power Platform and Power BI in production environments.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and collect data using MS SQL queries and data systems to provide reports, dashboards.
• Design, build and maintain data pipelines for BI.
• Develop automated ETL pipelines for unstructured data.
• Create automated bridges using REST APIs and Microsoft Graph to integrate Microsoft 365 and Dataverse.
• Structure and clean internal documents to support RAG systems with secure data access.
• Develop Python data processing utilities using Pandas for data validation.

Skills

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Work under pressure

Executive interaction

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Information Systems / Data Science

Tools

Power BI

Power Apps

Power Automate

Dataverse

SharePoint

Excel

SQL

Python

Azure

Azure DevOps

Job description

Senior Data Engineer

Job Locations

US-VA-Arlington | US-VA-Alexandria

Overview

Nakupuna Companies is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to join our team of talented consultants providing professional services to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSW(A&S)). This role requires a strong analytical mindset, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

The following reflects management's definition of essential functions for this job but does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. Management may assign additional duties and responsibilities to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

• Maintain and collect data using different tools and statistical techniques such as MS SQL queries from various databases, such as but not limited to MS Excel, MS Access, SharePoint and data management systems to provide accurate and reliable administrative reports, presentations and dashboards, as required
• Design, build, and maintain data pipelines; transform complex datasets into actionable business intelligence.
• Design and construct the "data plumbing" that connects disjointed administrative processes-transitioning the organization away from manually maintained spreadsheets and disconnected trackers into a unified, automated, and AI-ready environment.
• Develop and maintain rapid automation solutions utilizing Tableau and Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, Microsoft Forms, and Microsoft Lists.
• Design and organize SharePoint site structures, Document Libraries, Custom Lists, and modern content types to optimize internal knowledge management.
• Build secure, automated bridges using REST APIs and Microsoft Graph API to integrate Microsoft 365, Teams, Planner, Dataverse, and other authorized systems.
• Design and implement automated Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) pipelines to ingest messy, unstructured operational data from spreadsheets and emails and clean it for structured database storage.
• Structure and clean internal documents to support secure, internal Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems. Ensure AI tools can perform vector and semantic searches over approved data without "hallucinating" or leaking sensitive data.
• Develop Python-based data processing utilities utilizing libraries such as Pandas to cleanse, parse, and validate critical data structures.

Qualifications

Skills/Qualifications: The ideal candidate is an experienced policy analyst that is eager to learn and thrive in a team environment. Specifically, the candidate will be proficient in the following:

• Excellent problem-solving abilities and keen attention to detail.
• Highly organized.
• Experience working with Senior Executives in the Government, preferably the DoW.
• Ability to work under pressure and to adapt quickly in a changing environment.

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree in related field (Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Software Engineering, etc.).
• 7+ years experience developing enterprise digital, data, workflow, automation, and integration solutions.
• Demonstrated prior experience taking solutions independently through the entire software lifecycle: from requirements gathering and design to coding, testing, deployment, and long-term sustainment.
• Multi-year, hands-on experience deploying Power Platform and Power BI solutions in production environments.

• Experience working with Power BI and/or Tableau, SharePoint, Excel, SQL, Salesforce and programming languages (e.g., Python).

• Proficient in Power Apps (Canvas/Model-driven), Power Automate (Cloud Flows), Dataverse, and SharePoint Online administration.
• Familiarity with Azure services, Azure DevOps, and CDAO/Advana/War Data Platform environments is preferred.
• Strong quantitative ability and a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated experience with DoW is preferred

Clearance: This position requires an active SECRET security clearance. Must be a U.S. citizen.

Location: Work is performed on Government site at the Pentagon, within Nakupuna offices in Arlington, Virginia, and via telework. Employment is not full-time telework but conducted in a hybrid schedule consisting of both on-site support and telework. Employees will work in close proximity with Government personnel. Core work hours are 0800 to 0430 Monday through Friday except holidays.

Physical Requirements: In addition to the skills and qualifications mentioned above, candidates must, at a minimum, be able to meet the following physical requirements.

• Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers.
• Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergency situations.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and working on a computer.

The Nakupuna Companies use a market-based compensation strategy to ensure that our employees are compensated within applicable market ranges commensurate with multiple factors, including but not limited to the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability, organizational requirements, and position location. The projected compensation range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000 (annualized USD). The salary range displayed represents the typical salary range for this position and is just one component of Nakupuna Companies' total compensation package for employees.