Senior Data Engineer

The Bison Group; Springfield (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

The Bison Group in Springfield, VA is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to support a National Security mission, advancing NGA as the enterprise GEOINT data provider. You will guide technical decisions, architect and operate cloud-based data platforms, and collaborate across mission and engineering teams.

You will lead scalable data pipelines, API integrations, and data governance while mentoring engineers and contributing to Agile delivery. A TS/SCI CI Poly clearance is required.

Qualifications

• Design, write, review, and support production code in Python/Scala/Java with CI/CD practices.
• Experience with ETL/ELT, data modeling, data quality, and secure API integrations.
• Strong judgment selecting data architectures for complex datasets.
• Experience delivering scalable data pipelines across various data types.
• Own data engineering work from requirements to production operation and mentor others.
• Clear written and verbal communication; able to explain tradeoffs.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, development, and operation of scalable data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes.
• Design and oversee API connectors and integrations ingesting data securely from internal and external sources.
• Set data processing, storage, and performance standards to meet scale and latency needs.
• Establish and improve data quality, validation, monitoring, and governance across production data products.
• Coordinate with security/compliance, mentor engineers, and contribute to Agile planning.
• Lead resolution of complex data integration and production performance incidents.

Skills

Python

Scala

Java

ETL/ELT

Data modeling

Data quality

API integrations

CI/CD

Distributed systems

Cloud data platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IS/Engineering

Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Git

CI/CD pipelines

API security

Job description

Description

As a Senior Data Engineer, you will support an exciting National Security mission to position NGA to be the enterprise and community GEOINT data provider, improving the way analysts, customers, and end users access, discover, stage, link, produce, re‑integrate, and deliver intelligence. You will guide technical decisions, work across mission and engineering teams, and improve cloud‑based data platforms.

Work Schedule:

Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead the architecture, design, development, and operation of scalable data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes for analytics, reporting, and mission operations
• Design and oversee API connectors and integrations that ingest data securely from internal platforms and external services
• Set engineering approaches for data processing, storage, and database performance to meet scale, reliability, and latency needs
• Establish and improve data quality, validation, monitoring, and governance practices across production data products
• Partner with mission stakeholders, analysts, architects, and product teams to define requirements and guide technical solutions
• Lead diagnosis and resolution of complex data integration, pipeline, and production performance incidents
• Coordinate with security and compliance teams to build required protections and controls into data systems
• Maintain architecture and operational documentation, and mentor engineers through design discussions and code reviews
• Contribute to Agile planning and delivery, helping the team break down work and manage technical dependencies
• Evaluate platform and tooling choices, explain tradeoffs, and recommend improvements to data architecture and engineering practices

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to design, write, review, and support production code in Python, Scala, Java, or a comparable language, using Git, automated testing, and CI/CD practices
• Strong experience with ETL/ELT architecture, data modeling, data quality, and secure API integrations, including troubleshooting authentication and data exchange issues
• Strong engineering judgment and experience selecting data architectures and patterns for complex, evolving datasets
• Experience delivering and operating scalable production data pipelines across structured, semi-structured, or unstructured data
• Experience designing API connectors and ingestion patterns that integrate enterprise applications and external services
• Ability to own complex data engineering work from requirements and design through production operation, improving reliability and data quality
• Experience leading technical collaboration with analytics, data science, product, security, or mission teams and mentoring other engineers
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical decisions and tradeoffs

Clearance Required:

• TS/SCI CI Poly

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, mathematics, or a related field plus 5–8 years of relevant experience; or a related master’s degree plus at least 3 years of relevant experience

Minimum Years of Experience: At least 5 years with a bachelor’s degree, or at least 3 years with a related master’s degree

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of metadata standards
• Knowledge and experience with Search tools, Search results organization and the implications of metadata organization, indexing, catalog content
• Experience in GIS‑related applications

The Bison Group, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, genetic information, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you’d like to view a copy of the company’s affirmative action plan for protected veterans/individuals with disabilities or our policy statement, please email [e-mail]. If you have a disability and you believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please e-mail [e-mail]. This mailbox is created exclusively to assist disabled job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Only emails sent for this purpose will be returned. Emails left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or technical issues not related to a disability, will not receive a response.

Disclaimer:

This position offers a wage or salary range based on market data and internal pay policies. This range is a good‑faith estimate and may vary depending on qualifications, experience, and other factors. We do not request or use prior compensation history in making employment decisions. Any voluntary disclosure of prior wage information may be considered to support a higher offer but will not be used to justify a lower offer.

The Bison Group offers benefit options including medical, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, and accrued PTO including vacation, sick leave and holidays.

The listed pay range serves as a general guideline rather than a guaranteed salary. Final compensation is determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, role‑specific responsibilities; candidate qualifications such as education, skills, and mission‑aligned experience; market data, business considerations, internal equity, and any applicable legal or bargaining agreements (if any).