Senior Data Engineer (Secret Clearance)

Praescient Analytics; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Very competitive salary

Company paid healthcare

401(k) with company match

Travel & performance incentives

3 weeks paid time off

$5K annual training allowance

Job summary

Praescient Analytics is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to provide technical leadership for NBIS and EIT data pipelines. You will shape data architecture, validate models, and bridge legacy stores with cloud-native streams in an AWS GovCloud environment.

You will collaborate cross-functionally to deliver high-performance data solutions for critical mission analytics, with a strong emphasis on security, scalability, and data integrity across federal requirements.

Qualifications

• Active U.S. citizenship and Secret clearance required.
• Master’s degree or PhD with relevant data engineering experience.
• Extensive cloud-native data solutions in AWS/AWS GovCloud.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead data architecture strategy and data pipelines to meet federal requirements.
• Oversee data source integrations using Python/Scala/Java.
• Modernize legacy data structures into cloud-native data lakes and warehouses on AWS GovCloud.
• Engage with data ingestion and secure streaming (Kinesis, Kafka) and orchestration (Airflow).
• Drive CI/CD and DevSecOps within the data tier with governance and validation.
• Collaborate with engineers, data scientists, PMs, and stakeholders to deliver mission-focused analytics.

Skills

Data strategy

Leadership

Pipeline integration

Cloud modernization

Data orchestration

DevSecOps

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile requirements

Education

Master’s degree

PhD

Tools

Python

Scala

Java

Apache Airflow

AWS Step Functions

Kinesis

Kafka

Jira

Confluence

AWS Glue

AWS Athena

AWS Lambda

S3

Job description

U.S.Citizenship Is Required.

Position Overview

Praescient Analytics is seeking a highly skilled and visionary Data Engineer – Senior to provide technical leadership and big-picture oversight for the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS) and Enterprise Information Technology (EIT) application development data pipelines. In this role, you will articulate the data architecture strategy, conceptualize and experiment with alternative data processing approaches, and validate data models against rigorous national security and scalability requirements. Working without supervision on highly complex projects, you will bridge the gap between legacy data stores and modern, cloud-native data streams within an advanced AWS GovCloud environment. You will collaborate with cross-functional software teams, lead data transformation efforts, and exercise wide latitude for independent judgment to ensure our nation's background investigation data is secure, accurate, and readily accessible.

Location: Remote

Job Type: Full-Time

Clearance Requirement: Secret Clearance (Top Secret Preferred)

Key Responsibilities

• Data Strategy & Leadership: Conceptualize, experiment with, and articulate alternative technical approaches to data architecture. Create data pipeline, ETL/ELT, schema, and interface specification documents, validating designs against strict federal requirements.
• Pipeline Integration: Provide technical and big-picture oversight for the development of new or enhanced data source integrations, utilizing Python, Scala, or Java as core competencies.
• Cloud Transformation & Modernization: Lead the modernization of legacy data structures and their transformation into cloud-native data lakes and data warehouses specifically optimized for AWS GovCloud.
• Data Orchestration & Ingestion: Deeply engage with automated orchestration tools (e.g., Apache Airflow, AWS Step Functions) and secure data streaming (e.g., Kinesis, Kafka) to seamlessly ingest complex datasets built by internal and third-party systems.
• DevSecOps & Automation Leadership: Drive CI/CD automation and DevSecOps practices within the data tier to increase pipeline delivery velocity while ensuring robust compliance, data integrity, and automated validation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and customer application experts to design high-performance data solutions that enable critical mission analytics and reporting features.
• Agile Requirements Optimization: Leverage Jira, Confluence, and Agile SAFe v6.0 processes to translate high-level client requirements into actionable data user stories, technical roadmaps, and features.

Required Qualifications

• Clearance & Citizenship: Active U.S. Secret clearance is required. Must be a U.S. Citizen to meet federal contract mandates.
• Education & Experience:
  • Master’s degree in a related field with 8–10 years of relevant experience.
  • PhD in a related field with 5–7 years of relevant experience.
• Core Data Engineering Competency: Demonstrated, extensive hands-on proficiency implementing cloud-native data solutions within AWS/AWS GovCloud, specifically utilizing:
  • AWS Glue (for ETL processing, cataloging, and data preparation)
  • AWS Athena (for serverless query execution and data analysis)
  • AWS Lambda (for event-driven data processing and serverless compute)
  • Amazon S3 (for secure, scalable data lake storage)
• Database & Warehouse Proficiency: Deep knowledge and comprehensive experience working across any and all SQL database technologies (including but not limited to Oracle, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, and cloud-native relational systems) for schema design, optimization, and complex querying.
• Tools & DevSecOps: Expert proficiency with Git, data pipeline orchestration tools, popular CI/CD pipelines, Jira, and Confluence in an automated environment.
• Autonomy & Communication: Proven ability to work without supervision on highly complex data projects, exercising wide latitude for independent judgment. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to articulate complex data visions to both engineering teams and senior stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• An active Top Secret (TS) clearance.
• Prior experience providing data architecture oversight or technical leadership directly on Department of Defense (DoD), DCSA, or NBIS programs.
• Comprehensive understanding of federal data compliance frameworks, zero-trust data access policies, and data governance practices in secure cloud environments.

The projected compensation range for this position is $120,000.00 to $165,000.00 (annualized USD).

What You Can Expect From Us

• Real opportunity for career growth in an environment where your achievements will be celebrated
• Constant collaboration with numerous teams to ensure client success
• A team that respects and embraces your ideas and expertise
• Coworkers that are motivated by pursuing excellence, rather than the prospect of personal gain
• A workplace dedicated to supporting and bettering public safety and government agencies

Benefits

• Very competitive salary based on qualifications and experience
• Comprehensive, Company paid healthcare for you (We pay your premiums and deductibles)
• 401(k) with company match
• Travel & performance incentives
• 3 weeks paid time off (plus Federal Holidays)
• $5K annual training allowance

Praescient Analytics is a Certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) with over a decade of expertise in advanced analytics, engineering, and DevOps, specializing in transforming complex data into actionable intelligence for informed decision-making. Since 2011, we have supported over 40 organizations across diverse domains, including military intelligence operations, financial and fraud investigations, and insider threat detection.

Our team of experts—skilled in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, DevOps, and engineering—brings deep experience in solving complex challenges. With a proven track record in federal contracting, we deliver tailored, high-impact solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, ensure mission success, and address the evolving needs of our clients. Praescient's innovative and adaptive approach makes us a trusted partner in delivering data-driven insights and technological excellence for critical missions.

Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.