Software Engineer II — Data & Defense Platforms

McKinsey; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

McKinsey & Company seeks a Senior Data Engineer to join the Defense and Security team in the United States. You will design and build core data frameworks, partnering with data scientists, ML engineers, and project managers in Agile squads to deliver impactful assets.

The role emphasizes asset-based consulting, scalable code, and cloud-native pipelines across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.

Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance (or SCI-eligibility), ideally with past or current DoD SAP/SAR access.
• Advanced degree in a quantitative field (e.g., computer science, machine learning, applied statistics, or mathematics) or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of relevant experience. Familiarity with aerospace and defense programs and/or mission data is preferred.
• Proven experience with graph databases and analytics, including Neo4j, Gremlin, or similar tools, and query languages like Cypher or Gremlin.
• Strong programming skills in modern languages such as Python, Java, Node.js, or Go, with expertise in writing clean, maintainable, and scalable code. Experience with FastAPI, Pandas, and React + TypeScript is a plus.
• Experience building and integrating web application back ends and contributing to front-end development when needed.
• Extensive experience with data engineering and pipelines, including ETL, data quality, and working across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.
• Practical knowledge of software engineering best practices, including DevOps, DataOps, MLOps, containerization (e.g., Docker), and orchestration.
• Experience with distributed computing frameworks and cloud platforms, with a focus on deploying enterprise applications in cloud environments.
• Strong testing skills, including unit testing, integration/API testing, and ensuring robust, scalable solutions.
• Experience with NoSQL databases and working with graph-related problems, including the use of GenAI/ML techniques like GraphRAG.
• Interest or experience in running simulations in Python and applying advanced analytics to solve complex problems.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop core data frameworks to drive meaningful mission outcomes for clients.
• Shift our model toward asset-based consulting and build a foundation for expansion of entrepreneurial culture.
• Collaborate in cross-functional Agile project teams with data scientists, ML engineers, other data engineers, and project managers.
• Build scalable, robust data pipelines and back-end services; contribute to front-end when needed.
• Work with cloud platforms, NoSQL and graph technologies, and GenAI/ML techniques to solve complex problems.

Skills

TS/SCI clearance

Graph databases

Programming languages

FastAPI & Pandas

ETL pipelines

NoSQL / GraphRAG

Cloud platforms

Docker

DevOps / MLOps

Python / Java / Node.js / Go

Education

Advanced degree in quantitative field

Tools

Neo4j

Gremlin

Cypher

Docker

FastAPI

Pandas

React

TypeScript

Job description

McKinsey & Company seeks a Senior Data Engineer to join the Defense and Security team in the United States. You will design and build core data frameworks, partnering with data scientists, ML engineers, and project managers in Agile squads to deliver impactful assets.

The role emphasizes asset-based consulting, scalable code, and cloud-native pipelines across structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.