Technology and Engineering | Full-time Senior Data Engineer Lead Arlington, Virginia, United States

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

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health benefits

Flexible work options

Paid time off

Job summary

Publicis Sapient is seeking a Manager-Level Data Architect in Arlington, VA to lead a small team of data engineers and drive the enterprise data platform forward. You will blend hands-on SQL Server DBA work with modern data engineering, steering transitions from IaaS to PaaS, and guiding DataOps, CI/CD, and governance.

You will collaborate with PMs to plan initiatives, ensure delivery, and maintain data quality across pipelines, ETL/ELT, and BI integrations (SSRS, Tableau, PowerBI).

Qualifications

• 10+ years in data architecture or data engineering roles.
• Strong hands-on SQL Server DBA experience with HA/DR and performance tuning.
• Proven leadership of small engineering teams (5–7 members).
• Experience migrating SQL Server IaaS to cloud-managed PaaS services.
• Knowledge of DataOps, observability, and data quality.
• Experience with SSIS, AWS Glue, and Python for ETL/ELT.
• Familiarity with BI tools such as SSRS, Tableau, and PowerBI.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data engineers across platform and integration tracks.
• Plan, prioritize, and execute data initiatives with PM collaboration.
• Oversee migrations from self-hosted to cloud-managed database services.
• Provide architectural oversight and governance for data platforms.
• Develop and maintain data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines for database and platform deployments.
• Drive DataOps practices including monitoring and reliability.

Skills

SQL Server DBA

Data architecture

Data engineering

Leadership

Migrations to cloud

DataOps

CI/CD for data platforms

ETL/ELT design

SSIS

Python automation

Aurora PostgreSQL

Tableau / PowerBI / SSRS

Tools

Liquibase

Terraform

CloudFormation

AWS Glue

SSRS

Tableau

PowerBI

SQL Server

Aurora PostgreSQL

Python

Job description

Job ID: 2026-175187 | 1515 North Courthouse Road Arlington Virginia 22201 United States | Full-time

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
• Oversee setup, configuration, and maintenance of data platforms and environments
• 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
• 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]

Company Description

Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation partner helping established organizations get to their future, digitally enabled state, both in the way they work and the way they serve their customers. We help unlock value through a start‑up mindset and modern methods, fusing strategy, consulting, and customer experience with agile engineering and problem‑solving creativity. United by our core values and our purpose of helping people thrive in the brave pursuit of next, our 20,000+ people in 53 offices around the world combine experience across technology, data sciences, consulting, and customer obsession to accelerate our clients’ businesses through designing the products and services their customers truly value.