4521 Data Engineer with Security Clearance

OVERVIEW: We are seeking a Data Engineer with strong hands-on experience designing, developing, and managing large-scale data workflows across structured and unstructured datasets. This role focuses heavily on building reliable RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines, orchestrating ETL/ELT processes, and deploying scalable data systems in AWS.

GENERAL DUTIES

• Design, build, and maintain RAG pipelines, including document ingestion, indexing, embedding workflows, and model retrieval flows.
• Develop and manage structured and unstructured data pipelines supporting analytics, ML, and application workloads. Build and optimize ETL/ELT pipelines in AWS using services such as S3, Lambda, Step Functions, EMR, Glue, ECS/EKS, and IAM best practices. Implement and operate NiFi flows for high-throughput, low-latency data ingestion and transformation.
• Develop, orchestrate, and schedule workflows using Prefect, ensuring reliability, observability, and proper error handling. Implement indexing, search, and retrieval patterns using ElasticSearch, including schema design, cluster management, and query optimization.
• Collaborate closely with architecture, ML, and application teams to support scalable data solutions.
• Ensure data quality, lineage, governance, and security across all pipelines.
• Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues across distributed data systems.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Solid understanding of ETL/ELT processes and data modeling best practices.
• Hands-on experience implementing workflows in Prefect (Prefect 2.0 preferred). In-depth knowledge of ElasticSearch indexing, cluster management, and search optimization.
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with common data libraries (Pandas, PySpark, requests, etc.).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong experience with Apache NiFi for data flow management and real-time ingestion.
• Experience building or maintaining RAG pipelines (e.g., vector databases, embeddings, document chunking strategies, retrieval optimization).
• Proven ability to manage structured and unstructured data pipelines at scale.
• Experience with AWS cloud services for data engineering.
• Strong version control and CI/CD experience.
• Experience with vector databases (OpenSearch, Pinecone, Weaviate, etc.)
• Familiarity with containerized workflows (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience supporting LLM or generative AI production systems
• Background in distributed systems, streaming platforms, or data mesh architectures CLEARANCE:
• Active TS/SCI clearance minimum required