Data Engineer (AWS/Python/Spark), Gaithersburg

Software Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for a Senior Data Engineer for a Contract assignment with one of our premier Regulatory clients in Rockville, MD.

This position is hybrid (2 days/week onsite)

Role Objective

Design, build, and maintain scalable, cloud-native data infrastructure on AWS to support analytics, The ideal candidate will have strong experience with AWS data services, pipeline development, and modern data engineering best practices. Experience with Generative AI is a plus and highly valued.

The Senior Data Engineer must be able to:

" Design, implement, and maintain scalable ETL/ELT pipelines using AWS-native tools (Glue, Lambda, Step Functions).

" Build and manage data lakes and data warehouses (S3, Redshift, Athena) to support structured and semi-structured data.

" Develop and optimize batch and streaming data pipelines using tools like Apache Spark, Kafka, Kinesis, or Flink.

" Implement data cataloging, lineage, and governance using Glue Catalog, Lake Formation.

" Ensure data quality, integrity, and reliability through validation checks, alerts, and monitoring (CloudWatch, SNS).

" Create and maintain curated data models and data marts to support reporting and machine learning.

" Enable self-service analytics by integrating with BI tools (QuickSight etc.).

" Optimize cost, performance, and scalability of all data pipelines and infrastructure components.

" Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver data solutions including ML engineers , analysts, and product teams.

Non-Functional Requirements

" Ensure solutions are secure, compliant, and follow least-privilege IAM practices.

" Build reusable components to enable modular and maintainable pipeline development.

" Use infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform or CloudFormation) for repeatable deployments.

" Working knowledge on frameworks like Apache Airflow

" Deliver systems with 99.9% uptime and automated monitoring for failures and performance degradation.

" Maintain documentation and onboarding guides for future engineers.

Experience Requirements

" 7+ years of experience in data engineering or related fields.

" 3+ years building data platforms on AWS (S3, Glue, Redshift, EMR, Lambda, etc.).

" Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects and mentor junior engineers.

" Experience working in Agile/Scrum development environments.

" Prior involvement in migrating legacy systems to AWS is a plus.

Technical Skill Requirements (80%)

Cloud Platform: AWS (S3, Glue, Aurora(mysql/postgres), Lambda, EMR, Athena, IAM, CloudWatch)

Data Processing: Apache Spark, AWS Glue, SQL, Java/Python- PySpark

Streaming Data: Kafka, AWS Kinesis, Flink (Preferred)

Orchestration: Airflow, Step Functions, Lambda Triggers

Data Warehousing: Redshift, Snowflake (optional), BigQuery (optional)

DevOps/Automation: Terraform/CloudFormation, Docker, Kubernetes

Security & Governance: Lake Formation, KMS, Encryption, Fine-grained IAM

Logging, Tracing & Debugging: Splunk, Cloud-watch, Grafana, Code inspection, Prompting Knowledge with Amazon Q

BI/Visualization: QuickSight and/or Power BI

Preferred Qualifications

" AWS Certified Data Analytics Specialty(optional)

" Experience with dbt for transformation

" Exposure to data mesh or lakehouse architectures

" Experience with ML model data pipelines (feature stores, model inputs)

" Experience with Linux operating systems.

" Experience with Production support.

Soft Skills

" Strong problem-solving and debugging skills

" Effective communicator and collaborator across teams

" Ownership mindset with ability to lead cross-team efforts

" Mentoring and coaching experience

SGA is a technology and resource solutions provider driven to stand out. We are a women-owned business. Our mission: to solve big IT problems with a more personal, boutique approach. Each year, we match consultants like you to more than 1,000 engagements. When we say let's work better together, we mean it. You'll join a diverse team built on these core values: customer service, employee development, and quality and integrity in everything we do. Be yourself, love what you do and find your passion at work. Please find us at .

SGA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of Race, Color, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Religion, National Origin, Disability, Veteran Status, Age, Marital Status, Pregnancy, Genetic Information, or Other Legally Protected Status. We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, and our services, programs, and activities. Please visit our company to request an accommodation or assistance regarding our policy.