Junior Data Engineer
About The Position
The War Data Platform (WDP) is a key initiative within the U.S. Department of War's (DoW) AI-First strategy introduced in early 2026. The WDP separates business and financial data from operational warfighting data, aiming to accelerate the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) on the battlefield. The WDP extends to Unclassified, Secret, and Top Secret environments, and supports collaboration between Combatant Commands, Joint Staff directorates, Senior Executive Service leaders, and operational analysts. The Junior Data Engineer supports the construction and day-to-day operation of WDP data pipelines across multiple classification enclaves, contributing to the platform's mission of delivering reliable, analytics-ready data to warfighters and mission partners. This is an entry-level engineering position well-suited for early-career professionals seeking hands-on experience in enterprise data engineering within a classified federal environment.
Requirements
- Current Secret security clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret (TS) security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI).
- Up to 3 years of experience in data engineering, software development, or a closely related technical discipline, with foundational exposure to data pipeline construction, ETL workflows, or cloud-based data platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- Working knowledge of Python and/or SQL, with familiarity with at least one data orchestration or processing tool such as Apache Airflow, Apache Spark, or AWS Glue.
Responsibilities
- Supports construction and operation of War Data Platform (WDP) Core Integration data pipelines by developing ingestion, transformation, and movement components across Unclassified and NIPR, Secret and SIPR, and Top Secret and JWICS enclaves.
- Configures structured data flows using Apache Airflow, AWS Glue jobs, Spark scripts, and Kafka topics under guidance from senior engineering personnel.
- Performs data preparation tasks including schema mapping, format conversions, metadata tagging, and movement into bronze, silver, and gold medallion tiers.
- Executes baseline quality checks using profiling tools, validation rules, and drift-monitoring alerts to detect abnormalities within lake environments.
- Applies approved security, IAM, and data-handling patterns under guidance from senior engineers and cybersecurity personnel to support cybersecurity requirements for operational data handling.
- Supports Tier-2 and engineering teams by performing basic log review, triage steps, and documented remediation actions for data ingestion or transformation failures.
- Updates technical documentation, workflow diagrams, and pipeline inventories within SharePoint, Confluence, and GitLab repositories.
- Tracks performance indicators including data freshness, pipeline run duration, and feature availability, contributing analytical inputs for engineering decision-making.
- Coordinates with developers, platform engineers, and data operations specialists to support routine updates, backlog work, and deployment activities.
- Contributes to operational readiness by executing repeatable engineering tasks that maintain pipeline continuity, strengthen data usability, and support enterprise analytics across mission communities.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
