Senior Data Engineer (SQL Server)- Arlington, VA

CoStar•Arlington, VA

1d•$147,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

CoStar Group is seeking a Senior Database Engineer to join its Enterprise Data Services – Finance (EDS-F) team and build and modernize the data platforms that power financial systems. This hands-on data engineering role focuses on designing data models, building and optimizing data pipelines, tuning complex T-SQL, and developing scalable data quality solutions; it is not a database administration position. The engineer will work across an established SQL Server environment supporting live financial operations and an emerging cloud data platform for analytics and new products. The work involves large, complex financial datasets, with emphasis on accuracy, traceability, performance, and scalability, and collaboration with Software Engineering, Product, DBA, DevOps, and Finance teams. The technology stack includes SQL Server, Databricks, Snowflake, Kafka, NiFi, Airflow, Elasticsearch, and AWS. The position is based in Arlington, Virginia. The schedule is in office Monday through Thursday and work from home on Friday. The role offers a base compensation range of $147,000–$190,000 annually, with the final offer depending on factors including geographic location, skills, and competencies. Candidates must be currently eligible to work full-time in the United States; visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited, not-for-profit, in-person university or college; a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field is preferred.
A track record of commitment to prior employers.
At least 5 years in data engineering, backend engineering, or software engineering, focused on data-intensive systems.
Advanced SQL and strong programming skills in Python, Scala, or Java.
At least 3 years with a relational platform such as SQL Server or PostgreSQL, including query and index tuning.
At least 2 years building production solutions on Databricks, Spark, or an equivalent distributed processing platform.
Experience with dimensional modeling, data warehouse design, and data architecture.
Experience building and optimizing ETL/ELT pipelines for large and complex datasets.
Production experience with an orchestration tool such as Apache Airflow or Apache NiFi.
Experience with software engineering practices, including version control, automated tests, CI/CD, and code review.
Experience with data quality validation, performance tuning, monitoring, and production support.
Ability to turn business requirements into a data model and a delivery plan.
Clear written and verbal communication with technical and business audiences.
Must be currently eligible to work full-time in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

A degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field.
Experience with streaming platforms such as Kafka or Spark Streaming.
AWS experience; experience with Azure or Google Cloud Platform is also relevant.
Experience with NoSQL stores such as DynamoDB and object storage such as Amazon S3.
Experience with cloud-native compute, container, and serverless services.
Experience with data governance, metadata management, lineage, and observability tooling.
Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
Experience with financial data under SOX or another regulated data domain.
Knowledge of Elasticsearch or a similar search platform.
Experience with business intelligence tools such as Power BI.
Experience with AI-assisted development tools and agent-based workflows.
Familiarity with machine learning, large language models, or prompt engineering.

Responsibilities

Design and build data models, data pipelines, and cloud data architecture on Databricks, Snowflake, and AWS.
Build and maintain high-volume ETL/ELT pipelines for analytics, operational reporting, and product features.
Design dimensional models and database structures that provide fast and predictable query performance.
Tune SQL Server workloads, including stored procedures, execution plans, and index strategy.
Integrate data from internal and external sources into governed enterprise models.
Build data quality, lineage, testing, monitoring, and observability frameworks.
Optimize processing, storage, and query costs across large datasets.
Apply SOX and audit controls to financial data pipelines, including change control, access control, and evidence capture.
Automate data infrastructure and data collection across CoStar products.
Support production pipelines, identify root causes of failures, and prevent recurrence.
Contribute to architecture decisions, set engineering standards, and mentor other engineers.

Benefits

Generous compensation and performance-based incentives.
Internal training and tuition reimbursement to support professional and academic growth.
Comprehensive medical, vision, dental, and prescription drug coverage.
Life, legal, and supplementary insurance.
Virtual and in-person mental health counseling for individuals and families.
Commuter and parking benefits.
401(k) retirement plan with matching contributions.
Employee stock purchase plan.
Paid time off.
On-site fitness center and/or reimbursed fitness center membership costs, depending on location; amenities may include a yoga studio, Pelotons, personal training, and group exercise classes.
Access to Employee Resource Groups.
Complimentary gourmet coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fresh fruit, and other healthy snacks.