Senior Data Engineer (USASOC-CDAO)

Kentro • Fayetteville, NC

10h • Onsite

About The Position

Kentro is hiring for Senior Data Engineer to support the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Chief Data and Analytics Office (CDAO) under the EDAT program in Fayetteville, NC. The Senior Data Engineer will design, develop, integrate, and maintain enterprise data solutions supporting USASOC's data analytics, operational decision-making, and mission objectives. This position will work across data engineering, analytics, software development, cloud, and enterprise technology teams to build reliable and scalable data pipelines and data products.

The ideal candidate will bring strong hands-on experience with modern data engineering technologies, distributed data processing, cloud platforms, databases, APIs, and data integration, along with the ability to independently solve complex technical problems in a DoD environment.
Location: Onsite in Fayetteville, NC
This Job Description reflects the primary duties of the role; however, it is not intended to be all‑inclusive. Team members may be asked to take on additional responsibilities in alignment with customer expectations, business needs, and Kentro’s culture of collaboration and adaptability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 7+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, data architecture, or a related technical discipline.
• AIT II or higher Certification required
• Strong hands-on experience developing enterprise data pipelines and data integration solutions.
• Advanced proficiency with Python and SQL.
• Experience with distributed data processing technologies such as Apache Spark/PySpark.
• Experience with relational and non-relational databases.
• Experience developing ETL/ELT processes and data transformations.
• Experience working with APIs and integrating data from multiple systems.
• Experience with data modeling, data architecture, and database design.
• Experience troubleshooting complex data and application issues.
• Experience working in Agile software development environments.
• Experience with Git and modern software-development practices.
• Strong understanding of data quality, validation, governance, security, and lifecycle management.
• Ability to independently analyze complex technical requirements and develop appropriate solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Minimum active Top Secret clearance required
• US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card)

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting USSOCOM, USASOC, DoD, or other federal government organizations.
• Experience working with Palantir Foundry or other enterprise data platforms.
• Experience with Palantir Ontology, Foundry data pipelines, Workshop, Contour, or Code Workbooks.
• Experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, or other cloud environments.
• Experience with Databricks, Snowflake, Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, or similar data platforms.
• Experience with Kafka or other event-streaming technologies.
• Experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices.
• Experience implementing data governance, metadata management, data lineage, and enterprise data catalogs.
• Experience supporting AI/ML data pipelines and model operationalization.
• Experience working with classified or highly sensitive mission data.
• Knowledge of DoD cybersecurity and Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements.
• Experience mentoring technical personnel and providing engineering-level technical leadership.
• Industry certifications in cloud, data engineering, cybersecurity, or related technical disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable enterprise data pipelines and data processing solutions.
• Develop ETL/ELT processes to ingest, transform, validate, and deliver data from diverse sources.
• Integrate structured and unstructured data from enterprise, operational, cloud, and mission systems.
• Develop data models, schemas, transformations, and data architectures that support CDAO requirements.
• Build and optimize data pipelines using Python, SQL, Spark, PySpark, or other appropriate technologies.
• Develop solutions for batch and near-real-time data processing and integration.
• Design and implement data ingestion and integration patterns for databases, APIs, applications, files, and other data sources.
• Perform data profiling, cleansing, normalization, validation, and quality control.
• Develop automated processes to monitor data pipelines and identify failures or data-quality issues.
• Troubleshoot complex data engineering, integration, performance, and system issues.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, software engineers, architects, Palantir Foundry engineers, cybersecurity personnel, and government stakeholders.
• Support integration and operationalization of analytical models and data products.
• Develop and maintain data documentation, data-flow diagrams, technical specifications, and architecture documentation.
• Implement appropriate data security, access controls, governance, and protection mechanisms.
• Support data governance, metadata management, lineage, and data-quality initiatives.
• Optimize data pipelines and processing environments for scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies, sprint planning, technical reviews, demonstrations, and requirements discussions.
• Translate mission and business requirements into technical data-engineering solutions.
• Support cloud-based data engineering capabilities and enterprise data platforms.
• Participate in development, testing, deployment, and sustainment activities.
• Apply DevSecOps and CI/CD practices to data engineering workflows where applicable.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior and journeyman-level data engineers.
• Support technical planning and provide recommendations to government and program leadership.
• Identify technical risks, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Perform other engineering and technical duties as assigned.

Benefits

• paid time off
• healthcare benefits
• supplemental benefits
• 401k including an employer match
• discount perks
• rewards
• education reimbursement for certifications, degrees, or professional development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior