Sr Data Engineer

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

23h

About The Position

We are looking for a full stack Azure Data Engineer to serve as the primary technical partner for our Legal Business Operations team. This is a hands-on role focused on deeply understanding the end-to-end technology stack that supports legal operations and provides technical guidance and support on platform modernization using AI. You will be the person who knows how all the pieces connect: how data flows between systems, where integrations are fragile, what the downstream impact of a schema change is, and how to evaluate whether a new tool or approach is worth adopting. You will manage proof-of-concept evaluations, support production operations, and act as the bridge between legal operations stakeholders and engineering resources. This is not a pure backend engineering role. It requires someone who is equally comfortable digging into data pipelines, troubleshooting a dashboard, and walking a non-technical stakeholder through the implications of a platform migration. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Requirements

Master's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 3+ years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 4+ years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering OR equivalent experience.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years experience in business analytics, data science, software development, data modeling, or data engineering OR equivalent experience.
2+ years experience with data governance, data compliance and/or data security.
Proficiency in SQL and Python for data processing, pipeline development, and analysis
Hands-on experience building and maintaining data pipelines on cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP, or similar)
Demonstrated ability to understand and document complex multi-system technology environments end to end
Experience managing or contributing to proof-of-concept or pilot evaluations of new technologies
Familiarity with API design, integration patterns (REST, event-driven), and middleware
Exposure to AI/ML tools or agentic workflows for document processing, search, or automation
Experience supporting legal, compliance, or business operations teams in a technology capacity
Understanding of data governance, privacy requirements, and access control in regulated or sensitive environments
Project management skills or experience with agile methodologies

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain a deep, end-to-end understanding of the legal business operations technology stack — including case management platforms, document management systems, workflow automation tools, dashboards, and reporting infrastructure
Serve as the go-to technical expert for how systems are configured, how data flows between them, and how changes in one system affect others downstream
Monitor system health, data quality, and pipeline reliability; proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact operations
Own technical documentation: system architecture diagrams, data flow maps, integration specifications, and operational runbooks
Manage and coordinate system updates, configuration changes, and data migrations with minimal disruption to end users
Lead proof-of-concept evaluations for new tools, platforms, and technical approaches, scoping and requirements gathering through hands-on prototyping and stakeholder demo
Define clear success criteria for each proof of concept; collect and analyze data to produce objective recommendations on whether to adopt, iterate, or abandon.
Manage the transition from successful proof of concept to production deployment, including integration planning, data migration, testing, and rollout.
Stay current with emerging technologies relevant to legal operations, including low-code platforms, AI-assisted document review, workflow automation, and data analytics tools.
Evaluate vendor offerings and third-party solutions against build-vs-buy criteria, total cost of ownership, and long-term maintainability.
Design, build, and maintain data pipelines that ingest, transform, and deliver data across the legal operations technology stack
Build and optimize data models and schemas to support reporting, analytics, and operational workflows
Implement data quality checks, validation rules, and monitoring to ensure accuracy and completeness of operational data
Develop and maintain integrations between systems (APIs, file-based transfers, event-driven workflows) to keep data synchronized and current
Support ad hoc data requests, extracts, and analysis for legal operations stakeholders
Act as the primary technical liaison between the legal business operations team and engineering, data science, and platform teams
Translate business requirements into technical specifications and vice versa — making complex technical concepts accessible to non-technical stakeholders
Participate in planning and prioritization discussions, providing technical feasibility assessments and level-of-effort estimates
Coordinate with external vendors and consulting partners on technical deliverables, data access, and integration requirements
Proactively surface risks, dependencies, and technical debt to stakeholders with clear recommendations