Data Engineer - Entry to Expert Level
Data Engineers play a vital role in tackling key national security issues. Applicants will design, build, and maintain systems that handle data to support our mission goals, from intelligence gathering to cybersecurity. In this role, applicants will create & improve data pipelines and databases, helping our teams quickly access & search through both structured and unstructured data transforming raw information into standardized, usable formats that power our operations and protect the nation.
Major duties
Drawing on skills in data design, computer science, and specific knowledge of our field, applicants will turn mission needs into practical technical solutions. This includes building data structures, connecting different data sources, and ensuring data moves smoothly between systems. Applicants will also communicate the capabilities and limitations of data systems to subject matter experts and key decision-makers. Using cutting-edge tools, applicants will have opportunities to solve real-world problems in collecting, organizing, storing, and processing data. We're looking for talent at all levels, from those just starting out to seasoned experts, ready to make a real difference in national security. As a Data Engineer at NSA/CSS, you will transform and deliver high-priority datasets to enable exploitation and analysis for critical intelligence and cybersecurity missions. Design and Build Scalable Data Infrastructure - Design and architect systems that collect, transform, and manage data at scale using cloud, open source, and custom solutions - Create data models, schemas, databases, and optimized pipelines that process large, complex datasets - Implement ETL (extract, transform, load) processes and automated data validation methods Data Engineering and Analysis - Derive structured data from unstructured sources and combine multiple datasets to create a complete picture - Address conflicting, missing, or inconsistent data through cleaning and curation - Conduct exploratory data analysis using mathematical and statistical methods - Identify data features required to solve mission challenges Collaboration and Communication - Partner with collectors, data scientists, software engineers, and domain experts to design integrated solutions - Elicit customer needs and translate them into technical implementations - Document processes, analyses, and results for technical and non-technical audiences - Provide technical guidance and mentoring to team members
Qualifications
The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: data mining, analytical algorithms, software engineering, systems administration, data science, data flow management, designing/implementing machine learning, data management, database design, data architecture, system architecture, or database administration (e.g., developing, maintaining, troubleshooting). ENTRY/DEVELOPMENTAL Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree and no experience, or a Master's degree and no experience. FULL PERFORMANCE Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience. SENIOR Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 8 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree plus 6 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 4 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. Experience must also include formal or informal leadership. EXPERT Entry is with an Associate's degree plus 11 years of relevant experience, or a Bachelor's degree plus 9 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 5 years of relevant experience. Experience must also include formal or informal leadership.
Education
The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position. Degree must be in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, Information Science, Information Technology, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Engineering, or Physical Sciences.