Data Acquisition Engineer I

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

The Data Acquisition Engineer I builds and maintains data ingestion pipelines within the Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Fabric platform. Working under senior engineer guidance, this role contributes to pipeline development, source system onboarding, data quality execution, and medallion architecture foundations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Build and maintain data ingestion pipelines using Azure Data Factory (ADF) and Microsoft Fabric Data Factory
• Ingest structured and semi-structured data from APIs, flat files, databases, and SaaS sources into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 and Microsoft Fabric OneLake
• Land raw data into the Bronze layer of the medallion Lakehouse following team standards for format, partitioning, and auditability
• Write SQL queries for data extraction, transformation, and quality validation
• Apply data quality checks including schema validation, null checks, and row count assertions
• Execute ingestion workflows in orchestration tools (e.g.: Apache Airflow, Dagster, DLT) under guidance - run, monitor, and troubleshoot existing DAGs
• Develop awareness of Dagster and dbt asset-based modeling patterns through team exposure and structured learning
• Document pipeline designs, source-to-target mappings, and data dictionaries
• Participate in sprint ceremonies and code reviews
• Contributes to a positive team dynamic through respectful interactions, positive contributions, and active collaboration to achieve department and organizational goals.
• Incorporates AAA's vision, mission and values in day-to-day activities and behaviors; guides and motivates others to remain committed to AAA's vision mission and values.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• None

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
• Education - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent preferred
• Experience - 0-2 years in data engineering, or a related field

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Microsoft Azure - Hands-on experience with ADF, ADLS Gen2, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Blob Storage preferred
• Microsoft Fabric - Familiarity with Fabric Data Factory, Lakehouse, OneLake, and Warehouse concepts preferred
• SQL - Proficiency in SQL for extraction, transformation, and quality validation preferred
• Storage - Familiarity with Delta Lake, Apache Iceberg, Parquet file formats is preferred
• Orchestration - Awareness of DAG concepts, task operators, and basic workflow execution and monitoring. Hands-on exposure to tools like Apache Airflow, DAGs, operators, and connections preferred
• Asset Based Modeling - Awareness of asset-based orchestration concepts; exposure to dbt models or Dagster assets is a plus
• Methodology - Awareness of medallion architecture (Bronze/Silver/Gold) and layered data design is preferred
• Python / PySpark - Basic proficiency for data manipulation and ingestion scripting
• Version Control - Familiarity with Git - branching, commits, and pull requests

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
• Certification - DP-900 (Azure Data Fundamentals) or equivalent is preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:

Technical Competencies
• Azure Data Factory - Build and configure pipelines with guidance
• Microsoft Fabric - Navigate Fabric workspaces; use Data Factory and Lakehouse
• SQL - Write proficient queries; apply joins, aggregations, and filters
• Python / PySpark - Write basic ingestion and transformation scripts
• Medallion Architecture - Understand Bronze / Silver / Gold principles; follow team standards
• Apache Airflow - Run and monitor existing DAGs; understand task operators and scheduling
• Dagster / dbt - Develop awareness of asset graphs and dbt model concepts
• Git - Commit, branch, and submit pull requests
• Data Quality - Apply schema validation, null checks, and row count assertions
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally both verbally and in writing, including effective use of listening skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Skilled in establishing rapport and gaining the trust of others.

SALARY:
• Hiring Range: $98,634 - $113,424
• Opportunity to earn a discretionary bonus based on company performance

BENEFITS WE OFFER:
• Health insurance (medical, vision, dental and prescription drug)
• Up to 22 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) in the first year
• Eleven paid holidays in addition to PTO
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• Life, Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 4 Hours of Volunteer Time Off per year
• On-Demand Pay / Earned Wage Access
• Free Premier RV AAA Washington Membership
• Travel, Insurance, and Membership Discounts and Perks
• Paid, on-going training throughout your career
• THRIVE wellness program
• Tax-advantaged commuter benefit
• Free parking
• Financial Literacy Education

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
• Hybrid work from home and office required
• The physical environment is typical of a standard office space. It requires the employee to work inside for the duration of work. Must be able to remain in a stationary position, sitting for more than 50% of the time. This position will require occasionally moving about inside the office to access equipment, cabinets, etc. May work around office equipment which could be noisy, such as copiers and fax machines.

OTHER:
• Equipment used: computer, various virtual technologies, other office equipment
• Travel: Rarely Travel
• This position will require "on call" responsibilities on a rotating basis.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.