Lead Data Platform Engineer

Dexian

$130K — $155K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field.
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in data engineering or data warehousing.
  • 5+ years of hands-on experience architecting and building on Snowflake.
  • Experience in implementing layered architecture models and infrastructure-as-code.
  • Proven track record as a technical lead on data platforms, establishing standards and reviewing work.
  • Proficiency in Python and advanced SQL for designing data pipelines.
  • Strong understanding of data governance and security practices.

Responsibilities

  • Support the design and implementation of the data platform for growth and consistency.
  • Provide technical guidance on platform changes, ensuring adherence to best practices.
  • Assist with infrastructure-as-code and cloud provisioning tasks.
  • Develop strategies for performance optimization and cost management.
  • Design and review ELT pipelines for diverse data sources.
  • Establish engineering standards for coding, testing, and documentation.
  • Implement data quality controls and address upstream issues as required.

Benefits

  • Hybrid working opportunity in Arlington, VA.
  • Access to training and coaching for internal data engineering teams.
  • Collaborative environment with third-party delivery teams.
  • Focus on implementing security and compliance measures.
  • Opportunity to work with the latest data technologies and AI integration.
Full Job Description
Candidates must be local to the DC/MD/VA area. This is a hybrid opportunity in Arlington, VA.
Key Responsibilities
  • Support the design and implementation of the data platform, including environment setup and layered architecture standards, to promote growth and consistency.
  • Provide senior technical guidance on platform changes, ensuring new data pipelines and sources align with established best practices.
  • Assist with infrastructure-as-code, including cloud provisioning, configuration, RBAC, schema setup, and deployment through CI/CD pipelines.
  • Develop performance and cost-management strategies such as workload optimization, warehouse sizing, resource monitoring, and cost visibility.
  • Design, develop, and review ELT pipelines that ingest, transform, and curate data from structured and unstructured sources.
  • Establish engineering standards for code review, testing, deployment, and documentation for both internal teams and contractors.
  • Ensure operational readiness through monitoring, incident response, troubleshooting, and creating runbooks for independent platform operation.
  • Implement data quality controls and drive remediation with source systems to address upstream issues.
  • Translate data governance standards into platform controls, including role-based access, data classification, masking, retention policies, and audit-lineage.
  • Support security and compliance requirements, including connectivity and data protection protocols.
  • Collaborate with third-party delivery teams during platform build, supporting design, implementation, and knowledge transfer.
  • Provide ongoing documentation, training, and coaching to internal data engineering teams for platform maintenance and extension.
  • Enable self-service data consumption for BI and analytics teams by publishing governed datasets, data marts, and consumption schemas.
  • Define and enforce standards for the semantic layer, ensuring consistent business definitions and data structures.
  • Advise leadership on enterprise data priorities, onboarding future data sources, and preparing AI workloads.
  • Partner with AI teams to curate AI-ready data assets and evaluate emerging platform capabilities, ensuring secure data handling and disposal.
Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field.
  • Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in data engineering, data warehousing, or similar technical roles.
  • At least 5 years of hands-on experience architecting and building on Snowflake.
  • Proven experience implementing layered architecture models, infrastructure-as-code, and deploying via Git-based CI/CD workflows.
  • Demonstrated experience as a technical lead or senior authority on data platforms, including setting standards and reviewing work.
  • Experience with platform observability, monitoring, alerting, and operational dashboards.
  • Certifications such as Snowflake (e.g., SnowPro Core or Advanced) and relevant AWS certifications preferred.
  • Deep expertise in Snowflake warehouse design, RBAC, performance tuning, and cost management.
  • Proficiency in Python and advanced SQL, capable of designing observability-driven pipelines.
  • Experience with cloud architectures, especially AWS, utilizing tools like S3, IAM, and PrivateLink.
  • Strong understanding of the end-to-end data analytics workflow, data modeling, and modern ELT patterns.
  • Knowledge of data governance, security practices, data classification, lineage, and PII handling.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills for large-scale data environments.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills for collaborating with technical and non-technical teams.
  • Ability to work effectively with external partners and facilitate knowledge transfer.
  • Service-oriented mindset with resourcefulness, responsiveness, and professionalism.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Snowflake certification (e.g., SnowPro Core or Advanced) and relevant AWS certifications.
  • Experience with modern data workflows involving semantic modeling and BI integration tools like Power BI.
  • Familiarity with emerging platform features such as Cortex AI, Snowpark ML, and vector-based structures.
  • Knowledge of data security and compliance standards related to data privacy and protection.
  • Ability to diagnose and resolve complex data and platform issues in large-scale environments.


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