Data and Automation Engineer

Data and Automation Engineer

*Pay:* $60 per hour
*Location:* Remote (U.S.), with occasional on-site meetings in the Washington, DC metropolitan area
*Employment:* Contract (adjust if needed)
*Eligibility:* U.S. citizenship required; must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Federal Public Trust clearance or background investigation.

About the Role

We are seeking a skilled *Data and Automation Engineer* to develop, maintain, and improve data pipelines, system integrations, and intelligent automation solutions supporting federal projects.

In this role, you will work with Python, SQL, APIs, workflow orchestration tools, and emerging AI technologies to build reliable and scalable solutions. The ideal candidate has strong hands-on data engineering experience, enjoys solving complex technical challenges, and is comfortable working in a regulated or federal environment.

Key Responsibilities

* Design, develop, and maintain data ingestion, extraction, and transformation pipelines using Python and SQL.
* Build and automate data workflows using orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow.
* Integrate enterprise systems through REST APIs and automated file-based data exchange.
* Develop interactive dashboards and business intelligence reports using Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.
* Support AI and large language model (LLM) solutions, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) over structured and unstructured data.
* Perform data validation, testing, and quality checks to ensure accuracy and reliability.
* Evaluate AI and machine learning solutions using test datasets and monitor performance, accuracy, and potential model drift.
* Use Git, Docker, and automated testing practices to manage code, configurations, and deployments.
* Collaborate with technical teams and stakeholders to troubleshoot issues and continuously improve automation processes.
* Maintain technical documentation and support controlled releases in compliance-driven environments.

Required Qualifications

* 5+ years of professional experience in production data engineering using Python and SQL.
* Hands-on experience building and maintaining data pipelines, integrations, and automated workflows.
* Experience working with REST APIs, data transformation, and batch processing.
* Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow or similar platforms.
* Experience with Git, automated testing, Docker, and controlled software releases.
* Experience working in regulated environments, federal civilian agencies, or projects with compliance requirements.
* Strong problem-solving, communication, and troubleshooting skills.
* U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a Federal Public Trust background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications

* Experience supporting AI, machine learning, or LLM-based applications.
* Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), document processing, and knowledge retrieval systems.
* Experience with Power BI, Tableau, or other business intelligence platforms.
* Experience with cloud-based data engineering or automation environments.
* Familiarity with Jira and Agile development methodologies.

Compensation and Work Environment

* *Hourly Rate:* $60/hour.
* *Work Arrangement:* Fully remote within the United States.
* *Travel:* Periodic on-site meetings in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
* *Project Environment:* Federal projects involving data engineering, automation, integrations, and emerging AI technologies.

If you enjoy building practical automation solutions, working with modern data technologies, and contributing to mission-driven projects, we encourage you to apply.

Pay: From $60.00 per hour

Expected hours: 10.0 – 20.0 per week

Application Question(s):
* Are you a US citizen?
* I understand this position is 1099 only.
* Can you occasionally commute to DC?

Work Location: Remote