GCP DATA ENGINEER

Position Type Contract (1099 / C2C) Duration 6–12 Months (with extension potential) Start Date Immediate / ASAP Technology / Data Engineering Position Overview We are seeking an experienced GCP Data Engineer to join our team on a contract basis in Denver, Colorado. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in Google Cloud Platform services, Java-based pipeline development, and enterprise ETL frameworks. You will design and implement scalable data pipelines, work with large distributed datasets, and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to deliver high‑quality data solutions. Key Responsibilities Design, develop, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines on Google Cloud Platform using Java and cloud‑native services Build and optimize data workflows using GCP tools such as Dataflow (Apache Beam), Dataproc, BigQuery, Cloud Composer (Airflow), and Pub/Sub Develop Java‑based data ingestion and transformation applications to move data across structured and unstructured sources Collaborate with data architects and analysts to translate business requirements into scalable technical data solutions Monitor, troubleshoot, and tune pipeline performance, data quality, and reliability in production environments Implement data governance and security best practices including IAM policies, encryption, and access controls Work with Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Spanner, and Bigtable to manage and persist data assets Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, and agile ceremonies Write technical documentation for pipelines, schemas, and data flows Support data migration efforts and legacy system integration with modern cloud infrastructure Required Qualifications Core GCP Skills 5+ years of experience in data engineering with at least 3 years on Google Cloud Platform Hands‑on expertise with BigQuery (table design, partitioning, clustering, cost optimization) Proficiency with Cloud Dataflow (Apache Beam pipelines — batch and streaming) Experience with Cloud Composer / Apache Airflow for workflow orchestration Familiarity with Pub/Sub for real‑time event streaming and messaging Working knowledge of Cloud Storage, Dataproc (Spark/Hadoop), and GCP networking basics Strong proficiency in Java (8+) for building data pipelines and backend services Experience designing and building ETL/ELT pipelines at scale (batch and streaming) Knowledge of SQL and experience writing complex queries for BigQuery or similar warehouses Familiarity with data transformation patterns: slowly changing dimensions, CDC, data normalization Experience integrating APIs, JDBC/ODBC connectors, and file‑based data sources General Solid understanding of distributed systems, data warehousing concepts, and data lake architecture Proficiency with version control (Git) and CI/CD practices Excellent problem‑solving skills and ability to work independently in a contract environment Strong communication skills for collaborating with remote and on‑site stakeholders Preferred / Nice‑to‑Have Experience with dbt (data build tool) for data transformation Familiarity with Terraform or Deployment Manager for infrastructure‑as‑code on GCP Experience with Kafka or other streaming platforms alongside Pub/Sub Knowledge of Python for scripting and data manipulation tasks Exposure to data quality frameworks (Great Expectations, Deequ) Experience with Looker, Data Studio, or other BI tools connected to BigQuery About the Engagement This is a contract role embedded within an established data engineering team. You will have direct impact on mission‑critical data pipelines that serve business intelligence, analytics, and operational systems. The team follows agile practices with two‑week sprints, daily standups, and collaborative design sessions. The role is hybrid with approximately three days on‑site in Denver, CO. #J-18808-Ljbffr