Data Engineer

Role Description

We are looking for a Data Engineer with exceptional SQL skills to join our growing team at uMotif. This role is primarily focused on writing, optimizing, and maintaining complex SQL across our clinical data infrastructure on AWS. You will be the go-to person for query performance, data extraction, and SQL-driven pipeline development — ensuring our clinical and product teams always have fast, reliable access to the data they need.

You will work closely with TechOps, DevOps, Engineering, and Clinical Operations to build well-crafted SQL solutions that underpin uMotif’s patient engagement and clinical trial platforms.

Please note, this is a remote-working role; however you will need to align with east-coast (EST) working hours to be able to liaise with the team in the UK time-zone (BST).

What will you do?

• SQL Development & Optimization
  • Write and maintain complex SQL queries across large-scale clinical datasets, including multi-table joins, window functions, CTEs, and subqueries.
  • Diagnose and tune slow-running queries using execution plans, index analysis, and query profiling tools — delivering measurable performance improvements.
  • Establish and enforce SQL best practices, coding standards, and review processes across the data team.
  • Optimize SQL for cost and performance — with a deep understanding of how the complete system handles query execution.
  • Build and manage indexes, partitioning strategies, and materialized views to support performant analytical and operational queries.
• Data Pipeline Development
  • Design and build ELT/ETL pipelines with SQL at their core, leveraging AWS services such as:
  • AWS Aurora for structured data processing
  • AWS Lambda and Step Functions for orchestration and transformation triggers
  • Write transformation logic using dbt, including tests, documentation, and lineage tracking.
  • Ensure pipelines are performant, reliable, and well-monitored — with clear alerting when things go wrong.
• Analytics & Reporting Enablement
  • Build clean, well-documented SQL datasets and semantic layers that empower self-serve analytics across clinical and product teams.
  • Partner with TechOps and clinical stakeholders to translate reporting requirements into robust, reusable SQL data products.
  • Support dashboard and reporting tools including Grafana and Amazon QuickSight with optimized underlying queries.
• Data Quality & Governance
  • Implement SQL-based data quality checks and validation frameworks across critical pipelines.
  • Support data cataloging, lineage tracking, and access control in line with healthcare data standards.
  • Assist with compliance requirements for clinical trial data, including audit trails and row-level security where needed.
• Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
  • Participate actively in code reviews, with a particular focus on SQL quality, readability, and performance.
  • Mentor junior engineers and analysts on SQL patterns, optimisation techniques, and data engineering fundamentals.
  • Contribute to technical documentation, runbooks, and data engineering best practices.
  • Drive root cause analysis for data incidents and improve pipeline reliability over time.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in data engineering or a closely related role, with SQL as a core daily skill.
• Demonstrable expertise in writing complex, production-grade SQL — including window functions, recursive CTEs, lateral joins, and advanced aggregations.
• Proven track record of query optimization: reading execution plans, diagnosing bottlenecks, and delivering significant performance improvements.
• Strong hands-on experience with AWS data services, particularly Aurora, Redshift, Athena, and S3.
• Experience building ELT/ETL pipelines at scale, with SQL transformation at their core.
• Proficiency in dbt for data transformation, testing, and documentation.
• Experience with Python for pipeline orchestration and data processing tasks.
• Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow or AWS MWAA.
• Understanding of data quality principles, access control, and governance (e.g. AWS Lake Formation).
• Experience working in a GitLab or similar CI/CD environment.
• Strong analytical mindset, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills.

Technical Skills

• Core SQL & Data Tools
  • SQL (expert level) — Aurora/PostgreSQL, Athena/Presto, Redshift SQL
  • dbt (data build tool)
  • Python
  • Apache Airflow / AWS MWAA
• AWS Data Services
  • AWS Aurora (PostgreSQL-compatible)
  • Amazon CloudWatch (Data Insights, Performance Insights)
  • AWS Lambda & Step Functions
  • Amazon S3
  • Amazon Redshift — including query tuning, WLM configuration, and distribution strategies
  • Amazon Athena — federated queries, partitioning, columnar formats (Parquet, ORC)
  • AWS Lake Formation
  • AWS Glue (supporting role)
• Other Tools
  • GitLab CI/CD
  • Amazon QuickSight / Grafana
  • Terraform (nice to have)

Other Important Skills

• Strong analytical and troubleshooting capabilities with a systematic approach to query debugging.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across cross-functional teams.
• Strong documentation and communication skills — able to explain SQL logic and data decisions to non-technical stakeholders.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on data reliability, performance, and quality.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Nice to have

• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, or clinical trials data environments.
• Familiarity with healthcare data standards such as HL7 or FHIR.
• AWS certifications such as AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate or AWS Certified Solutions Architect.
• Knowledge of Infrastructure as Code using Terraform.
• Exposure to streaming data pipelines using AWS Kinesis or Apache Kafka.