Data Engineer – VA Claims Modernization

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Virginia.

📋 Description

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable and secure ETL/ELT pipelines utilizing Python, SQL, PySpark, and contemporary data engineering frameworks.

• Integrate structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data from various VA systems, claims applications, evidence repositories, medical records, external sources, and enterprise databases.

• Engineer solutions for claims intake, evidence collection, validation, workflow routing, status tracking, and downstream processing.

• Develop and enhance cloud-based data solutions using AWS, Azure, or similar environments.

• Design and uphold relational, dimensional, and analytical data models using data lake, warehouse, and lakehouse methodologies.

• Process large-scale datasets using Apache Spark and PySpark; optimize queries, databases, transformations, and workflows.

• Establish data validation, reconciliation, monitoring, quality controls, metadata, lineage, traceability, and document business rules.

• Build batch, incremental, and event-driven workflows with testing, scheduling, error handling, logging, and monitoring capabilities.

• Develop analysis-ready datasets and data products for Power BI, operational analytics, predictive analytics, and approved AI/ML workflows.

• Implement encryption, role-based access controls, auditability, data minimization, and ensure compliance with VA, FISMA, privacy, records management, PII, and PHI regulations.

• Apply Git version control, conduct code reviews, engage in CI/CD, automated testing, documentation, and infrastructure as code.

• Collaborate with VA stakeholders, claims subject matter experts, architects, developers, and analytics teams.

• Modernize legacy integrations and enhance interoperability, performance, data reliability, and claims workflow efficiency.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.

• 5+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, enterprise data integration, or the development of production data systems.

• Strong hands-on expertise in Python and SQL, including complex queries, data transformations, automation scripts, and production data pipelines.

• Experience in designing, developing, and maintaining scalable ETL/ELT pipelines involving multiple enterprise data sources and complex data transformations.

• Familiarity with Apache Spark, PySpark, or similar distributed data-processing technologies.

• Practical experience with cloud data services in AWS, Azure, or other comparable cloud environments.

• Strong understanding of relational databases, data modeling, data warehousing, and database optimization, including SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or similar technologies.

• Experience in integrating data through REST APIs, JSON, secure file exchanges, and other enterprise integration methods.

• Experience in implementing data-quality checks, pipeline monitoring, automated testing, version control, and CI/CD or similar practices.

• Knowledge of secure data handling, access controls, and governance principles for sensitive enterprise or federal information.

• Ability to meet VA personnel suitability, applicable Public Trust requirements, and federal security and privacy standards.

• Desired: Experience with VA/Veterans Benefits; VBMS, VA Lighthouse APIs, or similar systems; modern cloud data platforms; Apache Airflow and event-driven integration; Power BI or Microsoft Power Platform; AI/ML, OCR, NLP, or document processing; legacy modernization; Agile or DevSecOps federal delivery.

• Relevant cloud, data engineering, or platform certifications are advantageous.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Retirement savings plan with employer matching.

• Generous paid time off and holiday schedule.

• Opportunities for professional development and certification.