Senior Data Engineer

Kentro is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to design, build, and operate data pipelines and data products for USASOC EDAT missions. In this onsite Fayetteville, NC role, you will write production code that brings mission and enterprise data together in a common data environment, supporting analysts and decision-makers with reliable, governed datasets.

What you’ll do

• Design, build, test, and maintain scalable batch and streaming data pipelines (ETL/ELT) for classified and air-gapped environments.
• Develop transformation logic using Python, SQL, and PySpark to ingest, clean, normalize, and enrich structured and unstructured data.
• Integrate data from mission systems, operational applications, databases, APIs, and file-based sources into enterprise data platforms.
• Design data models, schemas, and entity relationships for analytics, reporting, and downstream applications.
• Build and publish curated datasets and data products, including documentation, versioning, and service-level expectations.
• Implement data quality checks, validation, monitoring, and alerting to support pipeline reliability.
• Establish and maintain data lineage, metadata, and cataloging aligned with data governance policies.
• Apply data security controls such as role-based and attribute-based access, data tagging and labeling, and need-to-know enforcement.
• Automate deployment and operations through CI/CD, version control, and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Troubleshoot production issues, conduct root cause analysis, and optimize pipeline performance and cost.
• Support deployment of analytics and ML/AI workflows into operational systems.
• Collaborate with mission owners, analysts, data scientists, security staff, and system administrators to translate requirements into engineered solutions.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data science, information systems, or a related technical field, plus 7 years of relevant experience.
• 8140 compliance in certification/training may substitute for a degree.
• Meets DoD 8140 foundational and residential qualification requirements for the assigned work role, including approved certification, education, or training. Trainings include: SecurityX / CASP+, CCSP, Cloud+, CSC, GCLD, GCSA, GSEC.
• 7+ years of professional data engineering experience.
• Strong Python and SQL skills demonstrated through production pipelines or applications.
• Experience with distributed data processing using PySpark / Apache Spark.
• Experience with relational and non-relational data stores, including data modeling and schema design.
• Experience integrating multiple source systems into a centralized data platform.
• Proficiency in Linux, Git, and CI/CD workflows.
• Working knowledge of data governance, data lineage, and metadata management.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• US Citizen.

Technologies you may use

• Python, SQL, PySpark, Apache Spark
• ETL/ELT, CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, Git
• MSS (Microsoft SQL Server), T-SQL
• Linux, Airflow, NiFi, Kafka
• Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, graph databases, geospatial data
• Docker, Kubernetes, Palantir Foundry, Databricks
• JWICS, SIPRNet

Benefits

• Competitive benefits package including paid time off
• Healthcare benefits
• Supplemental benefits
• 401k with an employer match
• Discount perks
• Rewards
• Education reimbursement for certifications, degrees, or professional development
• Funds for activities (virtual and in-person), including happy hours, holiday events, fitness & wellness events, and annual celebrations
• Charity galas/events