Data Engineer III - DHS, OHSS

The Data Engineer III role will formalize business needs into technology requirements, and define data governance standards and principles to adhere to. In this role, the Data Engineer III will architect pipelines to mutate, enrich, and deliver data to the necessary stakeholders. We expect this role to coach our customers as they migrate towards a more data-driven culture. They are foundational to the success of any data project, and are essential to any cloud project that intends to scale. The team provides IT and project management services to automate report production, enhance data quality and transparency, and enable OHSS to meet its expanding mission of informing policymakers and the public with timely, high-impact statistical analysis.

This project supports the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Homeland Security Statistics (OHSS) in strengthening its data infrastructure and management capabilities. This role focuses on designing and implementing secure, scalable data systems, enabling improved data quality, accessibility, and automation to support data-driven decision-making.

• Assess current data systems and workflows to identify areas for improvement.
• Create automated workflows for data transformation, validation, and processing.
• Design, document, and implement a comprehensive data management framework aligned with organizational goals, including the development of a roadmap for execution
• Develop and maintain a central data repository or data warehouse for efficient data access and management that includes defining and enforcing standardized naming conventions and data definitions.
• Implement data validation rules and automated cleansing processes to ensure data accuracy and integrity.
• Develop and enforce access control policies and data governance practices, including data backup and disaster recovery protocols.
• Coordinate with the Data Council to ensure alignment with enterprise data governance standards.
• Automate data collection pipelines from various sources (e.g., APIs, databases, IoT devices) and Integrate automated reporting and analysis tools (e.g., machine learning, AI) to support data-driven insights.
• Ensure data accessibility for stakeholders through user-friendly interfaces and centralized repositories.
• Provide documentation and guidance for using and contributing to the organization's data reporting ecosystem.
• Assemble large, complex data sets that meet functional / non-functional business requirements.
• Supports regular ad-hoc data and analysis needs to better understand customer behaviors and to assist in the resolution of data issues.
• Evaluates data ingestion, data analysis and machine learning tools for efficacy.
• Work with stakeholders including the Executive, Product, Data and Design teams to assist with data-related technical issues and support their data infrastructure needs that supports data-driven decision making

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field required; Master's degree preferred.
• General work experience may be substituted for education. The requirement for education levels can be substituted at the rate of 2 years of experience for every year of education. An associate's degree is 2 years of education, a Bachelor's degree is 4 years of education, and a Master degree is 6 years of education. The years of specific experience used for satisfying an education requirement cannot also be used as filling the work experience requirement.
• 15 years or more of federal onsite experience supporting and understanding agency policies and workflows.
• Demonstrated expertise with database management systems, including SQL Server, Oracle, or PostgreSQL.
• Extensive experience designing, implementing, and maintaining relational databases, data warehouses, and ETL processes.
• Proficiency in Data Analysis, Data Modeling, and Data Integration, including familiarity with tools like ERwin or similar data modeling software.
• Experience with Data Governance frameworks and practices to ensure data quality and compliance.
• Experience developing stored procedures, functions, and triggers to support application development.
• Familiarity with cloud-based database platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
• Strong knowledge of federal security standards (e.g., FISMA, FedRAMP) as applicable to database design and implementation.
• Proficiency working with message queuing, stream processing, and highly scalable 'big data' data stores.
• Proficient with distributed data processing frameworks such as Hadoop, Apache Spark, or cloud-provider equivalents.
• Ability to translate customer needs into technical requirements, and prioritize those requirements based on business impact and deadlines.
• Identifying, designing and implementing internal process improvements including re-designing infrastructure for greater scalability, optimizing data delivery, and automating manual processes.
• Building analytical tools to utilize the data pipeline, providing actionable insight into key business performance metrics including operational efficiency and customer acquisition.
• Proficiency with Python, R, Scala, or Java.
• Experience working with message queuing, stream processing, and highly scalable 'big data' data stores.
• Experience with containerization and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes, etc.)
• Exceptional business acumen, verbal presentation, and documentation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
• Strategic thinker with a focus on scalable, long-term data solutions
• Collaborative and effective in cross-functional, stakeholder-driven environments
• Strong communicator, able to explain complex technical concepts clearly
• Adaptable and quick to learn new tools, technologies, and domains
• Reliable and accountable in maintaining secure, compliant data operations
• Ability to build relationships and influence outcomes

Additional Qualifications and Project Specific Needs:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer or during meetings.

Must be able to travel occasionally to client sites or company meetings.

Ability to communicate effectively via phone, email, and in-person, requiring clear speech, listening, and written communication skills.

Ability to move within an office environment, including reaching for files, using office equipment, and occasional light lifting (up to 10 pounds).

Life at Fearless

We're a digital integration consultancy on a mission to build a better tomorrow. At Fearless, we combine technology, people, and organizational development to solve meaningful problems. Through iterative development, we deliver smart, user-friendly solutions that make tech work better-for everyone.

But great tech is just part of the story. What really makes us Fearless is our Purple Culture.

What Makes Us Purple?

Being Purple means you:

• Are valued as a whole person-not just a job title
• Get matched with work that plays to your strengths and passions
• Are supported by coaches, not micromanagers
• Have the autonomy and clarity to make decisions and drive impact
• Join a community that celebrates equity, curiosity, and innovation
• Do work that matters-every day

We believe in flexibility, growth, and balance. Our benefits and culture are designed to support you in doing your best work-while making space for what matters to you outside of it.

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer. At Fearless, we're building a workplace that welcomes and respects everyone-across race, gender, age, religion, identity, background, and ability.

Compensation at Fearless

Fearless is committed to providing a competitive compensation package that will meet your current and future needs. Our philosophy is aimed at rewarding team member contributions, supporting long-term financial growth and security, and overall well-being.

We believe in paying people fairly, so we've established a compensation model aimed to ensure everyone at Fearless - regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, nationality, or willingness/ability to negotiate - is consistently paid fairly based on alignment to the needs and requirements of the role.

The salary range for this position is:

• Min: $102,540
• Mid: $133,302
• Max: $164,064
• Hiring Range: $102,540 - $141,871

Benefits at Fearless

At Fearless, we take care of our team-because when you're supported, you can do your best work. We offer a flexible, family-friendly environment with benefits designed to support your health, growth, and life outside of work.

For Full-Time Team Members (Starting Day One):

• Flexible, life-friendly schedules
• 100% coverage for our medical HSA plan + HSA contributions
• Dental & vision covered 100% for you and your dependents
• Competitive premiums for HMO/PPO and dependent coverage
• 401(k) with 4% match & immediate vesting
• Paid Parental Leave and 12 weeks paid FMLA
• Generous PTO, 11 Federal Holidays, a Birthday Holiday, and Sick Leave
• Up to 15 days for Jury Duty and Bereavement Leave
• Education, wellness, and tech allowances
• Referral bonus: $6K-$12K for each successful referral
• Pet insurance & discount plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Legal support, life insurance, disability coverage

Part-Time & Interns:

• 8.75 days of safe & sick leave annually
• Eligible for our 401(k) plan with employer contributions

Reasonable Accommodations

Fearless is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and candidates with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Human Resources Department at hr@fearless.tech.

So, What's Next?

We've refined our hiring approach to make sure every team member is a great fit for Fearless-and that we're a great fit for you, too. If there's alignment, we'll reach out to kick off the interview process. Depending on the role or project, your experience may vary slightly, but it typically includes:

Introductory Interview

You'll connect with a recruiter to:

• Build rapport and get to know each other
• Review your experience and skills
• Talk through salary expectations and role details
• Set expectations for the rest of the process

Skills + Business Fit Interview

This is where we dig deeper to:

• Review findings from any technical assessments
• Walk through situational and values-based questions
• Explore how your approach aligns with Fearless culture and project needs

Some roles may also include customer interviews based on specific project requirements in addition to background check and security clearance requirements.