Title:                          Data Engineer, Information Technology

Reports to:              Director, Information Technology

Job Summary:            The Data Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining data pipelines and infrastructure to ensure data is reliable, accessible, and optimized for analytics and decision-making. The Data Engineer collaborates with cross-functional teams, including analysts, engineers, and business stakeholders, to deliver scalable data solutions that support organizational goals.

Job Duties:

Data Pipeline Development & Maintenance

• Design, build, and optimize ETL/ELT data pipelines.
• Ensure efficient and reliable data flow across systems.
• Support structured and unstructured data ingestion from multiple sources.
• Develop and maintain AI-ready data pipelines and capabilities for multi-source data fusion.

Data Quality & Reliability

• Implement data validation, monitoring, and cleansing processes.
• Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and integrity.
• Troubleshoot and resolve data-related issues.

Data Architecture & Modeling

• Design and maintain data models, schemas, and storage solutions.
• Support development of data warehouses, data lakes, and databases.
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept solutions for advanced analytics.

Stakeholder Support & Coordination

• Work with data architects, analysts, and business teams to define requirements.
• Translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Support analytics and reporting initiatives.
• Coordinate with third-party vendors and consultants.
• Support integration of external data systems and tools.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain documentation of data processes and systems and identify and implement improvements to data workflows and performance.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and best practices.

Qualifications:

Education:                      Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Experience:                 5+ years of experience in data engineering or related roles

Communication:         Strong written and verbal communication skills       

Technology:                   Microsoft Suite; proficiency in SQL, Python, Java, or Scala and experience with big data tools like Hadoop, Spark, or Kafka; strong familiarity with data management frameworks, data lakes, data warehouses, databases, and workflow orchestration tools; knowledge of data governance and data security practices; familiarity with BI tools

Other Requirements:           

• Understand and support the Heritage mission and vision for America, and the department’s goals and objectives.
• Ability to translate technical concepts clearly to a non-technical audience.
• Well organized, highly motivated, and exceptional time management.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment.
• Manage relevant vendor and consultant relationships.

Benefits and Salary:

The Heritage Foundation offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, best-in-class health care, vision, and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement funding, “take what you need” PTO and sick leave, 14 weeks of paid leave for new moms and 6 weeks of paid leave for new dads, among other programs.

The salary range for this role is $105,000 - $130,000 annually. This is a good-faith estimate, and the final salary offered to a selected candidate depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, and other qualifications; internal and external market pay for comparable jobs; and level of hire based on aforementioned qualifications.