Data Engineer

Description:

Project Kitty Hawk is actively seeking a Cloud Data Engineer to optimize and manage data architecture and pipelines, playing a crucial role in developing scalable, high-performing data lake infrastructure to support North Carolina’s public universities and adult learners. This hybrid position, based in North Carolina, reports directly to the VP of Information Technology.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and manage robust data pipelines and infrastructure-as-code using AWS CDK, CloudFormation, Glue, Lake Formation, and S3.

• Implement CI/CD pipelines with GitHub, GitHub Actions, and AWS CodeDeploy to ensure automated, scalable deployments.

• Support the organization’s Data Lake architecture with a focus on optimization, security, scalability, and efficiency.

• Develop BI datasets, dashboards, and reports using tools like Power BI, Tableau, or QuickSight.

• Collaborate with business analysts and stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions.

• Ensure compliance with data governance, encryption, access controls, and enterprise security protocols.

• Develop and maintain extensive documentation for data mappings, pipeline configurations, and dependencies.

• Create reusable code with Python, Pandas, and PySpark for custom scripting and data transformations.

• Automate testing and deployments to uphold performance, integrity, and consistency across all environments.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related technical field (or equivalent experience).

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in data engineering and dashboard creation.

• Proficiency in Python, Typescript, SQL, and frameworks such as Pandas and PySpark.

• Advanced knowledge of AWS services and architecture including S3, Glue, Lake Formation, and CDK.

• Strong communication and documentation skills with the ability to explain complex data solutions to diverse audiences.

• Agile project environment experience is a plus.

What You’ll Gain:

• Competitive salary with performance-based bonus potential.

• Full medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• 401K plan with employer match.

• Generous PTO policy with paid volunteer time.

• Remote working flexibility (Hybrid model).

• Opportunity to make an impact in transforming higher education accessibility and innovation across North Carolina.

About the Organization:
Project Kitty Hawk is a mission-driven organization aligned with the University of North Carolina System, focused on providing workforce-aligned degrees and credential pathways for adult learners. Their goal is to position North Carolina’s public universities as leaders in accessible, flexible education options through innovation, collaboration, empathy, and integrity.