GCP DATA ENGINEER

Contract Denver, Colorado On-site / HybridPosition TypeContract (1099 / C2C)Duration6–12 Months (with extension potential)LocationDenver, Colorado —5 days on-siteStart DateImmediate / ASAPIndustryTechnology / Data EngineeringPosition OverviewWe are seeking an experienced GCP Data Engineer to join our team on a contract basis in Denver, Colorado. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in Google Cloud Platform services, Java-based pipeline development, and enterprise ETL frameworks. You will design and implement scalable data pipelines, work with large distributed datasets, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality data solutions.Key Responsibilities▸ Design, develop, and maintain robust ETL/ELT pipelines on Google Cloud Platform using Java and cloud-native services▸ Build and optimize data workflows using GCP tools such as Dataflow (Apache Beam), Dataproc, BigQuery, Cloud Composer (Airflow), and Pub/Sub▸ Develop Java-based data ingestion and transformation applications to move data across structured and unstructured sources▸ Collaborate with data architects and analysts to translate business requirements into scalable technical data solutions▸ Monitor, troubleshoot, and tune pipeline performance, data quality, and reliability in production environments▸ Implement data governance and security best practices including IAM policies, encryption, and access controls▸ Work with Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Spanner, and Bigtable to manage and persist data assets▸ Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, and agile ceremonies▸ Write technical documentation for pipelines, schemas, and data flows▸ Support data migration efforts and legacy system integration with modern cloud infrastructureRequired QualificationsCore GCP Skills▸ 5+ years of experience in data engineering with at least 3 years on Google Cloud Platform▸ Hands-on expertise with BigQuery (table design, partitioning, clustering, cost optimization)▸ Proficiency with Cloud Dataflow (Apache Beam pipelines — batch and streaming)▸ Experience with Cloud Composer / Apache Airflow for workflow orchestration▸ Familiarity with Pub/Sub for real-time event streaming and messaging▸ Working knowledge of Cloud Storage, Dataproc (Spark/Hadoop), and GCP networking basicsJava & ETL▸ Strong proficiency in Java (8+) for building data pipelines and backend services▸ Experience designing and building ETL/ELT pipelines at scale (batch and streaming)▸ Knowledge of SQL and experience writing complex queries for BigQuery or similar warehouses▸ Familiarity with data transformation patterns: slowly changing dimensions, CDC, data normalization▸ Experience integrating APIs, JDBC/ODBC connectors, and file-based data sourcesGeneral▸ Solid understanding of distributed systems, data warehousing concepts, and data lake architecture▸ Proficiency with version control (Git) and CI/CD practices▸ Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in a contract environment▸ Strong communication skills for collaborating with remote and on-site stakeholdersPreferred / Nice-to-have▸ Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer certification▸ Experience with dbt (data build tool) for data transformation▸ Familiarity with Terraform or Deployment Manager for infrastructure-as-code on GCP▸ Experience with Kafka or other streaming platforms alongside Pub/Sub▸ Knowledge of Python for scripting and data manipulation tasks▸ Exposure to data quality frameworks (Great Expectations, Deequ)▸ Experience with Looker, Data Studio, or other BI tools connected to BigQueryTechnical Skills SummaryCategoryTechnologies & ToolsCloud PlatformGoogle Cloud Platform (GCP)GCP ServicesBigQuery, Dataflow, Dataproc, Pub/Sub, Cloud Composer, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Spanner, BigtableProgrammingJava (primary), SQL, Python (preferred)ETL / PipelineApache Beam, Apache Spark, Apache Airflow, dbtDevOps / IaCGit, CI/CD pipelines, Terraform (preferred)Data FormatsAvro, Parquet, JSON, CSV, ORCMethodologiesAgile / Scrum, Data Mesh, Data LakehouseAbout The EngagementThis is a contract role embedded within an established data engineering team. You will have direct impact on mission-critical data pipelines that serve business intelligence, analytics, and operational systems. The team follows agile practices with two-week sprints, daily standups, and collaborative design sessions. The role is hybrid with approximately three days on-site in Denver, CO.