Senior Data Engineer

Location: RemoteClearance Level: Active SecretOverviewRackner is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to lead the design, development, optimization, and operation of enterprise data pipelines and data platform components within the Microsoft Fabric environment.The Senior Data Engineer will provide hands-on technical leadership across data ingestion, transformation, platform administration, security, automation, and deployment activities. This role will be responsible for implementing scalable medallion architectures, establishing reliable development and deployment practices, and ensuring data platforms meet security, availability, performance, and data quality requirements.The Senior Data Engineer will also mentor Data Engineers and Associate Data Engineers, provide technical problem-solving support, and help establish engineering standards and best practices across data workstreams.Responsibilities Lead the design, development, and optimization of enterprise data ingestion pipelines, transformation logic, and data platform components within Microsoft FabricDesign and implement scalable ETL and ELT architectures supporting structured and semi-structured enterprise dataConfigure, administer, and maintain Microsoft Fabric environments, including:Tenant administrationWorkspace architectureCapacity managementSecurity configurationEnvironment governanceImplement and maintain Bronze, Silver, and Gold medallion architecture layersDevelop data transformation processes incorporating schema validation, cleansing, normalization, enrichment, and reconciliationEstablish data quality monitoring, validation controls, automated testing, and alerting for pipeline and data-quality failuresDesign and implement development, test, staging, and production environment separationBuild and maintain CI/CD deployment pipelines for data platform components, pipelines, notebooks, configurations, and related artifactsImplement infrastructure-as-code approaches for repeatable, version-controlled data platform deploymentsDevelop and optimize Spark, PySpark, SQL, and related data-processing workloadsConfigure and maintain data security controls, including:EncryptionRole-Based Access Control (RBAC)Microsoft Entra ID integrationPrivileged Identity ManagementLeast-privilege access controlsSupport secure integration between Microsoft Fabric and enterprise source systemsDesign and support hybrid connectivity between on-premises and cloud environmentsTroubleshoot complex pipeline, platform, performance, connectivity, and data-quality issuesOptimize pipelines and data workloads for performance, scalability, reliability, and costSupport disaster recovery and business continuity planning for data platforms and pipelinesDevelop, document, and execute rollback, recovery, and restoration proceduresConduct recovery and rollback testing to validate continuity proceduresEstablish reusable engineering patterns, standards, and technical documentation for data platform implementationCollaborate with Data Architects, Data Governance Specialists, cybersecurity teams, application teams, and source-system owners to define technical solutionsParticipate in architecture reviews and provide technical recommendations for data platform modernization and integration effortsMentor mid-level and Associate Data EngineersReview technical implementations and provide guidance on pipeline design, code quality, performance, security, and maintainabilityProvide senior-level technical problem-solving support for complex data engineering challengesSupport knowledge transfer and operational transition of implemented data platform capabilitiesQualificationsSignificant experience designing and implementing enterprise data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and cloud-based data platformsHands-on experience with Microsoft FabricExperience administering or configuring enterprise cloud data environmentsStrong experience with Azure Data Factory or comparable data integration technologiesStrong SQL proficiencyExperience with Spark and PySpark for large-scale data processing and transformationExperience implementing enterprise ETL/ELT frameworksExperience designing and implementing medallion architectures using Bronze, Silver, and Gold data layersExperience with schema validation, data cleansing, normalization, reconciliation, and data quality controlsExperience developing CI/CD pipelines for data platform deploymentsExperience implementing infrastructure-as-codeExperience with source control, automated deployment, and environment promotion processesUnderstanding of cloud security principles, including RBAC, identity integration, encryption, and least-privilege accessExperience troubleshooting complex data pipeline, platform, and integration issuesExperience supporting production data environments with availability, reliability, and performance requirementsStrong technical documentation and communication skillsExperience mentoring or providing technical leadership to other engineersActive Secret clearancePreferred QualificationsMicrosoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer AssociateAdvanced experience with Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse architectureExperience configuring Microsoft Fabric tenants, capacities, workspaces, and deployment pipelinesExperience with Microsoft Entra ID and Privileged Identity ManagementExperience with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, or comparable CI/CD platformsExperience with Terraform, Bicep, ARM templates, or comparable infrastructure-as-code technologiesExperience designing automated data quality monitoring and alertingExperience supporting hybrid on-premises and cloud data environmentsExperience implementing disaster recovery, rollback, and business continuity procedures for enterprise data platformsExperience with enterprise data governance, metadata management, lineage, and security controlsExperience working within Department of Defense or other federal data environmentsAbout RacknerRackner is a software consultancy focused on building mission-critical systems for the U.S. government. Our teams work across cloud platforms, DevSecOps, AI/ML, distributed systems, and modern software engineering initiatives supporting federal agencies and national security missions. Rackner engineers and technical teams collaborate closely with leadership, program teams, and mission stakeholders to design, demonstrate, and improve software systems that address complex operational challenges.Benefits & PerksAt Rackner, we believe that when our people grow, our company grows with them, and we are committed to supporting their growth, development and success. We are proud to offer a creative and forward-thinking environment that includes: Company-supported certifications aligned to current and future program work,including cloud, Kubernetes, DevSecOps, security, AI/ML, project management, andrelated technical areas Clear advancement tracks and future leadership opportunities 401(k) with 100% match up to 6% Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage Generous PTO and paid holidays Home-office equipment plan and remote work support Fitness and wellness reimbursement Weekly pay schedule and modern perks, including team eventsEqual OpportunityRackner is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.