Associate Data Engineer

ECPI University is building and maintaining a cloud data platform on Snowflake, and the Associate Data Engineer role supports that work end to end. In this entry-level position, you will develop and maintain pipelines that move data from the University’s enterprise systems into Snowflake so teams can deliver reporting, analytics, and data-driven decision making in a highly regulated environment.

Working alongside experienced engineers under the Senior Director of Solution Architecture, you will follow established architectural patterns and quality standards, with structured mentorship and code review. The role also includes a defined progression path toward the Data Engineer level.

What you’ll do

• Build and maintain data ingestion and transformation pipelines that load data from enterprise source systems into Snowflake according to established architectural patterns.
• Write, test, and tune SQL for transformation, validation, and reconciliation tasks.
• Support scheduled data loads, monitor job execution, and escalate failures with clear diagnostic detail.
• Reconcile data between source systems and Snowflake to confirm completeness and accuracy.
• Create and run automated data quality checks, documenting exceptions for resolution.
• Investigate reported data discrepancies, trace them to their origin, and communicate findings clearly.
• Use AI coding assistants (for example, GitHub Copilot) as part of daily work, validating every generated query, transformation, or script before committing.
• Submit changes through pull requests in GitHub and move work through automated build, test, and deployment processes.
• Automate recurring manual tasks rather than repeating them, and apply native AI capabilities in the platform such as Snowflake Cortex under senior engineering direction.
• Follow University guidelines for AI-assisted development, including keeping sensitive student and institutional data out of external tools.
• Document pipeline logic, data lineage, and table definitions so colleagues can maintain and extend the work.
• Participate in code review, design discussions, and Agile (Scrum) ceremonies, collaborating with analysts and functional staff to confirm delivered data sets meet the need.
• Build depth in Snowflake, SQL, and Python through mentorship and structured learning, including certification support such as SnowPro Core.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Analytics, or a related field.
• Zero to two years of professional experience.
• Working knowledge of SQL, including joins, aggregation, and subqueries, with the ability to reason about whether a query returned the right answer.
• Foundational understanding of relational database concepts and data modeling.
• Familiarity with Python or a comparable language used in data work.
• Version control with Git, including branching and pull requests, and willingness to work within a code review process.
• Practical use of AI coding assistants with sound validation judgment.
• Understanding of CI/CD concepts and willingness to work where automated tests must pass before deployment.
• Strong attention to detail, clear written and verbal communication, and sound judgment in handling sensitive student and institutional data.

Technologies you’ll work with

• Snowflake, SQL, Python
• Git, GitHub, GitHub Copilot
• Snowflake Cortex, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Azure, AWS
• dbt, ELT, ETL
• Power BI, Tableau, CI/CD, Agile (Scrum)

Position details

• Location: Virginia Beach, VA (onsite)
• Salary: USD 70,000 - 82,000 per yearly

Preferred qualifications

• Exposure to Snowflake or another cloud data platform through coursework, certification, or hands-on work.
• Exposure to dbt, ELT or ETL tooling, or automated data testing frameworks.
• Exposure to GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or another CI/CD platform.
• Exposure to Azure or AWS cloud services, or to Power BI or Tableau.
• Awareness of FERPA or comparable data privacy requirements in a regulated environment.

Working conditions

• Professionally communicate in person, over the telephone, and through email; move about the school and offices; handle various types of media and equipment; and visually observe and assess.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.