IC Data Engineer

MITRE’s Intelligence Community (IC) team is seeking an IC Data Engineer (Lead) to deliver senior-level data engineering, enterprise data architecture, and integration expertise. This role is embedded on-site with an IC sponsor in McLean, VA, with a focus on assessing and modernizing enterprise data capabilities that support mission operations, analytics, and AI.

What you will do

• Act as a lead data engineer and technical advisor for sponsor priorities, enterprise data modernization, architecture decisions, and executive decision support.
• Work with IC sponsors, mission owners, architects, developers, cybersecurity teams, analysts, and other stakeholders to translate mission needs into implementable data engineering requirements, technical designs, and integration plans.
• Architect and assess enterprise data platforms and end-to-end pipelines covering ingestion, transformation, storage, distribution, and access across batch and streaming workflows, with attention to scalability, performance, resilience, security, and cost.
• Design and evaluate data models, schemas, APIs, interface specifications, data contracts, exchange formats, and integration patterns, including ETL/ELT, event-driven integration, messaging, and federated or virtualized data access.
• Define and evaluate approaches for metadata and cataloging, data lineage, data quality and observability, master and reference data, lifecycle management, access controls, and interoperability across cloud, hybrid, legacy, and modern data environments.
• Create and refine prototypes, proofs of concept, benchmarks, and test strategies, including technical trade studies to validate integration approaches and reduce implementation risk.
• Produce and maintain data architecture documentation and engineering requirements, coordinate across government, MITRE, and contractor teams, and mentor staff supporting related data engineering efforts.

Minimum qualifications

• Typically requires 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree (or 6 years with a Master’s degree, or 3 years with a PhD), or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Systems Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent education and experience.
• Proven ability to lead technical tasks or small multidisciplinary engineering teams, including hands-on experience designing, implementing, or modernizing enterprise data architectures, data integration solutions, and production data pipelines.
• Strong proficiency with SQL and experience using at least one modern programming language such as Python, Java, or Scala for data processing, automation, or systems integration.
• Experience with data integration methods and technologies including ETL/ELT, APIs, batch and streaming processing, data modeling, schema design, and interface development.
• Experience with cloud or hybrid data platforms and distributed data processing, including scalable storage and compute and modern warehouse, lake, or lakehouse architecture patterns.
• Strong understanding of metadata and cataloging, data lineage, data quality and observability, data lifecycle management, interoperability standards, and enterprise information sharing.
• Ability to assess tradeoffs across scalability, performance, resilience, security, and cost, and to identify and resolve complex integration risks and technical dependencies.
• Experience producing technical requirements and architecture artifacts, interface documentation, implementation plans, and test or verification approaches.
• Strong understanding of IC missions and data-sharing environments, including interoperability challenges, security considerations, and enterprise coordination mechanisms.
• Ability to operate effectively in a complex, classified, matrixed, fast-paced sponsor environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex data engineering issues into clear recommendations for senior executives and national-level decision makers.
• Must have an active Top Secret/SCI w/Poly U.S. Government issued Security Clearance. To be considered, you must be a U.S. Citizen.
• On-site requirement of 5 days a week.

Technologies

• SQL, Python, Java, Scala
• ETL/ELT, APIs, batch and streaming processing
• Data modeling, schema design
• Cloud and hybrid data platforms, distributed data processing
• Modern warehouse, lake, and lakehouse architecture patterns
• Metadata and cataloging, data lineage
• Data quality and data observability
• Interoperability standards, master and reference data
• Access controls, messaging, event-driven integration
• Federated or virtualized data access

Preferred qualifications

• Experience supporting data engineering, enterprise data architecture, or data integration within the Intelligence Community or broader national security enterprise.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with modern enterprise integration approaches such as data mesh, data fabric, API-centric architectures, event-driven architectures, or federated data services.
• Experience applying DevSecOps or DataOps practices, including automated testing, CI/CD, infrastructure as code, containerized data services, and repeatable deployment patterns.
• Experience developing or applying structured technology evaluation frameworks, metrics, benchmarks, and scoring methodologies for data platforms or integration technologies.
• Experience enabling AI/ML use cases through data engineering, including scalable data preparation, feature or vector data flows, model-data integration, or AI-ready data architectures.
• Experience modernizing legacy data environments, migrating data workloads to cloud or hybrid platforms, and managing technical transition risk.
• Ability to build trust quickly with senior sponsors, operate with discretion, and work with minimal direction.
• Experience coordinating across multiple IC elements and technical organizations.

Clearance requirements

• Minimum clearance required: Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph.
• Must have or obtain (within one year of hire): Top Secret/SCI/Polygraph.

Location and work type

• McLean, VA (onsite)

Compensation

$155,200 - $194,000 - $232,800 Annual (midpoint: $194,000)