Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Strategy

Full-time, Exempt Regular, Pay Grade 4.2

Location: Hybrid

A skilled, hands-on Data Engineer responsible for designing, building, deploying, and operating enterprise data ingestion, transformation, and delivery pipelines within a Databricks Lakehouse environment. The role focuses on data integration and interoperability, enabling secure and reliable access to curated datasets for analytics, applications, and machine learning use cases.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design, build, test, and operate scalable batch and streaming data ingestion and transformation pipelines using Databricks, Apache Spark, Delta Lake, Python, and SQL.

• Implement data integration workflows that ingest and process data from diverse internal and external sources, including databases, files, REST APIs, and streaming platforms, in alignment with established architectural standards.

• Develop, maintain, and document curated datasets and data products that support analytics, reporting, and downstream application and machine learning use cases.

• Package, version, and deploy data pipelines using Databricks Asset Bundles, adhering to established CI/CD processes and environment promotion practices (development, test, production).

• Apply data quality validation, monitoring, and observability controls to ensure data accuracy, pipeline reliability, and compliance with defined service-level objectives.

• Implement and maintain access controls, authentication, and authorization using Unity Catalog in accordance with enterprise data governance and security requirements.

• Monitor pipeline performance and resource utilization, perform routine tuning, and support incident resolution and root-cause analysis for production data workflows.

• Collaborate with platform, analytics, and governance teams to clarify data requirements, resolve integration issues, and support data consumers.

Competencies:

• Technical execution and problem solving

• Attention to detail and data quality

• Collaboration within cross-functional teams

• Accountability for operational stability

Skills:

• Databricks, Apache Spark, Delta Lake

• SQL and Python

• Batch and streaming ingestion patterns

• Federated data access and APIs

• Unity Catalog and governance

Education & Experience Requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field.

Experience:

• 5+ years of hands-on data engineering experience supporting production data pipelines.

Preferred Experience Requirements

Education:

• Master’s degree preferred.

Experience:

• Large-scale governed data environments.

Certifications:

• Databricks certifications preferred.

All submissions should include a cover letter and resume.

The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. UMGC is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, ancestry, political affiliation or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Workplace Accommodations:

The University of Maryland Global Campus Global Campus (UMGC) is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive working environment for people of all abilities. UMGC is dedicated to the principle that no qualified individual with a disability shall, based on disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of the University, or be subjected to discrimination. For information about UMGC’s Reasonable Workplace Accommodation Policy or to request an accommodation, applicants/candidates can contact Employee Accommodations via email at [email protected]. 

Benefits Package Highlights:

• Generous Time Off: Enjoy 22 days of paid vacation, 15 days of sick leave, 3 personal days, and 16 paid holidays (17 during general election years). For part-time employees, time off rates will be prorated based on the number of hours worked.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access to health care, medical with vision, dental, and prescription plans for both individuals and families, effective from the 1st of the month following your hire date.

• Insurance Options: Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, and Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance. Part-time employees working less than 0.5 FTE are not eligible for LTD.

• Flexible Spending Accounts: Available for medical and dependent care expenses.

• Retirement Plans: Choose between the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS).

• Supplemental Retirement Plans: include 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and various Roth options. The university does not provide matching funds.

• Tuition Remission: Immediate availability for Regular Exempt Staff. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for undergraduate tuition remission after two years of service. NOTE: For part-time employees (at least 50 percent of the time), tuition remission benefits are prorated.

Hiring Range: