Senior Data Engineer

About WestEd

As a community of over 1000 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.  

Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to who we are and how we work. We are committed to working with our clients to illuminate and address disparities, value and elevate diverse voices, and ensure equitable access to our resources and services. Please review our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience.  The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question.

Department Brief Description:

WestEd’s Information Technology Department is seeking a mission-driven Senior Data Engineer.  Our team provides technology solutions to serve our clients and internal staff.  Our culture values communication, collaboration, accountability, and strong customer service skills.  WestEd’s IT Department supports and deploys hardware, software, SaaS solutions, custom applications, data management, and network infrastructure for the agency.  The successful candidate will be a critical member our new Data Operations team.

The Opportunity:

The Senior Data Engineer leads the implementation of complex cloud-based data platforms, databases, and data warehouses.  Engineering efforts span both client-facing solutions and internal business systems.  This position requires a strong background in Data Engineering, data pipeline management, database administration, and data warehousing; with previous experience implementing solutions using Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and/or Snowflake.  

The right candidate will:

• Have a passion for quality work
• Be driven to provide excellent customer service
• Exude leadership by example – modeling the IT Core Operating Principles of Transparency, Collaboration, Accountability, and being Solutions-Oriented & Forward Thinking
• Have significant experience designing and administering data systems and databases
• Be comfortable reading and comprehending complex data layout and technical interface documentation
• Build and foster an active and positive culture for the team and organization
• Be innovative with a continuous improvement mindset
• This position is expected to be fully remote with hybrid work arrangements available in any of our 11 national offices

Core Focus Areas:

The Senior Data Engineer works closely with the Data Engineering Manager, project managers, cloud architects, Data Engineers, and data analysts to design, deliver, and administer complex data systems and related solutions.  The engineer is responsible for establishing and overseeing data ingestion, validation, and integration practices for sensitive data, including restricted student-level data.  This includes implementing data structures and tools that support data quality, analysis, and high-stakes reporting.   The position works under the guidance of the Data Engineering Manager, Data Operations.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Design, develop, and maintain new data capabilities and infrastructure to enhance WestEd's data products and solutions
• Create new data pipelines, data integrations, and infrastructure to facilitate seamless data access within cloud environments
• Collaborate with technical teams and business stakeholders to understand data requirements and translate them into technical solutions
• Work with large datasets – ensuring data quality, accuracy, and performance
• Implement data transformation, integration, and validation processes to support analytical and reporting needs
• Optimize and fine-tune data pipelines for improved speed, reliability, and efficiency
• Implement best practices for data storage, retrieval, and archival to ensure data accessibility and security
• Troubleshoot and resolve data-related issues, collaborating with the team to identify root causes
• Document data processes, data lineage, and technical specifications
• Participate in code reviews, ensuring adherence to coding standards and best practices
• Adhere to Agency Information Technology policies, including but not limited to: security, disaster recovery, backup, and escalation
• Travel Required: Less than 5% to WestEd headquarters or satellite offices

What We’re Looking For:

• Located in the United States with availability to work 8 hours per day every weekday. Work schedule can be flexible but must include the Department’s core hours of Monday - Friday 9am - 2pm PT regardless of time zone.
• At least five (5+) years of database development, administration, and/or data architecture experience using SQL or MySQL.
• Demonstrated expert-level coding skills with SQL and its advanced features.
• At least three (3+) years of experience administering cloud-based data infrastructure using Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and/or Snowflake.
• Recent experience with Fivetran, TeamDynamix iPaaS, Integrify, and/or other lowcode data integration tools.
• Recent experience with data transformation tools, preferably including dbt.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalent additional experience in database administration or data architecture may substitute for this education requirement.
• Willingness to participate in total time accounting, including recording and reporting of actual time spent across multiple concurrent projects in fifteen-minute increments.
• Recent experience analyzing and implementing complex regulatory, security, privacy, policy, or contractual requirements.
• Demonstrated professional maturity and politically adroit; combined with tact, diplomacy, common sense, sound judgment, and discretion.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to handle changing priorities and multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in the English language. Ability to communicate effectively with clients and develop a clear understanding of their business needs. 
• Reliability, a professional attitude, and a willingness to do what is required in a cooperative work setting. Must be a self-starter, independent thinker, action oriented, and self-motivated.

Preference:

• Equity centered with the core belief that honoring diversity and leveraging multiple perspectives makes us stronger.
• Holds a Unites States government security clearance at the Tier 2 (5C) Moderate level or higher.
• Holds an active Snowflake SnowPro Core or Advanced certification credential.
• Holds an active Microsoft Azure Administrator, Database Administrator, Data Engineer, or similar certification credential.
• Recent experience administering and/or developing data products using Snowflake.
• Recent experience managing integrations with cloud-based commercial products, including: TeamDynamix, Salesforce, UKG Pro, Deltek Costpoint, SAP Concur Travel, Adaptive Insights Budgeting, Skedda, and/or Asset Panda.
• Recent experience with statistical or business intelligence tools, including: Cognos, Tableau, R, SPSS, SAS, and/or Stata.
• Recent experience working in a governmental, non-profit, or education agency.
• Recent experience operating within an Agile Scrum, Lean Kanban, and/or Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) systems development life cycle.
• Recent experience with Google G-Suite, Microsoft Office 365, GitHub, Easy Redmine, TeamDynamix, Smartsheet, Airtable, Box, and/or Zoom.
• Familiarity with education data standards (CEDS, SIF, Ed-Fi, QTI, LTI, etc.) and privacy/reporting laws (ESSA, FERPA, CIPA, COPPA, HIPAA).
• Desire to learn new technologies and keep current with technological trends.

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd level H, is $102,320 to $153,500 but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $102,320 to $127,900 and the actual offer takes into account multiple factors including but not limited to education; experience; internal equity, and other organizational needs. 

In addition to the base salary, benefits include:

· 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment

· Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts

· All health/welfare benefits are effective first of the month following hire date

· PTO: 3 weeks vacation (increases to 4 weeks beginning the 4th year of employment), paid holidays, and 12 days paid sick leave per year

· Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary

· Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

· Professional development opportunities & mentorship program

For more detail about our benefits, go to:

https://www.wested.org/work-at-wested/benefits/

Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of social and professional learning communities, such as Employee Resource groups, the Data Intelligence, Insights, and Innovation PLC, and the WestEd Parent Community, just to name a few.  We hope you’ll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more! #LI-Remote