Data Engineering Consultant Save

Overview

We are looking for a data engineering consultant to join our team. This is a hybrid role that draws upon both data engineering and business analyst skillsets.

January Advisors is a data consulting firm that works with governments and nonprofits across the United States. Our clients use data to inform policy, make big decisions, and help improve the world. We work on data projects related to a variety of social science topics, such as housing, education, consumer finance, disaster recovery, and much more.

We are seeking a versatile Data Engineering Consultant who will bridge the gap between technical data infrastructure and client engagement. This dual role combines hands-on data engineering expertise with business analysis capabilities, requiring someone who can both build scalable data solutions and work directly with stakeholders to translate their needs into actionable technical requirements.

Job responsibilities:

Data Engineering (50%)

• Develop ETL processes drawing from APIs, public websites, flat files, and internal databases, including validation, data quality checks, and alert systems.
• Maintain cloud infrastructure such as Heroku, AWS, GCP or Azure.
• Design and implement public and internal APIs.
• Contribute to modeling data and designing data pipelines, drawing from multiple sources and integrating data across systems.
• Develop comprehensive documentation related to data processing and data management.
• Contribute to architectural decisions, ensuring data is accessible and usable while maintaining performance and stability.
• Collaborate with data scientists and web developers to troubleshoot downstream issues.

Business Analysis (50%)

• Work directly with government and nonprofit clients to understand their policy and decision-making needs, translating requirements into technical specifications.
• Model project costs, resource requirements, and timeline estimates for client engagements and data initiatives.
• Lead client communication throughout project lifecycle, managing expectations and delivering regular updates.
• Conduct thorough analysis of client needs, identifying data sources, reporting requirements, and opportunities for impact.
• Manage cross-functional project delivery from conception to completion, coordinating with data scientists, developers, and client teams.

You’re a good fit if you have:

• 2+ years experience in a data engineering and business analyst role
• Solid understanding of Python and R, including Pandas, Beautiful Soup, and Selenium
• Solid understanding of SQL (PostgreSQL preferred)
• Experience developing ETL processes drawing from APIs, public websites, flat files, and internal databases
• Experience integrating data from multiple sources
• Experience using cloud platforms such as Heroku, AWS, GCP or Azure
• Demonstrated ability to pick up new concepts and technical skills quickly
• Experience working on a cross-functional team
• Strong communication skills with ability to work directly with external clients
• Proven ability to translate business requirements into technical solutions

You’ll really impress us if you have:

• Knowledge of best practices for managing multi-terabyte datasets
• Experience implementing data quality checks and setting up alarm systems for error conditions
• Experience with noSQL databases (including document, graph, etc)
• Experience working with geospatial data or GIS software/libraries such as Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, PostGIS, ArcGIS, QGIS
• Background in social science research or public policy
• Experience with government or nonprofit clients
• Project management experience or certification

Job details:

• $80,000 – $90,000 base salary + bonus
• Fully remote
• ~35 hour workweek
• Health, 401k, 3+ weeks PTO, continuing ed budget, and other benefits