SMX is hiring a Data Engineer responsible for designing, building, and maintaining scalable data architecture that powers our AI, analytics and reporting. Collaborate closely with Analysts, AI Engineers, and Software Engineers to transform raw, unstructured data into high-quality, accessible data pipelines. Optimizing data systems, building them from the ground up, and ensuring peak data reliability and performance. This role is essential for making data accessible, reliable, and usable across the enterprise.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Design, construct, install, test, and maintain highly scalable data management systems and robust ELT/ETL pipelines across cloud and on-prem systems.
- Build infrastructure required for optimal extraction, transformation, and loading of data from a wide variety of data sources using cloud technologies. Support API strategy, data modeling, and domain-driven data structures.
- Implement monitoring systems to ensure data integrity, quality, and security across all storage and processing layers. Implement data quality checks, validation, lineage tracking, and metadata management.
- Prepare and optimize data for AI/ML models, semantic search, analytics, and mission applications.
- Identify, design, and implement internal process improvements, such as automating manual processes and optimizing data delivery for greater scalability. Automate ingestion and transformation processes using industry-standard tools and patterns. Troubleshoot pipeline issues and optimize for performance and cost.
- Work with analytics and business teams to understand their data requirements and deliver production-ready datasets. Collaborate with AI engineers and analysts to ensure datasets meet requirements.
Required Skills & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Engineering
- 4+ years of progressive professional experience in a data engineering or backend software engineering role
- Security clearance required (Secret or higher)
- Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, Java.
- Experience with cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake and AWS Redshift.
- Familiarity with distributed computing tools like Spark, Databricks, and Kafka.
- Experience with Azure Data Factory, AWS Glue, or similar data integration platforms.
- Experience with workflow management tools like Apache Airflow.
- Hands-on experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure cloud environments. Familiarity with multi-cloud data ecosystem patterns.
- Experience integrating structured and unstructured data sources. Knowledge of schema design, data modeling, and cloud-based storage patterns.
Desired Skills & Experience
- Experience supporting AI/ML pipelines, vectorization, or embedding generation
- Experience with data governance, access controls, or sensitive data protection
- Exposure to DevOps/CI-CD patterns for data workflows
- MuleSoft implementation experience
- Experience with real-time data streaming and event-driven architectures
The SMX salary determination process takes into account a number of factors, including but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories, relevant prior work experience, specific skills, education and certifications. At SMX, one of our Core Values is to Invest in Our People so we offer a competitive mix of compensation, learning & development opportunities, and benefits. Some key components of our robust benefits include health insurance, paid leave, and retirement.
At SMX®, we are a team of technical and domain experts dedicated to enabling your mission. From priority national security initiatives for the DoD to highly assured and compliant solutions for healthcare, we understand that digital transformation is key to your future success.
We share your vision for the future and strive to accelerate your impact on the world. We bring both cutting edge technology and an expansive view of what’s possible to every engagement. Our delivery model and unique approaches harness our deep technical and domain knowledge, providing forward-looking insights and practical solutions to power secure mission acceleration.
SMX is an Equal Opportunity employer including disabilities and veterans.
Selected applicant may be subject to a background investigation and/or education verification.
SMX does not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization or immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-2, E-3, L-1 and O-1, or any EADs or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or Data Engineering
- 4+ years of progressive professional experience in a data engineering or backend software engineering role
- Active security clearance Secret or higher
- Strong proficiency in Python
- Strong proficiency in SQL
- Strong proficiency in Java
- Experience with cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake
- Experience with AWS Redshift
- Familiarity with distributed computing tools such as Spark
- Familiarity with Databricks
- Familiarity with Kafka
- Experience with Azure Data Factory or AWS Glue or similar data integration platforms
- Experience with workflow management tools like Apache Airflow
- Hands-on experience with cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
- Experience designing and maintaining ELT/ETL pipelines and scalable data management systems
- Experience integrating structured and unstructured data sources and knowledge of schema design and data modeling
- Implementing data quality checks, validation, lineage tracking, and metadata management
- Support API strategy and domain-driven data structures
- Experience supporting AI/ML pipelines, vectorization, or embedding generation
- Experience with data governance, access controls, or sensitive data protection
- Exposure to DevOps/CI-CD patterns for data workflows
- MuleSoft implementation experience
- Experience with real-time data streaming and event-driven architectures
SMX Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SMX and has not been reviewed or approved by SMX.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Salary ranges are publicly listed on many postings and a pay transparency statement clarifies how location, contract, and credentials influence offers. This visibility helps set clear expectations around compensation.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — About four weeks of PTO plus 11 paid federal holidays are highlighted in careers materials. Paid military leave on some roles further expands time‑off coverage.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a dollar‑for‑dollar match on the first 5% and immediate vesting is called out in role descriptions. Traditional and Roth options support long‑term savings.
SMX Insights
What We Do
SMX is a global technology and advanced engineering provider specializing in Cloud Solutions, C5ISR, and Advanced Engineering / IT. Our tradition of delivering innovative, technical solutions dates back to 1995, however, you may know us better by one of our legacy company names: Trident Technologies, Smartronix, Datastrong, or C2S Consulting Group. With the support of OceanSound Partners, our private equity investment sponsor, we began operating as one business starting in 2019 and became SMX in 2021. We operate in close proximity to our clients around the globe and have core locations in Alabama, California, the DC Metro, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Today, as SMX, we are one team and together empower government and commercial enterprises to become more effective, innovative, and resilient, no matter what challenges they face. SMX offers competitive benefits, excellent work environments, and growth opportunities for our employees while continuing to expand operations and support our communities. We have more than 25 years of rapid and consistent growth with continuous recognition as an employer-of-choice technology company. In addition, we have earned coveted industry quality and business certifications; have a strong commitment to business partnerships, ethics, compliance, and sustainability; and have a multitude of premier contracting vehicles. The combination of these attributes allows us to provide sound, repeatable business solutions yet remain flexible and agile to quickly adapt to specific customer requirements. Committed to ensuring the highest levels of customer satisfaction, SMX is structured around the programs and technologies we support to provide optimal and seamless operations. We have maintained a reputation for excellence, helping to assure the missions of our Department of Defense, Public Sector, Fortune 1000, and other Government and commercial customers.
