Alignment Health is breaking the mold in conventional health care, committed to serving seniors and those who need it most: the chronically ill and frail. It takes an entire team of passionate and caring people, united in our mission to put the senior first. We have built a team of talented and experienced people who are passionate about transforming the lives of the seniors we serve. In this fast-growing company, you will find ample room for growth and innovation alongside the Alignment Health community. Working at Alignment Health provides an opportunity to do work that really matters, not only changing lives but saving them. Together.
The Principal, Data Engineer is the highest-level individual hands on contributor and technical authority in the data engineering function, responsible for setting platform engineering standards and driving measurable improvements in data quality, pipeline performance, and platform scalability across the Medicare Advantage data ecosystem. This role partners with data architects, AI/ML engineers, analytics leaders, compliance teams, and business stakeholders to translate strategic data priorities into durable, audit-ready platform solutions spanning clinical, operational, and financial domains. The Principal sets the technical bar for the data engineering team, serving as the authoritative voice in architecture decisions, platform investments, and cross-functional engineering forums. Key outcomes include improved pipeline reliability, accelerated delivery of data products supporting risk adjustment, HEDIS, and CMS reporting, and a measurably stronger data engineering team.Job Duties/Responsibilities
Set Platform Engineering Standards: Define and maintain the data engineering patterns, pipeline standards, and architectural guardrails that govern how data systems are designed, built, and evolved across the organization's data platform.
Design and Govern the Data Platform: Lead the design of scalable data processing frameworks and transformation models supporting claims, encounters, risk adjustment, and member data domains — with direct accountability for platform reliability and data quality outcomes.
Integrate AI/ML into Production Engineering: Apply machine learning and automation techniques within production data engineering environments — including pipeline intelligence, data quality automation, and feature pipeline design — establishing patterns others can scale.
Build and Optimize Data Pipelines: Implement and continuously improve high-performance cloud-based data pipelines using Apache Kafka, Databricks, Apache Spark, and cloud-native tools for real-time and batch workflows.
Elevate Engineering Capability Across the Team: Serve as the technical subject matter expert for data engineering, mentoring engineers through architecture reviews, design sessions, and internal documentation — raising the overall capability and consistency of the team.
Lead Technology Evaluation and Platform Roadmap Input: Evaluate emerging data technologies and translate findings into actionable build-versus-buy recommendations, contributing directly to the multi-year data platform engineering roadmap.
Deliver Compliant Healthcare Data Solutions: Apply expertise in Medicare Advantage data constructs — including CMS requirements, HIPAA, HEDIS, and risk adjustment — to ensure all data solutions are audit-ready, regulatory-compliant, and aligned to health plan reporting standards.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This role carries no direct supervisory responsibility at this time. The Principal, Data Engineer is expected to provide informal technical leadership, mentorship, and subject matter guidance to Data Engineers and Senior Data Engineers as the function's highest-level individual contributor.
Job Requirements
Experience
Required:
10+ years of progressive data engineering experience, with demonstrated platform engineering at scale
5+ years of experience in healthcare, health insurance, or a Medicare Advantage environment
Demonstrated experience building and governing enterprise data platforms using Apache Kafka, Databricks, and non-relational databases
Proven experience designing complex ETL/ELT pipelines in cloud environments (Azure, AWS, or GCP)
Experience working in HIPAA-compliant data environments with PHI/PII datasets
Demonstrated track record of setting engineering standards or architectural patterns adopted by others
Experience as a technical lead in a data platform modernization or cloud migration initiative
Working on AI tooling and usage in Data Platform space
Preferred:
Hands-on experience with Medicare Advantage–specific data: encounter submissions, RADV, HEDIS, CMS reporting, or Star ratings analytics
Prior work in a high-growth or transformation environment where platform engineering was a strategic priority
Education
Required:
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Engineering, or a related technical field; equivalent combination of education and experience considered
Preferred:
Master's degree in a related technical discipline
Training
Required:
Demonstrated working proficiency with cloud data platform tools (Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, or equivalent); hands-on experience accepted in lieu of formal certification
Preferred:
Cloud platform certification (Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate, AWS Certified Data Engineer, or Google Professional Data Engineer)
AI/ML engineering certification or relevant DataOps training
Skills & Competencies
Technical / Role-Specific Skills
Data Pipeline & Platform Engineering: Expert-level design, implementation, and optimization of complex data pipelines using Kafka, Databricks, Apache Spark, and cloud-native tooling across real-time and batch architectures.
Cloud Data Platforms: Deep experience with Azure (preferred), AWS, or GCP services including data lakes, lakehouses, and streaming architectures.
AI/ML Integration in Data Engineering: Demonstrated ability to operationalize machine learning and automation within production data engineering pipelines, including feature stores and model serving infrastructure.
Healthcare Data Standards & Compliance: Advanced knowledge of HIPAA, HL7/FHIR, ICD-10/CPT codes, CMS data submission standards, and PHI/PII data governance requirements.
Data Modeling: Ability to design data models for relational and non-relational systems that scale to support healthcare analytics use cases across clinical, operational, and financial domains.
SQL & Programming Languages: Advanced SQL proficiency with production-level experience in Python, Scala, or Java for data engineering workloads.
Data Quality & Governance: Experience implementing data quality frameworks, lineage tracking, and metadata management within large-scale data platforms.
Licensure
Required: None
Preferred:
Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate, AWS Certified Data Engineer, or equivalent cloud data certification
Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) or equivalent data governance certification
Essential Physical Functions
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
1. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee regularly is required to stand, walk, sit, use hand to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
2. The employee frequently lifts and/or moves up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
Pay range may be based on a number of factors including market location, education, responsibilities, experience, etc.
Alignment Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
*DISCLAIMER: Please beware of recruitment phishing scams affecting Alignment Health and other employers where individuals receive fraudulent employment-related offers in exchange for money or other sensitive personal information. Please be advised that Alignment Health and its subsidiaries will never ask you for a credit card, send you a check, or ask you for any type of payment as part of consideration for employment with our company. If you feel that you have been the victim of a scam such as this, please report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/. If you would like to verify the legitimacy of an email sent by or on behalf of Alignment Health’s talent acquisition team, please email [email protected].
Skills Required
- 10+ years of progressive data engineering experience, including platform engineering at scale
- 5+ years of experience in healthcare, health insurance, or Medicare Advantage
- Experience building and governing enterprise data platforms using Apache Kafka, Databricks, and non-relational databases
- Experience designing complex ETL/ELT pipelines in Azure, AWS, or GCP cloud environments
- Experience working in HIPAA-compliant data environments with PHI/PII datasets
- Experience setting engineering standards or architectural patterns adopted by others
- Experience as a technical lead in a data platform modernization or cloud migration initiative
- Experience working with AI tooling and usage in data platforms
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent education and experience
- Working proficiency with cloud data platform tools such as Azure Databricks or Azure Data Factory; hands-on experience may substitute for formal certification
- Hands-on experience with Medicare Advantage data, including encounter submissions, RADV, HEDIS, CMS reporting, or Star ratings analytics
- Experience in a high-growth or transformation environment where platform engineering was a strategic priority
- Master's degree in a related technical discipline
- Cloud platform certification such as Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate, AWS Certified Data Engineer, or Google Professional Data Engineer
- AI/ML engineering certification or relevant DataOps training
- Expert-level experience with Kafka, Databricks, Apache Spark, and cloud-native tooling across real-time and batch architectures
- Deep experience with Azure, AWS, or GCP data lakes, lakehouses, and streaming architectures
- Ability to operationalize machine learning and automation in production data engineering pipelines, including feature stores and model serving infrastructure
- Advanced knowledge of HIPAA, HL7/FHIR, ICD-10/CPT codes, CMS data submission standards, and PHI/PII governance
- Ability to design scalable relational and non-relational data models for healthcare analytics
- Advanced SQL proficiency and production-level experience with Python, Scala, or Java
- Experience implementing data quality frameworks, lineage tracking, and metadata management
- Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate, AWS Certified Data Engineer, equivalent cloud data certification, or Certified Data Management Professional certification
Alignment Healthcare Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Alignment Healthcare and has not been reviewed or approved by Alignment Healthcare.
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Healthcare Strength — Core coverage includes multiple medical plan types with major carriers along with dental and vision. Options are described as comprehensive on paper and can include plan choice depending on role and location.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) plan with company match is commonly offered, and some roles also receive equity via RSUs. This foundation strengthens total rewards even when base pay varies by job family.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO is offered with paid holidays, and some teams provide paid parental leave; clinical roles may include CME time and tuition reimbursement. These elements expand beyond basic medical benefits to support time away and professional development.
Alignment Healthcare Insights
What We Do
Alignment Healthcare is redefining the business of health care by shifting the focus from payments to people. We’ve created a new model for health care delivery that cuts costs and improves lives by unraveling the inefficiencies of the current system to drive patients, providers and payers toward a common goal of wellness. Harnessing best practices from Medicare Advantage, our innovative data-management technology allows us to commit to caring for seniors and those who need it most: the chronically ill and frail. Alignment Healthcare provides partners and patients with customized care and service where they need it and when they need it, including clinical coordination, risk management and technology facilitation. Alignment Healthcare offers health plan options through Alignment Health Plan, and also partners with select health plans to help deliver better benefits at lower costs. For more information, please visit www.alignmenthealthcare.com.
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