Lead Data Engineer

About

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to support Space Systems Command in Reston, VA. We are seeking a skilled engineer to enable reliable, automated, and secure data flows that support Department of the Air Force Integrated Fires Command and Control (DIFC2) mission capabilities.

Clearance: TS/SCI

Location: Reston, VA

This job opens for applications on 5/13/2026. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date

Responsibilities

• Work closely with mission system stakeholders, platform engineers, and security teams to define data exchange artifacts, build pipeline solutions, and ensure all interfaces meet Risk Management Framework (RMF) standards.
• Evaluate DIFC2 mission workflows and system architectures to determine the data artifacts needed to enable operational capabilities.
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for defining and coordinating data exchange interfaces between DIFC2 and external mission systems.
• Produce clear and comprehensive data interface documentation to support system integration and long-term operations.
• Contribute to the DIFC2 RMF process by detailing the technical aspects of machine-to-machine data exchanges.
• Design and develop automated data pipelines to ingest, process, store, and deliver data artifacts for both internal and external DIFC2 users.
• Leverage government-provided data platform infrastructure to create scalable and efficient ETL workflows.
• Apply data validation, normalization, and transformation processes to maintain data integrity and usability.
• Diagnose and resolve data pipeline issues, incorporating monitoring, logging, and recovery strategies to ensure reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree from accredited university and 9+ years of experience supporting software engineering, system integration, or application development efforts in DoD, IC, SAP/SCI environments
• Active TS/SCI clearance, with the ability to obtain SAP/sit for a polygraph
• Experience designing or implementing data pipelines, ETL workflows, or data integration architectures.
• Experience working with structured and semi-structured data formats (JSON, CSV, XML, etc.).
• Requires an active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain Sensitive Compartmented Information and Special Program access, as well as a willingness to consent to a polygraph examination.
• Proficiency with low-code/no-code data orchestration technologies such as Apache NiFi, Apache Airflow, or similar ETL orchestration tools.

Compensation

• Total compensation based on experience level - $160,000-$210,000
• Full Benefits: PTO, Holidays, 401K, Medical Dental Vision coverage, Certification Reimbursement
• Contract stability and mobility through Zachary Piper Solutions