AI/ML Data Engineer

Blackstone Talent Group, an award-winning technology consulting and talent agency, is seeking an AI/ML Data Engineer to join our Client's team.

We are looking for a passionate and driven Data Engineer to support a rapidly growing Data Analytics and Business Intelligence platform focused on providing solutions that empower our Federal customers with the tools and capabilities needed to turn data into actionable insights. The ideal candidate is a critical thinker and perpetual learner, excited to gain exposure and build skillsets across a range of technologies while solving some of our clients’ toughest challenges. As a Data Engineer, you will be integral to data operations for the development and integration of multiple data types across a range of data sets and sources.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of systems that depend on data, ensuring data is properly processed and securely transferred to its appropriate location in a timely manner. Processing data will include managing, manipulating, storing, and parsing data in a data pipeline for a variety of target sources. You will also support the maintenance of applications and tools that reside on these systems such as upgrades, patches, configuration changes, etc. The work is performed in a multidisciplinary team environment using agile methodologies. The candidate we seek must be highly motivated and enthusiastic about implementing new technologies and learning about new data in a small team environment where deadlines are important.

As this role will involve supporting rapidly evolving AI/ML projects and use cases, data engineers with experience in any of the following areas are highly encouraged to apply: NLP, data provenance, LLMs/RAG, or deep learning.

Job Responsibilities:

• Complete development efforts across data pipeline to store, manage, and provision data to data consumers.
• Partner with data scientists, data architects, and federal stakeholders to deploy AI/ML models in production.
• Be an active and collaborating member of an Agile/Scrum team and follow all Agile/Scrum best practices.
• Write code to ensure the performance and reliability of data extraction and processing.
• Support continuous process automation for data ingest.
• Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering principles and practices such as API-first design, simple design, continuous integration, version control, and automated testing.
• Work with program management and engineers to implement and document complex and evolving requirements.
• Help cultivate an environment that promotes customer service excellence, innovation, collaboration, and teamwork.
• Collaborate with others as part of a cross-functional team that includes user experience researchers and designers, product managers, engineers, and other functional specialists.

Required Skills:

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Must be able to obtain a Public Trust Clearance.
• 7+ years of IT experience including experience working with modern cloud data warehouse technologies (Redshift experience required).
• Experience with setting up, monitoring, and maintaining Redshift database instance.
• Experience with designing table models using star or snowflake schemas.
• Experience with query optimization for data aggregation and report generation within Redshift data warehouse.
• Experience with ingesting data of various types into the Redshift data warehouse.
• Proficiency developing ETL processes and performing test and validation steps.
• Proficiency to manipulate data (Python, R, SQL, SAS).
• Strong knowledge of big data analysis and storage tools and technologies.
• Strong understanding of agile principles and ability to apply them.
• Experience working inside the AWS ecosystem.
• Experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL).
• Work comfortably in version control systems (e.g., Git).

Desired Skills:

• Experience creating and consuming APIs.
• Experience with DHS and knowledge of DHS standards a plus.
• Candidates will be given special consideration for extensive experience with Python.
• Ability to develop visualizations utilizing Tableau or PowerBI.
• Experience in developing Shell scripts on Linux.
• Demonstrated experience translating business and technical requirements into comprehensive data strategies and analytic solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate across all levels of the organization and communicate technical terms to non-technical audiences.
• Experience with AI/ML-specific tools and platforms.
• Experience in one of the following areas: NLP, data provenance, LLMs/RAG, or deep learning.
• A passion for staying updated with the latest advancements in AI/ML and data engineering.

Security Clearance Required:

Public Trust

Blackstone Talent Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Blackstone Technology Group, a global IT services and software firm that implements technological solutions across commercial industry verticals and the US Federal Government. Blackstone's global talent augmentation practice was founded in 1998. Blackstone Talent Group has offices in San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Colorado Springs, and Washington, DC. We specialize in providing clients the best talent across a variety of industries and sectors.