Lead Data Engineer - AWS

Vaco is actively seeking an experienced Lead Data Engineer for a direct-hire role with a stable and technology-focused organization in Memphis.

This role serves as the senior technical resource within a structured data engineering team, partnering with architects and stakeholders to translate requirements into execution, distributing work across the team, and guiding developers on strategy, tooling, and coding best practices while remaining actively hands‑on with complex engineering challenges.

• Guide team of data engineers through technical direction, code analysis, and delivery execution while also performing routine senior engineering functions.
• Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and platforms within AWS, ensuring reliability, performance, and maintainability.
• Develop and optimize pipelines using AWS-native services including S3, Glue, Lambda, and Event Bridge.
• Act as a connective layer between data engineering and business stakeholders, translating requirements into practical, production‑ready solutions.
• Own data workflows end‑to‑end including ingestion, transformation, orchestration, and exposure via APIs or downstream systems.
• Implement infrastructure as code (IaC) using Terraform, contributing to repeatable and scalable delivery.
• Monitor pipeline health, troubleshoot issues, and enforce data quality, governance, and security standards within a highly regulated sector.
• Mentor engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and hands‑on collaboration, continuously raising the overall team competency.

• Prior experience in a lead or managerial role with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Extensive skills within the AWS ecosystem with a focus on S3, Glue, Lambda, and Event Bridge.
• Advanced experience with Python and SQL in complex production environments.
• Experience with infrastructure as code, preferably Terraform.
• Comfort working across the full data stack from infrastructure through consumption layers.
• Strong understanding of data modeling, ETL/ELT processes, and pipeline orchestration concepts and best practices.
• Previous experience in finance, banking, wealth, or similar is desirable.
• Skilled with API development and exposing data services within structured environments.
• Experience implementing or scaling Snowflake environments is a plus.
• Demonstrated communication skills and the ability to translate stakeholder business needs into technical solutions.

• Employment Type:
  
  Direct‑Hire with Client
• Primary
  
  Schedule:
  
  Monday – Friday / 8a – 5p
• Location:
  
  Germantown, TN
• Cadence:
  Onsite
• Target Total Compensation: $180k – $230k
• Relocation:
  Assistance is available
• Engagement Status:
  Applicant must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment‑based sponsorship, now or in the future, including H‑1B, L‑1, TN, O‑1, E‑3, H‑1B1, F‑1, J‑1, OPT, CPT, or any other employment‑based visa programs.

Interested Candidates are Encouraged to Apply for Immediate Consideration!

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting.

The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer:
Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied.

Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.