Data Engineer

Overview

The Data Engineer will play a crucial role in advancing the CDC Foundation's mission by developing and implementing a FHIR strategy for a public health organization. This role is aligned to the Workforce Acceleration Initiative (WAI), which is a federally funded program designed to help public health agencies accelerate improvement of their information systems.

Working within the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), the Data Engineer will lead the development and implementation of TDH’s enterprise FHIR strategy, design and operationalize FHIR architecture integrating Rhapsody, a FHIR server, the CDC DIBBs Query Connector and the SPARK Data Repository. The position emphasizes roadmap development, technical architecture design, and proof‑of‑concept implementation to build foundational FHIR capabilities that can be scaled across programs and sustained beyond the placement period.

The Data Engineer will be hired by the CDC Foundation and assigned to the Tennessee Department of Health. This position is eligible for a fully remote work arrangement for U.S. based candidates.

• Lead development and documentation of a department‑wide FHIR roadmap.
• Establish and facilitate the FHIR Roadmap Team with program, informatics, and IT stakeholders.
• Design FHIR architecture integrating Rhapsody, a FHIR server, and the SPARK data repository.
• Implement and configure the CDC DIBBs Query Connector for interoperable querying.
• Support evaluation, procurement, and initial implementation of a FHIR server.
• Lead proof‑of‑concept and pilot use cases leveraging SPARK data via FHIR.
• Provide technical guidance and documentation to support long‑term sustainability.
• Travel up to 10% domestic may be required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Health Informatics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in data engineering or interoperability‑focused roles.
• Demonstrated experience with HL7 FHIR standards and APIs.
• Experience with cloud‑based architectures and integration platforms.
• Strong understanding of health data standards and public health data workflows.
• Ability to translate business and program requirements into technical designs.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies, software design patterns, and best practices.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey technical concepts to non‑technical partners effectively.
• Flexibility to adapt to evolving project requirements and priorities.
• Outstanding interpersonal and teamwork skills and the ability to develop productive working relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Experience working in a virtual environment with remote partners and teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

• Location:
  
  Remote, must be based in the United States; travel up to 10% domestic may be required.
• Salary Range: $103,500 – $143,500 per year, plus benefits. Individual salary offers will be based on experience and qualifications.
• Position Type:
  Grant funded, limited‑term opportunity.
• Position End Date:
  June 30, 2027.

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs after written approval is received by the CDC Foundation, in order to best support the public health programming.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law. The agency complies with all applicable laws, including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, and does not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. § 60‑300.5(a)(12) and § 60‑741.5(a)(7).

As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.