Data Engineer – Data Architecture Data Science & Machine Learning

Position: Data Engineer – Data Architecture for Data Science & Machine Learning
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** APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:*** ## CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please to complete the. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.* ## If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete .###
** Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see .**###   
** POSITION SPECIFICS
** We are seeking a
** Senior Data Engineer
** with deep expertise in database design, optimization, and data access strategies to support our growing
** data science and machine learning initiatives within the Visualization and Decision Support Division of Penn State ARL**. In this role, you will architect and optimize data systems that empower our data scientists to efficiently research, train, and deploy both traditional and ML-based algorithms and applications.

The ideal candidate is a
** Postgre

SQL expert
** who also brings hands-on experience with other modern data storage technologies—such as
** No

SQL, graph, and time-series databases**—and can guide the organization in choosing the right tools and structures for each data use case.
** Located in either State College, PA or Reston, VA
** ARL is an authorized DoD Skill Bridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
****** You will:
*** Design and maintain scalable, high-performance database solutions to support data science workflows and ML experimentation
* Partner with data scientists to understand data access patterns and develop storage strategies that accelerate analysis and model training
* Serve as the internal subject matter expert on
** Postgre

SQL**—including schema design, indexing, partitioning, and query optimization
* Evaluate and integrate alternative database technologies (e.g., Mongo

DB, Neo4j, Redis, Cassandra) where they provide clear advantages
* Lead efforts to optimize data pipelines for both structured and unstructured data used in algorithm development
* Ensure data integrity, security, and governance across storage systems
* Implement monitoring, automation, and performance-tuning tools for all database environments
* Advise on data lifecycle management—balancing accessibility for R&D with efficiency and compliance requirements
** Required skills/experience includes:**
* ** 5+ years
** of experience in data engineering, database architecture, or related technical roles
* ** Expert-level proficiency in Postgre

SQL** (query tuning, schema design, indexing, partitioning, replication)
* Strong understanding of
** data modeling**, normalization vs. denormalization tradeoffs, and query optimization
* Experience with
** non-relational databases** (e.g., Mongo

DB, Cassandra, Neo4j, Redis, or Dynamo

DB)
* Familiarity with
** machine learning workflows
** and how data is consumed for training, evaluation, and deployment
* Experience with
** cloud database services** (AWS RDS/Aurora, GCP Cloud SQL, Azure Database)
* Proficiency in SQL and one or more scripting languages (Python preferred)
* Excellent communication and collaboration skills—comfortable working closely with data scientists, ML engineers, and software developers
** Preferred skills/experience includes:
*** Experience architecting
** hybrid data ecosystems
** spanning relational, No

SQL, and analytical databases.
* Knowledge of
** data lake, warehouse, and feature store architectures** (e.g., Snowflake, Redshift, Big Query, Feast).
* Familiarity with ETL/ELT frameworks and data orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow, dbt).
* Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related field.

Work location can be State College, PA or Reston , VA
** MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
** If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Principal Professional, this position requires:

Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
19+ years of relevant experience

Required

Certifications:

None If filled as Research and Development Engineer - Advanced Professional, this position requires:

Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science5+ years of relevant experience

Required

Certifications:

None…