Lead Data Engineer, Advanced

Job Title: Lead Data Engineer - Advanced

Location: Columbus, OH

Duration: Contract to hire, 6+ months

Pay Range: $75.00/hr - $82.00/hr (W2)

About BCforward

BCforward is a leading global IT consulting and workforce solutions firm providing services and support to Fortune 500 and government clients. Founded in 1998, BCforward has grown with our customers needs into a full-service business solutions provider. With delivery centers and offices across North America and India, we take pride in building long-term relationships and delivering excellence through innovation, collaboration, and integrity.

Job Description

We are seeking a Lead Data Engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in Java, Python, AWS, Apache Spark, and large-scale ETL/ELT data engineering and a proven ability to design and deliver high-quality data platforms, optimize performance, and lead AI-assisted engineering adoption.

Responsibilities:

• Execute creative software solutions, including design, development, and technical troubleshooting for complex data challenges.


• Drive team adoption of enterprise-authorized AI-assisted engineering practices and establish validation standards including secure coding, peer review, and automated testing.


• Apply SDLC toolchain and automation, including AI-assisted development capabilities, to increase delivery value.


• Lead architecture and hands-on delivery of large-scale ETL/ELT pipelines across ingestion, transformation, validation, reconciliation, and publishing.


• Design and operationalize data lake patterns including partitioning, data quality controls, lineage, governance, and reusable datasets.


• Build and optimize distributed processing workloads using Apache Spark and modern formats such as Parquet and Avro.


• Drive performance tuning across compute and storage, including Spark tuning for shuffle, joins, caching, and skew handling.


• Implement engineering best practices including code quality, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, security-by-design, and operational readiness.


• Build and maintain Java-based services supporting data workflows, including ingestion services, orchestration helpers, APIs, and data access layers.


• Develop REST APIs and integration components to enable downstream consumption and platform interoperability.


• Apply modern application practices including clean architecture, SOLID principles, test automation, and secure coding.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Formal training or certification in software engineering and 5+ years of applied experience.


• 10+ years of software engineering experience with depth in data engineering and big data platforms.


• Strong hands-on development experience in Java and proficiency in Python.


• Proven experience designing and building robust ETL/ELT pipelines and data integration frameworks.


• Strong experience with Apache Spark, distributed processing concepts, and performance tuning.


• Knowledge of data storage serialization and formats such as Parquet and Avro.


• Solid understanding of data lake and lakehouse concepts, including data quality, metadata, and governance.


• Experience with cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake or equivalent.


• Demonstrated experience leading responsible use of AI-assisted development tools and setting validation standards for correctness, performance, and security.


• Ability to lead technical discussions, communicate across stakeholders, and drive delivery in cross-functional environments.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with orchestration and workflow scheduling tools such as Airflow, Dagster, or Control-M.


• Exposure to streaming and event-driven processing, including Kafka and Spark Structured Streaming, and incremental processing patterns such as CDC and upserts.


• Experience with table formats and ACID layers such as Delta Lake, Apache Iceberg, Hudi.


• Strong production operations mindset covering on-call, SLAs/SLOs, observability, and incident response.


• Experience in regulated environments including risk, audit, compliance, privacy, and PII handling.


• Experience with cost optimization and FinOps practices for data platforms.


• Experience working with Agentic AI and Gen AI solutions and capabilities.

Must Have Summary:

• Python and Java.


• ETL pipeline design and development.


• AWS.


• AI tool experience in engineering workflows.

Why BCforward?

At BCforward, we believe in advancing lives and careers. When you join our team, you gain access to:

• Competitive compensation and benefits.


• Opportunities for growth with global clients.


• A supportive, inclusive culture that values innovation and people.


• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and projects.

About Our Commitment

BCforward is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.

Interested? Apply Now!

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please apply with your most recent resume.