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Associate Data Engineer Jobs in Smithfield, NC (NOW HIRING)

Principal Data Scientist

Raleigh, NC · On-site +1

$147K - $243K/yr

Work closely with data engineering and ML Ops functional roles to operationalize data science ... Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office ...

Payer Dev, Git & ML-Ops Engineer, Senior Associate

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$77K - $202K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Interpret data to inform insights and recommendations. Uphold and reinforce professional and ... As a Senior Associate, you will analyze complex problems, mentor junior team members, and maintain ...

US Tech - AI Engineering Senior Associate

Raleigh, NC · On-site

$55K - $187K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Industry/Sector Not Applicable Specialism Data Science Management Level Senior Associate & Summary At PwC, our people in data and analytics engineering focus on leveraging advanced technologies and ...

Senior QA Engineer

Cary, NC

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Providing guidance and support to associate and intermediate level QA Engineers. * Leading product ... Recommend test approach, test environment requirements, and data strategies * Provide regular ...

Senior QA Engineer

Cary, NC · On-site

$40/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Providing guidance and support to associate and intermediate level QA Engineers. * Leading product ... Recommend test approach, test environment requirements, and data strategies * Provide regular ...

Showing results 41-60

Associate Data Engineer information

See Smithfield, NC salary details

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$16

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How much do associate data engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for associate data engineer in Smithfield, NC is $16.23, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $13.32 and $17.26 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an associate data engineer?

To thrive as an Associate Data Engineer, you need a solid understanding of data modeling, SQL, Python, and foundational knowledge of database concepts, often backed by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with data warehousing tools (like AWS Redshift, Google BigQuery), ETL frameworks, and cloud platforms as well as industry certifications such as AWS Certified Data Analytics is beneficial. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you navigate complex data challenges and collaborate with teams. These abilities are crucial for ensuring data systems are reliable, scalable, and aligned with organizational goals.

What is the difference between Associate Data Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectAssociate Data EngineerData Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in CS, Data Science, or related field; basic knowledge of SQL and PythonBachelor's or Master's degree; advanced knowledge of SQL, Python, Spark, and cloud platforms
Work EnvironmentEntry-level, team-focused, often in tech or finance industriesMid to senior level, designing and maintaining data pipelines in various industries
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in tech companies, startups, and finance firmsUsed across industries for building scalable data infrastructure
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for career progression and skill requirements

The Associate Data Engineer role is an entry-level position focusing on supporting data infrastructure, while the Data Engineer is a more advanced role responsible for designing and maintaining complex data systems. The roles share similar educational backgrounds and work environments but differ in experience level and responsibilities.

What does an associate data engineer do?

An Associate Data Engineer is responsible for supporting the development, maintenance, and optimization of data pipelines and databases. They work closely with senior data engineers and other IT professionals to ensure data is accessible, reliable, and efficiently processed for analytics and business use. Typical tasks include writing and testing code for data integration, troubleshooting data issues, and implementing data security best practices. This entry-level position is a foundational role that builds technical skills and experience in data engineering.

What are some common challenges an associate data engineer may face when working with large-scale data pipelines?

As an Associate Data Engineer, you may often encounter challenges such as optimizing data pipeline performance, ensuring data quality, and troubleshooting bottlenecks when processing large volumes of data. Working with distributed systems can introduce complex issues like latency and data consistency. Collaborating effectively with data scientists, analysts, and senior engineers is crucial for aligning data infrastructure with evolving project requirements. Regularly learning new tools and best practices will help you adapt to these challenges and grow in your role.
What are the most commonly searched types of Data Engineer jobs in Smithfield, NC? The most popular types of Data Engineer jobs in Smithfield, NC are:
What are popular job titles related to Associate Data Engineer jobs in Smithfield, NC? For Associate Data Engineer jobs in Smithfield, NC, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near Smithfield, NC are hiring for Associate Data Engineer jobs? Cities near Smithfield, NC with the most Associate Data Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Associate Data Engineer job openings in Smithfield, NC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 66% Full Time, and 34% Contract. Highlights an 67% In-person, and 33% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $33,749 per year, or $16.2 per hour.

AI Platform Director- Data Engineering

First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company

Raleigh, NC • On-site

$245K/yr

Other

Re-posted 26 days ago


First Citizens Bank rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 106 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

109th of 171 rated banks


Job description

Overview
We are seeking an experienced Director to lead the AI platform engineering and enablement functions within our expanding Cloud Data and AI Platform organization. This role is instrumental in building, operationalizing, and governing the next-generation AI and machine learning ecosystem that powers advanced analytics and responsible AI adoption across the bank. You will own the end-to-end AI lifecycle-from data and model development to MLOps, deployment, governance, and responsible AI compliance in a regulated financial environment.
As a seasoned technology leader, you will bring your expertise in enterprise AI architecture, model operations, and platform engineering to partner with key business, technology, and governance stakeholders-ensuring AI initiatives are responsibly implemented, well-controlled, and deliver measurable value.
Responsibilities
AWS AI/ML Platform Ownership
  • Architect and lead AI/ML workloads on AWS including:
    • Amazon SageMaker (training, deployment, model registry)
    • AWS Bedrock (foundation models and GenAI use cases)
    • AWS Lambda, ECS, EKS for model serving
    • S3, Glue, Snowflake for data pipelines
  • Define enterprise standards for MLOps, feature stores, and model lifecycle management
  • Build and maintain integrations with enterprise platforms for data ingestion, metadata management, tokenization, and control evidence generation.
  • Continuously enhance the platform's automation, resilience, and observability, ensuring robust end-to-end telemetry for both model and data pipelines.
  • Collaborate with Enterprise Risk, Legal, Compliance, and Model Risk partners to embed Responsible AI principles and audit-ready control evidence directly into platform design.

Machine Learning & GenAI Execution
  • Oversee development of ML models across all business units including Fraud detection systems, Credit scoring and risk modeling, Customer segmentation and personalization, Liquidity related modeling etc.
  • Lead GenAI initiatives using LLMs for Document intelligence, AI copilots etc.


Data & Engineering Collaboration
  • Partner with data engineering teams to ensure high-quality, governed datasets
  • Define feature engineering and data product standards in Snowflake / data lake environments
  • Integrate real-time streaming data for low-latency decision systems


Model Governance & Risk Compliance
  • Define and enforce standards, patterns, and guardrails for model deployment, explainability, lineage, and monitoring in alignment with enterprise risk, compliance, and security frameworks.
  • Partner closely with leaders across Responsible AI Governance, AI Portfolio Management, AI Fluency & Engagement, and Applied Data Science & GenAI, in collaboration with enterprise risk partners, to implement a responsible AI framework that embeds audit-ready control evidence and governance mechanisms directly into the platform's core design to ensure the platform supports scalable, ethical, compliant, and high-impact AI delivery.
  • Implement model explainability (SHAP, LIME, interpretability frameworks)
  • Establish responsible AI policies (bias detection, fairness, auditability)


Team Building & Leadership
  • Develop and mentor engineering talent, championing Agile practices, continuous learning, and adoption of emerging AI and data engineering technologies.
  • Mentor senior technical leaders and establish engineering best practices
  • Oversee technical due diligence, onboarding, and management of strategic AI and GenAI vendors and tools, ensuring compatibility with enterprise architecture and control

Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree and 8 years of experience in Information Technology including application development, support roles, and management. OR High School Diploma or GED and 12 years of experience in Information Technology including application development, support roles, and management.
Qualifications
  • Deep hands-on experience building production ML systems on AWS
  • 2+ years in AI/ML, data science, or data engineering leadership roles
  • Strong knowledge of:
    • Machine learning (XGBoost, deep learning, NLP, time series)
    • MLOps practices (CI/CD, model monitoring, drift detection)
    • Distributed systems and cloud architecture
  • Strong programming background in Python + SQL (Scala/Java a plus)
  • Experience working in regulated environments with model governance

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with Generative AI / LLM platforms (Bedrock, OpenAI, Claude APIs)
  • Experience in financial services, banking, fintech, or insurance
  • Familiarity with data platforms like Snowflake, Databricks

Benefits are an integral part of total rewards and First Citizens Bank is committed to providing a competitive, thoughtfully designed and quality benefits program to meet the needs of our associates. More information can be found at
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