Data Engineer Contract Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Our Work:

ParentsTogether is a cutting-edge nonprofit impact media organization that reaches 1 in 3 parents in the US with useful, relatable content that families love. We meet overwhelmed parents where they are with news, resources, and entertainment that help them navigate the highs and lows of raising kids today, while at the same time building a community united around a core idea: Parents are powerful and together we can help all families thrive.

Founded in 2012, today ParentsTogether has over 3 million members and reaches tens of millions more parents through social media, online issue organizing, and civic engagement.

Data plays a central role in how we make decisions. We rely on accurate, accessible, and well structured data to guide product development, operational improvements, and strategic planning. As we continue to grow, we are investing in strengthening our data infrastructure to ensure reliability, scalability, and long term sustainability.

Opportunity Overview:

We are seeking an Intermediate Data Engineer Contractor to design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and infrastructure. This contractor will work closely with our Lead Data Engineer and product team members to improve data systems across the organization.

This is a hands-on role focused on pipeline development, warehouse optimization, data modeling, and supporting analytics and business intelligence initiatives.

Scope of Work:

The contractor will:

• Collaborate with our Lead Data Engineer and Product team members to identify and prioritize data improvements across the organization.
• Assist in the design and implementation of pipelines to ingest, transform, and load data from multiple sources.
• Optimize data warehouses and data lakes for performance and scalability.
• Develop, update, and maintain data models to support reporting and analytics needs.
• Monitor data pipeline health, troubleshoot issues, and ensure data quality and accuracy.
• Respond professionally and accurately to urgent internal data requests within mutually agreed timelines.
• Document data processes, system architectures, and best practices.
• Support dashboard refinement and analytics initiatives, including work in PowerBI.

Required Qualifications:

• Comfort with command line for building and debugging projects
• Experience with data version control
• Dashboard creation and refinement experience (PowerBI)
• Strong proficiency in Python, SQL
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and their data services
• Hands-on experience with data pipeline tools (dbt)
• Solid understanding of data warehousing concepts and ability to update and refresh data models.

Preferred Skills:

• 3-5 years of experience in data engineering, analysis, or a related field.

• Experience with social media APIs and web scraping methodologies.
• Familiarity with data governance and security best practices
• Interest in or proficiency with emerging AI tools and predictive analytics.
• Experience working with both relational and NoSQL databases

Structure, Compensation, and Collaboration:

This is an hourly independent contractor role and does not constitute employment.

Anticipated scope: Approximately 20 hours per week.
Anticipated start date: Monday, July 27, 2026.

Initial contract length: 6 months

The anticipated hourly rate range for this role is $100 to $120 per hour, depending on experience and scope alignment.

The contractor will maintain autonomy over their work schedule and workflow. To support effective collaboration, ParentsTogether generally operates in Eastern Time and prefers to schedule meetings and real time coordination between 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM ET when feasible. Specific collaboration windows will be mutually agreed upon while preserving contractor discretion over how and when project work is completed.

Final rate and contract terms will be determined based on qualifications, demonstrated technical capability, and mutual agreement.

Evaluation Process:

Applications will be reviewed based on relevant experience, technical qualifications, and alignment with the needs of the role.

Shortlisted candidates will participate in a one hour live technical exercise conducted via CoderPad. The exercise will focus on applied data engineering skills relevant to the role, including SQL, Python, and data pipeline reasoning. Candidates will be encouraged to ask clarifying questions and explain their thinking during the session.

The assessment is intended to evaluate problem solving approach, code clarity, and practical implementation skills in a collaborative setting.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply through our careers page only at:

https://www.careers-page.com/parents-together-foundation

Please upload:

1. A resume
2. Brief summary of relevant experience as it relates to this role.
3. Brief note on weekly availability.
4. Two professional references.

To ensure a fair and consistent review process, all applications must be submitted through the online portal. We are unable to respond to direct outreach, phone calls, or email inquiries regarding this opportunity.

Applications submitted outside of the online portal may not be reviewed.

Application deadline: Monday, July 6 2026