Freelance Lead Data Engineer Jobs in Raleigh, NC

Description
The application window will close September 01, 2026.
Job Location
The primary work location for this role is Raleigh, NC with a hybrid work model.
About Envestnet
Envestnet is an adaptive WealthTech company that is redefining the future of wealth management by helping advisors meet the moment with its comprehensive technology, actionable insights, and industry leading support. Backed byover 25 years of experience and approximately $7.0 trillion in platform assets, Envestnet is trusted by over one third of financial advisors across leading banks, wealth managers, brokerages, and RIAs.
For a deeper look at how Envestnet is shaping the future of financial advice, visit www.envestnet.com.
The Team You'll Join
The Lead Data Engineer will play a critical implementation role on the Data Engineering and Data Services team and be responsible for data pipeline solutions design and development, troubleshooting, and optimization tuning on the next generation data and analytics platform being developed with leading edge big data technologies in a highly secure cloud infrastructure. The Data Engineer will serve as a liaison to platform user groups ensuring successful implementation of capabilities on the new platform. The Lead Data Engineer will also take a lead role on functional teams or projects.
How You'll Contribute
Designs, constructs, installs, tests and maintains highly scalable data management systems that meet business requirements and industry practices. Individuals in this family develop data sets for data modeling, mining and production and integrate new data management technologies and tools into existing structures and processes and answer impactful business questions.
• Applies advanced knowledge of Data Engineering principles, methodologies and techniques to design and implement data loading and aggregation frameworks across broad areas of the corporation.
• Gathers and processes raw, structured, semi-structured and unstructured data using batch and real-time data processing frameworks.
• Implements and optimizes data solutions in enterprise data warehouses and big data repositories, focusing primarily on movement to the cloud.
• Understands and enforces appropriate data master management techniques.
• Leads the implementation of tools and frameworks for automating the identification of data quality issues.
• Understands the challenges that the Technology organization faces in their day-to-day work, and partners with them to design viable data solutions.
• Works with stakeholders to understand and solve real world problems.
• Provides subject matter expertise and guidance for internal and external customers.
• Estimates data engineering tasks to within predictable variances, given specified functional and business requirements.
• Plays a lead role in planning, providing advice and guidance, mentoring less experienced engineers, and monitoring emerging technologies.
• Recommends improvements to processes, technology, and interfaces that improve the effectiveness of the team and reduce technical debt.
• Delivers end-to-end data and analytics solutions, including data ingestion, transformation, analytics, and visualization capabilities in partnership with Data & Analytics stakeholders.
• Designs and deploys scalable, fault-tolerant data pipelines and databases to support enterprise analytics and reporting needs.
• Leverages modern data engineering and AI technologies, including Python, Spark, Kafka, AWS, and Generative AI frameworks (RAG, embeddings, agents, and LLMs) to develop innovative data solutions.
• Develops and communicates solution architectures, findings, and recommendations to both technical and business stakeholders, ensuring alignment and successful adoption.
What You'll Need to Bring

• Candidates should demonstrate the relevant experience, skills, and capabilities needed to successfully perform in the role. Relevant experience may be gained through current responsibilities, prior roles, project work, leadership opportunities, or other comparable experiences.
• Expert experience in the following:
• Languages: SQL (standard and DB-specific), Python, Scala, Bash
• Framework: Apache Iceberg / Lakehouse, Spark, Kafka
• Data Platform: Snowflake or Databricks
• Tools/Products: dbt, Airflow, replication tools, semantic layer tools
• Gen AI: Agents, Skills, Memory, Context Engineering, Prompt Engineering, AI First Development
• Cloud Computing: AWS or similar including EMR, Glue, Athena, Batch, Lambda, DynamoDB, EC2, IAM.
• Data and analytics technologies including SQL/NoSQL/Graph databases, ETL, and BI.
• Knowledge of CI/CD, Terraform
• Solid scripting skills (e.g., bash/shell scripts, Python).
• Proven work experience in the following:
• Data streaming technologies.
• Using LLMs, creating RAG, choosing vector vs graph db for embedding, etc.
• Big Data technologies including, Hadoop, Spark, Hive, Teradata, etc.
• Linux command-line operations.
• Candidate should be able to lead the team, communicate with business, gather and interpret business requirements.
• Experience with agile delivery methodologies using Jira or similar tools.
• Experience working with remote teams.

Nice-to-Haves
• AWS / Claude / Snowflake data certifications, Professional certification is a plus.
• Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or relevant field, Masters Degree is a plus.
Why You'll Enjoy Working at Envestnet
Help shape the future of WealthTech. At Envestnet you'll gain hands-on experience and collaborate with some of the industry's brightest minds to deliver meaningful, innovative solutions that make a real difference.
We value flexibility in how and where work gets done, and we recognize strong performance with meaningful rewards-because your contributions should drive both business success and your own personal growth. If you're looking for a place where your work has impact, your development is supported, and your contributions are truly valued, Envestnet is where you can build your future.
The opportunity is now!
Sponsorship
This position is not open to candidates requiring visa sponsorship
Our Investment in You
At Envestnet, our total rewards philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and grow exceptional talent. We offer competitive, market-aligned compensation complemented with performance-linked incentives and rewards programs that recognize and reward impact.
We provide a comprehensive suite of benefits - subject to Envestnet's plan eligibility rules - that support your overall well-being including, medical insurance, paid time off (PTO), 401k company match, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, disability coverage and mental health & wellness support. Our investment in you means supporting you professionally, financially, and personally at every stage of your journey with us. Please visit our benefits page on our career site to learn more.
Our Commitment to Inclusion & Belonging
Envestnet is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We welcome and value individuals of all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship status, or any other status protected by applicable law. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.
We strive to provide an inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please contact us at careers@envestnet.com. Please include your full name, the title of the role you are applying for, and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.
Recruitment Fraud
At Envestnet, safeguarding the trust and safety of job seekers is a top priority. We are aware that scammers may impersonate Envestnet recruiters or create fake job opportunities to deceive candidates. Review the information on our recruitment fraud awareness page to help you recognize and avoid recruitment fraud.
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