Freelance Python Automation Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers' most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.
Nightwing is supporting a U.S. Government customer to provide support for onsite incident response to civilian Government agencies and critical asset owners who experience cyber-attacks, providing immediate investigation and resolution. Contract personnel perform investigations to characterize the severity of breaches, develop mitigation plans, and assist with the restoration of services. Nightwing is seeking a Data Automation Engineer to support this critical customer mission.
The Data Automation Engineer will develop and implement automation solutions to support technology integration activities, focusing on data pipeline development, automated analysis workflows, and integration automation. This role addresses manual workflow pain points and enables scaling of technology capabilities through intelligent automation.
Responsibilities:
- Develop automated data pipelines for technology integration initiatives
- Create automation workflows for malware sample collection, detonation, and taxonomy
- Implement data integration automation between pilot and production systems
- Support Automated Malware Analysis (AMA) platform development and enhancement
- Develop scripts and tools to automate repetitive technical tasks
- Create data transformation and normalization automation
- Support AI/ML data preparation and feature engineering automation
- Develop monitoring and alerting automation for integrated systems
- Implement API integrations for data sharing and workflow automation
- Document automation solutions and maintain code repositories
- Support scaling automation from pilot to production environments
- Optimize automation performance and efficiency
- Collaborate with analysts to identify automation opportunities
- Ensure automation solutions maintain data quality and integrity
- Support continuous improvement of automated capabilities
Required Skills:
- U.S. Citizenship
- Active TS/SCI clearance
- Ability to obtain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry on Duty (EOD) Suitability
- 5+ years of experience in automation engineering, data engineering, or software development
- Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in data manipulation libraries
- Experience developing data pipelines and ETL processes
- Knowledge of automation frameworks and orchestration tools
- Experience with APIs and integration technologies
- Understanding of database systems and data modeling
- Familiarity with version control (Git) and CI/CD practices
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- Ability to translate business requirements into automated solutions
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent documentation and communication abilities
Desired Skills:
- Experience with malware analysis automation or cybersecurity tools
- Knowledge of AI/ML pipelines and data preparation
- Experience with workflow orchestration tools (Airflow, Prefect)
- Background in cybersecurity or threat intelligence automation
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis)
- Familiarity with big data technologies (Spark, Hadoop)
- Experience supporting federal cybersecurity programs
Required Education:
BS in Computer Science, Data Science, or related degree, or HS Diploma and 7+ years of directly relevant experience
Desired Certifications:
- DoD 8140 IAT Level III
- CSSLP
Syndeo: ESS-3425
Salary & Benefits
The salary associated with this position ($77,000-$163,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate's qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards.
Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.
Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.