Freelance Remote Unity Developer Jobs in Washington, DC

ABOUT US
Do you have a passion for higher education? Do you want to make a positive impact on the college admissions process? Our staff help to remove barriers and encourage students to forge their path to a better future. Common App is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year we support more than 1 million students, one-third of whom are first-generation, as they apply to our more than 1100 diverse member colleges & universities using the Common App's free online application.
If you are an experienced analytics professional and want to be part of a mission-driven non-profit that uses innovative technology to advance the college admission process, Common App may be a great match for you. Common App is currently searching for a Analytics Engineer.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Analytics Engineer is the technical architect responsible for evolving Common App's shared data warehouse, semantic layer, and reusable data assets to enable scalable analytics, data governance, and artificial intelligence readiness across the organization. This role is central to operationalizing governance standards within enterprise systems and building the shared data foundations that power the Applied Analytics and Research team.
Reporting to the Senior Director, Analytics Engineering, the Analytics Engineer partners with Data Engineering and Applied Analytics and Research to deliver insight-ready data, and with Data Governance to ensure that governance rules and standards are technically enforceable within the enterprise data platform. This role focuses on developing Common App's reporting schema, refactoring existing tables and pipelines for performance, cost efficiency, and maintainability; designing and implementing automated data quality frameworks; establishing monitoring and alerting for critical datasets and pipelines; maintaining warehouse data documentation; and architecting data products that structure the platform for scalability, quality, and self-service.
The Analytics Engineer is a recognized subject matter expert in data platform engineering who combines deep data modeling expertise with a platform mindset, delivers outstanding results, and drives innovation in how Common App's shared data infrastructure is designed and governed.
Requirements
QUALIFICATIONS
This role requires:

• Candidates must live in the United States.
• Willing to travel to attend twice annual Common App Retreat.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, Statistics, or a closely related quantitative or technical field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5-8 years of progressive experience in analytics engineering, data engineering, or a closely related data platform role.
• Demonstrated experience working within an enterprise data warehouse environment at scale, including ownership of data models, transformation pipelines, and data quality processes.
• Experience implementing data governance requirements - such as retention, deletion, or PII controls - within a production data platform.
• Strong expertise in SQL and data modeling, including dimensional modeling, star/snowflake schemas, and modern data transformation approaches.
• Demonstrated experience designing, building, and maintaining data pipelines and transformation layers within cloud data warehouse platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, BigQuery, or equivalent).
• Experience with Databricks-specific features, including Unity Catalog, Delta Live Tables, or Databricks workflows.
• Experience designing and maintaining a semantic layer or metrics layer that serves multiple downstream consumers, including BI tools, analysts, and AI systems.
• Demonstrated thought leadership in data platform engineering, with a track record of innovating and contributing to the advancement of analytics engineering practices within or beyond the organization.
• Proven ability to contribute to long-term platform planning and influence organizational data strategies through technical expertise and cross-functional engagement.
• Demonstrated experience implementing automated data quality frameworks, including pipeline-embedded tests, validation logic, and monitoring/alerting for production datasets.
• Understanding of data governance concepts and experience translating governance requirements - including data retention, PII handling, and access controls - into technical implementations within data platforms.
• Proficiency in Python for data engineering and analytics workloads; familiarity with orchestration tools (e.g., Apache Airflow, dbt Cloud, or Databricks AI/BI).
• Experience designing and implementing data products and reusable data assets for self-service analytic consumption.
• Strong documentation practices, with the ability to create and maintain clear, accurate data dictionaries, lineage records, and model descriptions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with analysts, researchers, data scientists, and governance stakeholders of varying technical backgrounds.
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with stakeholders across technical and non-technical functions and drive outcomes without formal authority.
• Proficiency in collaboration and version control tools (GitHub, Git).

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Advanced training and experience in Tableau for semantic layer integration and BI dashboard development.
• Familiarity with data catalog and metadata management tools (e.g., Alation, Atlan, or similar).
• Experience working with Agile frameworks for cross-functional, product-minded collaboration.
• Experience in the higher education, nonprofit, or mission-driven technology sector.
• Relevant data engineering or cloud platform certifications (e.g., Databricks Certified Data Engineer, dbt Certified Developer, or equivalent).

PAY RANGE

• $106,080 - $119,340

Benefits
Common App is a virtual first environment. We value our employees' time and efforts. Our commitment to your success is enhanced by our competitive salary and an extensive benefits package including:

• Work-Life balance
• Virtual-first office
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Seven company-wide holidays
• Nine floating holidays*
• Sick leave
• Monthly mental health day

*floating holidays prorated depending on start date

• Virtual-first support
• Choice of PC of MAC laptop
• May choose an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and/or headset
• One-time office set-up stipend
• Monthly remote work stipend
• Monthly mobile stipend
• Financial security
• Market-based salaries
• Performance-based bonus
• 403(b) retirement plan
• 5% company contribution
• additional 5% company match
• 3-year vesting schedule
• Participation may begin immediately
• Health & wellness
• Choice of two health insurance plans
• Health Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
• Medical Flexible Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Insurance coverage begins on the date of hire
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Maven virtual clinic for women's and family health
• Company provided life and ad&d insurance
• Opportunity to purchase additional life insurance for self, spouse, and dependents
• Company provided short and long-term disability insurance
• Career development
• Budgeted annual funds for professional development
• Growth opportunities within the company
• Additional perks
• Mutual of Omaha Employee Assistance Program
• Mutual of Omaha will preparation services
• Mutual of Omaha travel assistance
• Payroll dedication pet insurance through PinPaws
• 1Password family account

We work to maintain the best possible environment for our staff, where people can learn and grow. We strive to provide a diverse, collaborative, team-oriented, creative environment where each person feels encouraged to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning, and culture.
HOW DO I APPLY
To apply for this opportunity, send your resume and cover letter with salary expectations.
PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION:
During the recruiting process, please note that Common App will never:

• Provide a job offer without an interview
• Ask for payment to process documents, purchase equipment or for any other reason
• Request banking or credit card information
• Direct you to third-party services to obtain visas or other documentation

As we work alongside you through our recruitment process, please remain alert and never provide financial information or payment to anyone claiming to offer a job opportunity.
If you believe you're a victim of a job scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your state attorney general. To learn more about job scams, read the FBI's public service announcement or visit the FTC site.