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Senior Data Platform Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Mpr Associates, Inc.

Data Platform Engineer

Alexandria, VA · On-site

$122K - $147K/yr

General Join our engineering team as a Data Platform Engineer where you'll build robust data processing applications and analytics solutions. We're looking for someone who thrives at the intersection ...

Mpr Associates, Inc.

Data Platform Engineer

Alexandria, VA · On-site

$122K - $147K/yr

General Join our engineering team as a Data Platform Engineer where you'll build robust data processing applications and analytics solutions. We're looking for someone who thrives at the intersection ...

Mpr Associates, Inc.

Data Platform Engineer

Alexandria, VA · On-site

$122K - $147K/yr

General Join our engineering team as a Data Platform Engineer where you'll build robust data processing applications and analytics solutions. We're looking for someone who thrives at the intersection ...

Elevance Health

Senior Data Engineer

Ashburn, VA · Hybrid

$108K - $147K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Senior Data Engineer Hybrid 1: This role requires associates to be in-office1 ... This role defines the platform architecture, engineering standards, data models, integration ...

Elevance Health

Senior Data Engineer

Richmond, VA · Hybrid

$104K - $142K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Senior Data Engineer Hybrid 1: This role requires associates to be in-office1 ... This role defines the platform architecture, engineering standards, data models, integration ...

540

Senior Data Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$122K - $165K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Arlington, VA 540 is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to support a mission ... Experience leading enterprise-scale data platform and pipeline implementations using Databricks

540

Senior Data Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$122K - $165K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Arlington, VA 540 is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to support a mission ... Experience leading enterprise-scale data platform and pipeline implementations using Databricks

Ad Hoc LLC

Senior Data Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

$107K - $145K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Job Number: 912 This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that ... Experience working with cloud-based data platforms and services within AWS, Microsoft Azure, or ...

Ad Hoc

Senior Data Engineer

Mclean, VA · Remote

$107K - $145K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Job Number: 912 This is a remote position. Ad Hoc is a technology company that ... Experience working with cloud-based data platforms and services within AWS, Microsoft Azure, or ...

Elevance Health

Senior Data Engineer

Ashburn, VA · Hybrid

$108K - $147K/yr

Senior Data Engineer Hybrid 1: This role requires associates to be in-office1 - 2days per week ... This role defines the platform architecture, engineering standards, data models, integration ...

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All JobsData Platform Engineer JobsSenior Data Platform Engineer JobsSenior Data Platform Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Senior Data Platform Engineer information

How does a senior data platform engineer typically collaborate with data scientists and analysts within an organization?

A Senior Data Platform Engineer works closely with data scientists and analysts to understand their data needs and ensure the platform supports efficient data access, processing, and analysis. This often involves designing and implementing data pipelines, optimizing data storage solutions, and ensuring data quality and integrity. Regular communication is essential to align on data requirements, troubleshoot issues, and roll out new platform features that enhance analytical capabilities. Collaboration frequently occurs through agile ceremonies, project meetings, and shared documentation to ensure all stakeholders are aligned and productive.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior data platform engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Data Platform Engineer, you need deep expertise in data architecture, database management, ETL design, and programming languages like Python or Java, typically supported by a bachelor's degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with cloud platforms (such as AWS, Azure, or GCP), big data tools (like Spark or Hadoop), and certifications in relevant technologies are commonly required. Strong problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills set top performers apart in this role. These competencies are essential for building robust, scalable data systems that support business intelligence and data-driven decision-making.

What does a senior data platform engineer do?

A Senior Data Platform Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining large-scale data platforms that support an organization's data analytics and processing needs. They work with various technologies to ensure data is collected, stored, and accessible efficiently and securely. Their role often involves optimizing data pipelines, managing databases, ensuring data quality, and collaborating with data scientists and analysts to deliver reliable data solutions. In addition, they help set best practices and mentor junior engineers on the team.

What is the difference between Senior Data Platform Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectSenior Data Platform EngineerData Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS, Data Science, or related; often certifications in cloud platformsBachelor's in CS, Software Engineering, or related; certifications in data tools are common
Work EnvironmentDesigning, building, and maintaining large-scale data platforms; working with cloud servicesDeveloping data pipelines, ETL processes, and data storage solutions
Industry UsageUsed across tech, finance, healthcare, and retail for managing data infrastructureCommonly employed in similar industries for data processing and integration

The Senior Data Platform Engineer focuses on designing and maintaining scalable data platforms, often with cloud expertise, while Data Engineers primarily develop data pipelines and ETL processes. Both roles require strong technical skills and are vital in data-driven organizations, but the Senior Data Platform Engineer typically has a broader scope and more strategic responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Data Platform Engineer jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Data Platform Engineer jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Senior Data Platform Engineer jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Senior Data Platform Engineer job openings:
Senior Data Platform Engineer jobs near you

Platform Engineer - Big Data

Noblesoft Technologies

Rockville, VA • On-site

$51.75 - $68.25/hr

Contractor

Re-posted 14 days ago

Job description

Role: Senior Platform Engineer - Big Data (AWS | EMR | EKS) 

Location: Rockville, MD, Tysons Corner, VA or Woodbridge, NJ or Jersey City, NJ (3 days onsite per week)

Duration: 6 months (long-term extensions)

 

Notes:

 Senior Platform Engineer – Big Data (AWS | EMR | EKS)

  • Build and modernize a large‑scale AWS big data platform (EMR, S3, Athena, Trino) supporting enterprise analytics
  • Help drive platform evolution toward cloud‑native, containerized workloads on AWS EKS (Kubernetes)
  • Work at the intersection of software engineering, big data, and platform engineering — not ETL‑only
  • Design and operate Spark‑based data workloads, optimizing performance, reliability, and cost
  • Implement CI/CD and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform / CloudFormation) for data platforms
  • Ideal for engineers with a strong backend or platform background who’ve grown into big data

Job Description:

Overview

We are seeking a Senior Platform Engineer with deep Big Data experience to help design, operate, and modernize a large‑scale data platform on AWS. This role goes beyond traditional ETL or pipeline development — it is focused on building and evolving the underlying data platform that supports analytics, reporting, and future AI/ML use cases.

The current environment is built primarily on AWS EMR and S3, with a strong query layer using Athena and Trino. The team is actively modernizing the platform and evaluating AWS EKS (Kubernetes) as part of a shift toward more cloud‑native, containerized data workloads.

This role is ideal for an engineer with a software or platform engineering background who moved into big data, rather than a pure ETL developer.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design, build, and operate scalable big data platforms on AWS, with S3 as the core data lake.
  • Develop and optimize Spark‑based workloads on EMR, including performance tuning and cost optimization.
  • Support and enhance federated query engines such as Athena and Trino for large‑scale analytics.
  • Contribute to the modernization of the data platform, including evaluation and adoption of Kubernetes/EKS for data services and workloads.
  • Build and operate data services and platform components using containerized deployments (Docker + EKS).
  • Implement and maintain Infrastructure as Code using Terraform and/or CloudFormation.
  • Design and support CI/CD pipelines for data and platform workloads.
  • Partner with data engineers, analytics teams, and stakeholders to ensure the platform is reliable, performant, and extensible.
  • Monitor and troubleshoot platform issues across clusters, pipelines, and query engines using CloudWatch and related tooling.
  • Continuously evaluate new technologies and propose improvements to the overall data architecture.

Required Qualifications

  • 8+ years of experience in Big Data, Platform Engineering, or Data Engineering roles.
  • Strong hands‑on experience with AWS, including:
    • EMR
    • S3
    • Athena
    • AWS Glue / Glue Data Catalog
  • Solid experience with Spark (PySpark or Scala) and distributed data processing.
  • Strong SQL skills, particularly with large datasets (Athena, Trino, Presto, etc.).
  • Experience with Docker and containerized applications.
  • Working knowledge of Kubernetes, with exposure to AWS EKS strongly preferred.
  • Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar).
  • Infrastructure as Code experience using Terraform and/or CloudFormation.
  • Strong scripting and programming skills (Python preferred).
  • Ability to think at a platform and architecture level, not just task execution.

Nice to Have

  • Experience running Spark on Kubernetes (EKS).
  • Trino/Presto performance tuning experience.
  • Experience preparing data platforms for AI/ML workloads.
  • Observability tooling experience (CloudWatch, Grafana, Prometheus).
  • Background as a software engineer before moving into big data.