Data Engineer

SAIC is seeking a TS/SCI cleared Data Engineer to support NAVWAR’s Naval Operational Architecture (NOA) program in San Diego, CA. The Data Engineer will support a transformational, Navy-led network‑centric initiative that converges existing systems, automating the correlation of multiple ISR data streams and dramatically reducing the “sensor‑to‑shooter” timeline. This is a recently awarded contract funded for five years. Work is performed on site in San Diego, CA.

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• Build and optimize robust data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, storage, and governance.
• Convert between tactical data formats such as XML, JSON, GeoJSON, Cursor‑on‑Target (CoT), JREAP‑C, and Link‑16.
• Implement automation using CHRON/CRON jobs and data orchestration frameworks like Apache Airflow, Kafka, and AWS Step Functions.
• Architect and maintain scalable data stores such as Apache Iceberg and Elasticsearch with schema evolution and deduplication.
• Enable real‑time data indexing and fast query performance.
• Implement MIL‑STD‑6016 (Link‑16) and MIL‑STD‑3011 (JREAP) message handling.
• Support integration or development of Cross‑Domain Solutions (CDS) for secure, policy‑based data transfers.
• Present complex data flows and technical insights effectively to leadership and stakeholders using clear data models and visual aids.

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Active TS/SCI security clearance required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related STEM field.

• 5‑10 years of experience as a business analyst, data analyst, data scientist, data engineer, database administrator, geospatial analyst, geospatial engineer, machine learning engineer, or software engineer.
• Hands‑on keyboard‑developer skillsets.
• Fluency in Python, capable of coding without modern libraries.
• Experience in format conversions with XML, JREAP‑C, CoT, JSON, GeoJSON, UMF/UHR, text Link‑16, Tapil‑J, and other tactical data links.
• Experience in natural language parsing (NLP) and regular expressions.
• Experience implementing CHRON/CRON jobs.
• Experience with data pipeline orchestration tools such as Kafka, Apache Airflow, and AWS Step Functions.
• Focused experience implementing and monitoring data stores (Apache Iceberg, Elasticsearch, data lake management).
• Experience with schema evolution, dataflow, and governance.
• Experience with real‑time search and analytics engines for indexing and querying semi‑structured data.
• Experience optimizing data store queries for speed and deduplication.
• Direct experience implementing MIL‑STD‑6016 and MIL‑STD‑3011.
• Ability to translate data between source and destination schemas.
• Data modeling and PowerPoint presentation skills for leadership and stakeholder presentations.
• Experience developing or working with Cross Domain Solutions (CDS) systems.

• Familiarity with DoD data architecture principles such as DoDAF and CADM.
• Experience with Data Ops or similar mission‑critical pipeline automation (e.g., deduplication, schema normalization).
• Experience leveraging universal data distribution architectures within DOD operations.

Target salary range $120,001 - $160,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.