Data Engineer

Location: Arlington, VA (Hybrid, Candidates Must Be in the Washington DC area)

Clearance Required: Must have a ACTIVE SECRET CLEARANCE: ACTIVE TOP-SECRET PERFERRED

Data Driven. People Centered.

Elder Research Inc. is a Data Science consulting firm specialized in providing analytic solutions to clients in Commercial and Government industries. Providing analytic solutions to hundreds of companies across numerous industries, our team enjoys a great variety in the type of work they do and exposure to a wide range of techniques and tools

We are trusted advisors to our clients, building lasting relationships and partnering as preferred analytics providers. We use a variety of programming languages and tools to create analytic solutions, often fitting within our clients’ environment and needs.

Join our team and find great opportunities to hone your analytic skills, work on complex problems with amazing teammates, and gain valuable analytics consulting experience.

Summary of Position:

As a Data Engineer with expertise in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), you will collaborate with clients, managers, and technical teams to understand business needs, design technical strategies, and deliver data-driven solutions that address complex challenges. Your primary responsibility will be to design and implement robust, repeatable, and automated data pipelines that ingest and transform raw data, supporting advanced analytics, machine learning models, and compliance efforts.

These data pipelines will be optimized for integration into large-scale applications or data visualization platforms, enabling actionable insights. Additionally, you will leverage your AML expertise to align technical solutions with regulatory requirements, ensuring data integrity, security, and compliance throughout the development lifecycle.

Essential Functions:

• Extensive experience in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), including developing and deploying data-driven solutions to support compliance and risk mitigation efforts.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to work with diverse data sets, including quantitative and text data.
• Skilled in writing reusable code in Python, SQL, Java, or other languages, and refining it through code review and collaboration.
• Expertise in building and deploying robust data pipelines and end-to-end systems, including in air-gapped environments, with a focus on scalability and long-term stability.
• Participate in all stages of the engineering lifecycle, from ideation and requirements gathering to implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance, while providing leadership as needed.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and client engagement teams to create and deploy data applications or visualization tools that drive meaningful business decisions.
• Effectively communicate technical results through presentations, reports, and discussions tailored to clients with varying levels of analytic expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in dynamic, cross-functional environments while fostering collaboration and team cohesion.
• Exceptional communication and consulting skills to ensure alignment and effective problem-solving across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Must be able to work in a Secret or Top Secret Clearance Capacity

Job Specifications/Requirements:

• Must have an ACTIVE SECRET CLEARANCE: ACTIVE TOP-SECRET PERFERRED
• Must have 2-4 Years Data Engineering Experience
• Possess undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields such as engineering, computer science, analytics, math, finance, accounting, MIS, social sciences, physics, or decision science.
• Design, build, and deploy data engineering pipelines to transform raw data into analytics-ready formats, supporting downstream machine learning (ML) models using languages like Python, R, and SQL.
• Develop and enhance end-to-end ML pipelines, integrating back-end and front-end components in both on-premises and cloud environments.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, client engagement managers, and product managers to gather business requirements and deliver tailored solutions.
• Optimize existing ML pipelines and operations, focusing on best practices and improved efficiency.
• Work effectively in fast-paced, collaborative, and agile development environments.
• Engage with clients, stakeholders, and subject matter experts to understand, document, and refine requirements.
• Display adaptability and a willingness to learn new skills and tackle unfamiliar challenges.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, to team members and clients.
• Demonstrate humility, a growth mindset, and a collaborative attitude, contributing to team learning and innovation.
• Open to travel and on-site work with local and non-local clients, adjusting to project needs.

Desired Skills:

• Advanced degree (MS) in a relevant field (analytics, math, statistics, computer science, management information systems, social sciences, engineering, physics, decision science, or business, etc.,)
• Experience using version control (e.g. git, svn, Mercurial) and collaborative programming techniques (e.g. pair programming, code reviews)
• Experience with containerization and environment management (venv, conda, etc.,)
• Experience with one or more technologies, such as R Shiny, Databricks, AWS, Azure
• Familiarity with vector, object, and document storage databases
• Experience implementing data engineering processes in a remote, austere environment to include using bash,
• Experience with business intelligence and data visualization platforms (Power BI, Tableau, etc.,).
• Understanding of the data analytics lifecycle (e.g. CRISP-DM).

About Elder Research, Inc

Elder Research is a fast growing consulting firm specializing in predictive analytics. Being in the data mining business almost 30 years, we pride ourselves in our ability to find creative, cutting edge solutions to real-world problems. We work hard to provide the best value to our clients and allow each person to contribute their ideas and put their skills to use immediately.

Our team members are passionate, curious, life-long learners. We value humility, servant-leadership, teamwork, and integrity. We seek to serve our clients and our teammates to the best of our abilities. In keeping with our entrepreneurial spirit, we want candidates who are self-motivated with an innate curiosity and strong team work.

Elder Research believes in continuous learning and community - each week the entire company attends a “Tech Talk” and each office location provides lunch. Elder Research provides a supportive work environment with established parental, bereavement, and PTO policies. By prioritizing a healthy work-life balance - with reasonable hours, solid pay, low travel, and extremely flexible time off - Elder Research enables and encourages its employees to serve others and enjoy their lives.

Elder Research, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Elder Research is a government contractor, and many of our positions require U.S. citizenship. This position specifically requires an active Secret Clearance.