Senior Data Engineer

About the role

Nakupuna Companies is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to join our team of talented consultants providing professional services to the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSW(A&S)). This role requires a strong analytical mindset, attention to detail, and the ability to collaborate with cross‑functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and collect data using different tools and statistical techniques such as MS SQL queries from various databases, such as but not limited to MS Excel, MS Access, SharePoint and data management systems to provide accurate and reliable administrative reports, presentations and dashboards, as required.
• Design, build, and maintain data pipelines; transform complex datasets into actionable business intelligence.
• Design and construct the "data plumbing" that connects disjointed administrative processes—transitioning the organization away from manually maintained spreadsheets and disconnected trackers into a unified, automated, and AI‑ready environment.
• Develop and maintain rapid automation solutions utilizing Tableau and Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, Microsoft Forms, and Microsoft Lists.
• Design and organize SharePoint site structures, Document Libraries, Custom Lists, and modern content types to optimize internal knowledge management.
• Build secure, automated bridges using REST APIs and Microsoft Graph API to integrate Microsoft 365, Teams, Planner, Dataverse, and other authorized systems.
• Design and implement automated Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) pipelines to ingest messy, unstructured operational data from spreadsheets and emails and clean it for structured database storage.
• Structure and clean internal documents to support secure, internal Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) systems.
• Ensure AI tools can perform vector and semantic searches over approved data without "hallucinating" or leaking sensitive data.
• Develop Python‑based data processing utilities utilizing libraries such as Pandas to cleanse, parse, and validate critical data structures.

Qualifications

• Excellent problem‑solving abilities and keen attention to detail.
• Highly organized.
• Experience working with Senior Executives in the Government, preferably the DoW.
• Ability to work under pressure and to adapt quickly in a changing environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Software Engineering, etc.).
• 7+ years experience developing enterprise digital, data, workflow, automation, and integration solutions.
• Demonstrated prior experience taking solutions independently through the entire software lifecycle: from requirements gathering and design to coding, testing, deployment, and long‑term sustainment.
• Multi‑year, hands‑on experience deploying Power Platform and Power BI solutions in production environments.
• Experience working with Power BI and/or Tableau, SharePoint, Excel, SQL, Salesforce and programming languages (e.g., Python).
• Proficient in Power Apps (Canvas/Model‑driven), Power Automate (Cloud Flows), Dataverse, and SharePoint Online administration.
• Familiarity with Azure services, Azure DevOps, and CDAO/Advana/War Data Platform environments is preferred.
• Strong quantitative ability and a keen eye for detail and accuracy.
• Demonstrated experience with DoW is preferred.
• Clearance: This position requires an active SECRET security clearance. Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Location: Work is performed on Government site at the Pentagon, within Nakupuna offices in Arlington, Virginia, and via telework. Employment is not full‑time telework but conducted in a hybrid schedule consisting of both on‑site support and telework. Employees will work in close proximity with Government personnel. Core work hours are 0800 to 0430 Monday through Friday except holidays.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and fingers. Ability to engage in and follow audible communications in emergency situations. Ability to sit for prolonged periods at a desk and working on a computer.

Pay

The projected compensation range for this position is $120,000 to $150,000 (annualized USD). The Nakupuna Companies use a market‑based compensation strategy to ensure that employees are compensated within applicable market ranges commensurate with multiple factors, including education, knowledge, skills, competencies, experience, contract‑specific affordability, organizational requirements, and position location.

Schedule

Employment is hybrid, consisting of on‑site support at the Pentagon (Arlington, Virginia) and telework. Core work hours are 08:00 to 16:30 Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Employees work in close proximity with Government personnel.