Senior Principal Data Analytics Engineer

About the role

As a Senior Principal Data Analytics Engineer at BAE Systems, you will occupy a Mission Critical role at the intersection of software engineering, data analytics, and business intelligence. You will be responsible for supporting and implementing the technical vision for how we transform raw data into actionable insights, moving beyond simple pipelines to build sophisticated, production-grade analytics layers. You will lead the transition toward a modern, self-hosted analytics infrastructure, ensuring that our data is not only accessible but also high-quality, governed, and ready for high-stakes decision-making. You will ensure that our data architecture adheres to stringent security protocols and regulatory requirements with a secure-by-design approach to data democratization.

Key Responsibilities

• Advanced Data Modeling: Design and maintain complex data models within a Medallion Architecture, specializing in the Silver and Gold layers to provide optimized datasets for end-user consumption.
• Analytics Transformation: Drive the implementation of dbt (data build tool) core on self-hosted environments (e.g., Postgres), emphasizing modularity, version control, and CI/CD best practices.
• Data Governance and Lineage: Establish and enforce strict data lineage and cataloging standards to ensure auditability and traceability of mission-critical KPIs.
• Strategy & Architecture: Collaborate with leadership to develop a comprehensive data strategy that balances technical debt with the rapid delivery of analytic value. Architect and deploy data tooling within secure, air-gapped, or hybrid-cloud environments, ensuring seamless updates and stability without constant external connectivity.
• Performance Optimization: Tune complex SQL queries and optimize data structures to handle large-scale datasets while maintaining cost-efficiency and performance. Optimize the ingestion and transformation of high-velocity telemetry or sensor data, bridging the gap between raw engineering data and executive business intelligence.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with Data Scientists and Business Analysts to understand their requirements and provide the "clean room" data environments they need to succeed.
• Mentorship & Standards: Serve as the technical authority for the analytics engineering team, establishing standards for Python-based automation and SQL documentation.

Required Education, Experience, & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline (Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics) or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years of professional experience in data or analytics engineering, with a proven track record of delivering end-to-end analytics solutions.
• Core Technical Stack:
  • Expert SQL: Proficent in window functions, CTEs, and complex joins.
  • Modern Data Stack: Proficient with dbt or similar transformation tool, including macros, packages, and custom testing.
  • Experience implementing GitOps workflows (GitLab CI/Jenkins) or similar for data pipeline deployment.
  • Experience with orchestration tools such as Airflow, Prefect, or Dagster, etc.
  • Proven experience in implementing Data Quality (DQ) frameworks and automated testing (e.g., dbt-tests, Great Expectations, or similar).
• Environment: Experience managing data within Postgres, Snowflake, MySQL or similar relational databases.

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills

• Experience with Medallion Architecture design patterns or similar.
• Familiarity with the defense industry or government contracting data security requirements.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical architectures to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or Pulumi) to manage self-hosted data infrastructure.
• Strong proficiency in Python for data manipulation and microservice integration.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035
Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Health savings accounts.
• A 401(k) savings plan.
• Disability coverage.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Legal plan.
• Discounts on home, auto, and pet insurance.
• Leave programs including paid time off, paid holidays, and other types of leave.
• Recognition program for monetary or non-monetary recognition awards.
• Other incentives based on position level and/or job specifics.

About BAE Systems Electronic Systems

BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale.