Data Engineer
US$185,000 – US$240,000 / yr base salary
Posted 18 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Data Engineer - SME”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 15+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$185,000 – US$240,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyComputer Science, Engineering, Information Systems (or related)
Study levelBachelor's
CertificationsAWS Certified Solutions Architect, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Kubernetes Certified Administrator (CKA)
Study levelMaster's
Dark Wolf constructs and deploys data management and analytics solutions for the defense and intelligence communities. We’re proud to boast a world-class engineering team that thrives on rolling up their sleeves to solve your mission’s biggest challenges.
Dark Wolf is seeking a Data Engineer - Subject Matter Expert (SME) to architect, lead, and execute enterprise-wide data platform initiatives. As the principal technical authority, you will set the enterprise data architecture strategy, design high-assurance data topologies for classified enclaves, govern data mesh architectures, and advise government stakeholders on mission-critical data strategies.
Key Responsibilities
- Architect and lead the end-to-end implementation of enterprise-scale, high-assurance data platforms and data mesh topologies.
- Serve as the principal technical authority on distributed data systems, lakehouse architectures, and real-time analytical capabilities.
- Mandate enterprise-wide data security standards, data-at-rest/in-transit encryption protocols, and zero-trust data governance.
- Set the strategic roadmap for multi-cloud, hybrid, and air-gapped data deployment methodologies.
- Interface directly with agency leadership and customer executive stakeholders to align data capabilities with mission objectives.
Qualifications:
- Clearance: Must be a US Citizen holding an active TS/SCI security clearance with an active Full-Scope Polygraph.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field (Master’s degree preferred).
- Experience: 15+ years of data engineering experience.
SME Technical Competencies:
- Data Processing Frameworks: Enterprise architecture, framework evaluation, and platform strategy across processing systems.
- Database Systems: Architecting petabyte-scale lakehouse infrastructure, distributed storage optimization, and cross-region replication.
- Data Modeling: Strategic enterprise data domain modeling, enterprise ontology design, and schema evolution governance.
- Programming & Scripting: Multi-language mastery (Python, Scala, C++, Go) for low-level platform extension and memory-level engine optimization.
- Containerization: Enterprise multi-cluster Kubernetes strategy, zero-trust container architecture, and data infrastructure scheduling.