Lead Data Engineer / Mission Data Pipeline

Description

Position Title: Lead Data Engineer / Mission Data Pipeline

Location: Reston, VA

Category: Proposal

Schedule (FT/PT): FT

Travel Required: Minimal

Shift: Day

Remote Type: On-site

Clearance required: Active TS/SCI Eligible

Division: Aviation

**THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT UPON CONTRACT AWARD""

Who is ACT1 Federal? ACT1 Federal LLC is a 100% employee-owned company. We've served the Department of Defense (DoD) for nearly thirty years. Our core missions include weapon systems engineering, logistics, space domain expertise, global defense and security, business and financial management for security assistance and major defense articles, as well as military training and arctic security. Join us!

Description: ACT1 Federal is seeking a Lead Data Engineer / Mission Data Pipeline to serve as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) supporting the Department of the Air Force Integrated Fires Command and Control (DIFC2) Program. You will work directly with government, technical, and industry stakeholders design, implement, and sustain DIFC2 data pipelines that ingest, transform, store, and distribute mission-relevant data across the DIFC2 software ecosystem and external mission partner systems.

This position is based in Reston, VA, and focuses on supporting the Horizon program within the DIFC2 Program Management Office. As part of this role, you will collaborate closely with Space Systems Command (SSC) in support of the Department of the Air Force Integrated Fires Command and Control (DIFC2) Program Office to help mature and sustain software solutions aligned to mission needs. You will support the development and delivery of software capabilities that improve data accessibility, mission integration, operational visibility, and cross-system interoperability across a highly dynamic mission environment.

The focuses on enabling reliable, automated, and secure data flows that support DIFC2 mission capabilities on operational timelines. This position requires collaboration with mission system stakeholders, platform engineers, and security teams to define data exchange artifacts, develop pipeline implementations, and ensure interfaces comply with Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements. The engineer will leverage both low-code/no-code ETL technologies and custom software development to implement scalable data pipelines that support the DIFC2 data architecture.

Responsibilities:

• Mission-Relevant Data Artifact Identification:

• Analyze DIFC2 mission workflows and system architecture to identify the data artifacts required to support operational capabilities.
• Define the structure, semantics, and lifecycle of mission data products within the DIFC2 data architecture.
• Ensure data artifacts align with architectural standards for interoperability, traceability, and reuse across DIFC2 mission components.

• Coordinate with External Stakeholders:

• Serve as the primary technical liaison for defining data exchange interfaces between DIFC2 and external mission systems.
• Collaborate with mission partners to define message schemas, data formats, transport mechanisms, and interface expectations.
• Document data interface specifications to support both system integration and operational sustainment.

• RMF & Security Documentation Support:

• Support the DIFC2 RMF process by defining technical details for machine-to-machine data interfaces.
• Produce or contribute to required RMF artifacts including:
• Data message descriptions
• Ports, Protocols, and Services Management (PPSM) entries
• System topology diagrams and interface documentation
• Coordinate with cybersecurity engineers to ensure pipeline implementations meet DoW security and compliance requirements.

• Data Pipeline Development & Sustainment:

• Design and implement automated data pipelines that ingest, transform, persist, and expose data artifacts for use by internal and external DIFC2 stakeholders.
• Utilize government-provided data platform infrastructure to build scalable ETL workflows.
• Develop custom transformation logic when required using appropriate programming languages and data processing frameworks.

• Expose processed data products through standardized service interfaces such as REST APIs or platform-native services.

• Data Pipeline Development & Sustainment:

• Implement data validation, normalization, and transformation logic to ensure accuracy and usability of integrated datasets.
• Troubleshoot data pipeline failures and implement monitoring, logging, and recovery mechanisms.
• Optimize pipeline performance to support mission timelines and large-scale data processing requirements.

• Deliverables & Key Projects

• Design and implementation of production data pipelines enabling automated ingestion and dissemination of mission data across DIFC2 systems.
• Technical documentation describing DIFC2 data artifacts, including purpose and operational relevance, source systems and ingestion methods, transformation logic, and destination systems and access interfaces
• Interface documentation supporting integration with external mission partners.
• RMF technical artifacts supporting security authorization of DIFC2 data interfaces.
• Continuous improvement and sustainment of the DIFC2 data pipeline ecosystem to support evolving mission needs.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications

• 9 years of experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Management Information Systems/Information Systems, or a related discipline; or a Master's degree and 7 years of experience; or a PhD/JD and 4 years of experience.

• 7+ years of experience supporting software engineering, systems integration, platform implementation, or application development efforts within DoD, IC, SAP/SCI, or other complex mission environments.
• Experience designing or implementing data pipelines, ETL workflows, or data integration architectures.
• Experience working with structured and semi-structured data formats (JSON, CSV, XML, etc.).
• Requires an active Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain Sensitive Compartmented Information and Special Program access, as well as a willingness to consent to a polygraph examination.

Desired Qualifications

• Proficiency with low-code/no-code data orchestration technologies such as Apache NiFi, Apache Airflow, or similar ETL orchestration tools.
• Experience implementing data transformation logic using Python and data processing libraries such as Pandas and NumPy.
• Certification or demonstrated experience as a Palantir Foundry Data Engineer, including use of Code Repositories, Pipeline Builder, AIP Logic, and other platform-relevant technologies
• Experience designing pipelines that process and fuse large-scale datasets from multiple sources.
• Familiarity with DoW data architectures, mission system integration, or data interoperability frameworks.
• Ability to communicate effectively with engineers, architects, operators, and senior Government leadership while translating technical concepts into mission-relevant value.
• Proven ability to work in highly regulated, fast-moving environments where technical excellence, mission responsiveness, and stakeholder coordination are all critical to success.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

• ACT1 Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

• Company Paid Life and AD&D Insurance

• Company Paid Short-Term Disability

• Voluntary Long-Term Disability

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Health Savings Account (HSA)

• 401K with employer match

• Paid Time Off

• Paid Holidays

• Parental Leave

• Military Leave

• Education, Training & Professional Development

• Voluntary Accidental Injury/Critical Illness/Hospital Care

• Voluntary Pet Insurance, Legal Resources, and Identity Protection
  

https://act1federal.com/careers/

Our people-first culture prioritizes the benefits of flexibility and collaboration, whether that happens in person or remotely.

• If this position is listed as remote or hybrid, you'll periodically work from a ACT1 Federal or client site facility.

• If this position is listed as onsite, you'll work with colleagues and clients in person, as needed for the specific role.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.