Database Engineer

Job Title: Database Engineer

Location(s): Ft. Meade, MD

Workplace: On-site

Clearance Required: TS/SCI with Polygraph

Position Overview:

We are seeking mid to senior level Database Engineers to design, develop, and optimize mission-critical data systems that support complex national security objectives. This position focuses on the front end of the system lifecycle — from requirements development through system acceptance testing and Initial Operational Capability (IOC).

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience building and optimizing both relational and object-oriented databases, developing database parser and loading software, and driving data architecture decisions that balance performance, scalability, and security in cloud-enabled environments.

This is an opportunity to apply your technical expertise to meaningful work that directly contributes to the protection and advancement of U.S. national interests.

These positions will be part of our Defense and Intelligence Business unit serving the Intelligence Community as our primary customer.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop relational and object-oriented databases, database parser software, and database loading utilities.

• Translate complex business and mission requirements into optimized database schemas and data models.

• Analyze, design, and implement database solutions from concept through deployment.

• Project long-term requirements for database administration, design, and scalability.

• Direct the development of complex systems using queries, tables, Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), and cloud-based data storage and retrieval methodologies.

• Design and document data flow, data structures, and data access patterns that support analytics and operational needs.

• Develop and maintain automated scripts, macros, and ad hoc queries to manipulate data into master files.

• Evaluate, recommend, and implement system improvements, optimizations, and modernization initiatives.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure data integrity, security compliance, and performance tuning.

Position Requirements:

Required Clearance: Active TS/SCI with Poly.

Required Education: a degree Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field (or equivalent professional experience)

Required Skills / Experience:

• Proficiency in designing and managing relational (SQL) and non-relational (NoSQL) databases.

• Demonstrated experience with database query languages (e.g., SQL, PL/SQL, T-SQL) and scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash).

• Experience developing and managing databases using cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

• Hands-on experience with database parser software, ETL tools, and data migration in cloud or hybrid environments.

• Strong understanding of data modeling, normalization, indexing, and partitioning strategies.

• Experience with database security, access control, and encryption techniques.

• Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, or Ansible.

• Proven ability to collaborate across teams, document data systems, and present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience with containerized database deployments (Docker, Kubernetes).

• Knowledge of big data technologies (e.g., Apache Spark, Hadoop, Kafka).

• Familiarity with DevSecOps practices and CI/CD pipelines for data infrastructure.

• Experience with database performance tuning and query optimization in high-volume environments.

• Background in data replication, backup, and disaster recovery planning.

Salary and Benefit Information:

The likely salary range for these positions is $149,000-$220,000. This is