Data Engineer

OpenSecrets is looking for a Database Engineer to help modernize and optimize the way we manage, process, and publish political finance data. This role is heavily development-focused, with an emphasis on migrating large datasets from legacy MSSQL and mySQL systems into Snowflake, designing efficient schemas, and building high-performance stored procedures to support both internal analytics and public-facing tools.

You’ll work with hundreds of millions of records from federal and state-level sources, much of it clean but sometimes messy, especially when importing data from diverse state jurisdictions. Your work will directly support our researchers, developers, and data engineers, powering OpenSecrets.org and internal analysis tools.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Migrate large datasets from legacy MySQL and MSSQL systems into Snowflake, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and performance.
• Design and implement database schemas, stored procedures, and views in Snowflake to support both internal analysis and public-facing websites.
• Develop and maintain ETL/ELT workflows using SSIS and Estuary for data ingestion and transformation.
• Optimize database queries and processing logic for speed and scalability across Snowflake, MSSQL, MySQL, and Postgres.
• Collaborate with other data engineers and research staff to translate business and research needs into efficient database solutions.
• Implement and maintain database development standards and best practices.
• Monitor and troubleshoot database performance and integrity issues.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of database engineering experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Expert-level SQL skills, including stored procedure creation and query optimization.
• Strong experience with Snowflake architecture, schema design, and performance tuning.
• Hands-on experience with SSIS and/or Estuary and Dagster for ETL/ELT processes.
• Proficiency working with MSSQL, MySQL, and Postgres in production environments.
• Experience designing data models for large-scale, multi-database environments.
• Familiarity with Git-based workflows (GitHub Actions experience a plus).
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Interest or background in working with political finance data or public datasets (preferred).