Full-Time

Data Engineer

Blue Sky Innovators

Blue Sky Innovators

51-200 employees

Provides DoD/IC AI, cybersecurity, systems integration

Compensation Overview

$180k - $220k/yr

No H1B Sponsorship

Reston, VA, USA

In Person

US Top Secret Clearance Required

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD, JD

Category
Data & Analytics (1)
Required Skills
ETL
REST APIs

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Requirements
  • 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
Responsibilities
  • Mission-Relevant Data Artifact Identification: Analyze 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 data architecture.
  • Ensure data artifacts align with architectural standards for interoperability, traceability, and reuse across mission components.
  • Coordinate with External Stakeholders: Serve as the primary technical liaison for defining data exchange interfaces between 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 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 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 systems.
  • Technical documentation describing 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 data interfaces.
  • Continuous improvement and sustainment of the data pipeline ecosystem to support evolving mission needs
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

Blue Sky Innovators provides advanced technology and operational support to DoD and Intelligence Community clients, offering AI/ML data analysis, cybersecurity, and systems integration, along with internal R&D to turn new technologies into usable capabilities. It delivers professional services, SETA and acquisition support, and program control to solve complex defense challenges and advance operational capabilities. The company differentiates itself with a defense-led leadership team, a workforce rich in military veterans and TS/SCI clearance, and significant in-house R&D that supports DARPA, the Navy, and other defense programs. Its goal is to deliver practical, field-ready technologies and specialized support that help DoD and IC programs succeed by turning research into deployed solutions.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Reston, Virginia

Founded

N/A

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Virginia announced $7 million expansion and $840,000 grant on March 30, 2026.
  • MDA SHIELD IDIQ can open prototyping, testing, and experimentation pipelines through 2035.
  • Blue Sky is interviewing federal employees affected by layoffs, widening near-term hiring supply.

What critics are saying

  • PrimeRFP shows $685K total DoD obligations, leaving revenue concentrated and small.
  • Most work is sole-source; any incumbent loss could hit 2026 recompetes fast.
  • SkyLab's 175-job expansion needs sustained contract growth; underutilization would strain margins.

What makes Blue Sky Innovators unique

  • 95% TS/SCI-cleared staff and 50% veterans give Blue Sky rare defense depth.
  • March 2026 SkyLab adds 20,000 square feet for secure government collaboration in Reston.
  • December 2025 MDA SHIELD award shows trusted access to missile-defense R&D work.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Remote Work Options

Paid Vacation

Flexible Work Hours

Wellness Program

Mental Health Support

Telephone/Internet stipend

Phone/Internet Stipend

Home Office Stipend

Conference Attendance Budget

Professional Development Budget

Stock Options

Company Equity

Hybrid Work Options

Family Planning Benefits

Fertility Treatment Support