What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Data Engineer position at EXL?
🚀 Senior Data Engineer – Snowflake Migration Lead
📍 Location: Philadelphia, PA (Onsite)
💼 Experience: 8 Years (4 in US)
📌 Employment Type: Full-Time
About the Role
We're looking for a Senior Data Engineer to lead a large-scale Teradata to Snowflake migration program. This is a high-impact, onshore tech lead role where you'll own the full migration lifecycle — from SQL conversion to production cutover — for 750 scripts.
You'll lead a team of 6–8 engineers, work closely with the client and SI partner, and drive delivery end to end. If you enjoy solving complex data problems, leading teams, and delivering under pressure — this role is for you.
What You'll Do
- Lead the Teradata to Snowflake migration — script conversion, repointing, and optimization
- Own end-to-end delivery: conversion → validation → cutover
- Manage and update Airflow pipelines (DAGs, configurations, deployments)
- Run parallel validation and data reconciliation to ensure accuracy
- Handle production cutover planning, release governance, and rollback strategies
- Mentor and manage a team of 6–8 engineers — code reviews, task tracking, and daily standups
- Serve as the primary technical point of contact for the client and SI partner
- Communicate risks, progress, blockers, and escalations to stakeholders clearly and on time
What You Bring (Must Have)
--Experience
- 8 years in data engineering with 3 years of hands-on Snowflake experience
- Proven track record in Teradata to Snowflake migration programs
- Experience leading teams in fast-paced, deadline-driven delivery environments
--Technical Skills
- Strong expertise in Snowflake — SQL, performance tuning, RBAC, and architecture design
- Deep knowledge of Teradata — BTEQ, SQL conversion, and stored procedures
- Solid skills in PySpark and Python; hands-on experience with Databricks
- Working experience with Apache Airflow — DAGs, configs, connections, and scheduling
- Familiarity with ETL tools such as IICS or SSIS in a migration context
- Experience with data lakes and object storage — S3, ADLS, or MinIO
- Comfortable with Git, version control, and CI/CD pipelines
--Leadership & Communication
- Strong stakeholder communication skills — comfortable with both business and technical audiences
- Ability to manage delivery under tight SLAs and navigate complex project dependencies
- Prior experience in client-facing consulting or managed services environments
Nice to Have
- Telecom domain experience — CDR, subscriber data, revenue datasets
- Snowflake certifications — SnowPro Core or SnowPro Advanced
- Exposure to data observability and validation tools like Great Expectations or Monte Carlo
- Hands-on with Snowpark, Streams & Tasks, or Dynamic Tables
- Experience with Databricks Unity Catalog or MLOps frameworks
- Background in large-scale migration programs within consulting or SI setups
Why Join Us?
- Work on a high-visibility migration program with real impact
- Lead a talented team and shape the technical direction
- Collaborate with top-tier clients and partners