Junior Data Engineer

Job Title: Junior Data Engineer

Location: Houston, Texas

Type: Full-time, Office-Based

Hardman Signs is a national leader in architectural signage and graphics. We design, manufacture, install, and service high-impact signage solutions for commercial properties, multi-family housing, healthcare facilities, parking garages, and more.

We are building a data-driven operations function to support pre-construction accuracy, production efficiency, real-time project monitoring, and seamless hand-offs across design, estimating, account management, and installation teams.

Job Summary

The Junior Data Engineer will design, build, and maintain data pipelines and automation solutions that turn raw operational data into accurate, real-time insights. This role supports teams by improving data quality, automating repetitive tasks, creating dashboards for decision-making, and driving continuous process improvements. The focus is on delivering measurable gains in accuracy, speed, and efficiency while upholding our Core Values: Safety, Agility, Common Sense, Client Focused, Accountability, Teamwork, Transparency, and Passion.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Data Pipeline Development & Automation: Build and maintain ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest, clean, and integrate data from Bluebeam, Sage/Procore, CorelDRAW, MS Office, PDF Xchange, project management tools, and production systems.
• Process Optimization: Analyze current workflows in pre-construction take-offs, shop drawing creation, milestone tracking, permitting, and installation. Identify bottlenecks and implement automation (scripts, workflows, APIs) to reduce manual effort and errors.
• Dashboard & Reporting: Develop and maintain real-time dashboards (Power BI, Tableau, or similar) for bid accuracy, production status, project health, resource utilization, and KPI tracking.
• Data Quality & Validation: Implement validation rules, quality checks, and monitoring to ensure data integrity in estimates, drawings, and client deliverables.
• ML/AI Support: Assist in building simple predictive models (e.g., bid win probability, material waste forecasting, schedule risk detection) to support data-driven decisions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Pre-Construction, Design, Account Management, Production, and Installation teams to gather requirements, deliver solutions, and provide training on new tools/dashboards.
• Documentation & Hand-Offs: Create clear technical documentation, training materials, and smooth hand-off processes for new automations and reports.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor pipeline performance, troubleshoot issues, and proactively suggest enhancements aligned with business needs and our Agility/Common Sense values.
• Compliance & Safety: Ensure all data solutions support regulatory compliance (ADA, permitting) and safety protocols in manufacturing and field operations.

Education and Experience

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Industrial Engineering, or related field OR High School Diploma/GED with 2–4 years of relevant experience in data engineering, automation, or process optimization.
• Strong proficiency in SQL, Python (or similar scripting), and Excel/Google Sheets.
• Experience building ETL pipelines, dashboards, and basic automation (e.g., Power Automate, Zapier, or custom scripts).
• Demonstrated ability to work with operational or manufacturing data.

Preferred / Significant Plus:

• Exposure to construction/signage/architectural industry data (Bluebeam, Procore, Sage, CAD files, etc.).
• Familiarity with data modeling, APIs, cloud tools (Azure/AWS/GCP), version control (Git), and ML fundamentals.
• Experience with dashboard tools (Power BI, Tableau) and process mapping.
• Knowledge of manufacturing/operations metrics (take-off accuracy, production throughput, waste reduction).

Technical Skills

• ETL/ELT tools and data integration.
• SQL Python/R for data transformation.
• Dashboard and visualization platforms.
• Data quality and monitoring tools.
• Basic cloud or on-prem database experience.
• Ability to read/interpret basic blueprints or technical drawings is a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting/standing at a desk working on computers.
• Occasional local site visits to manufacturing floor or job sites (uneven surfaces, PPE required).
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance supplemental plans.
• PTO and team-building events.
• Opportunity to make an immediate impact in a growing, creative, data-driven environment.