What are the responsibilities and job description for the Data Engineer - Washington, D.C. position at ICR, Inc.?
Job Title: Data Engineer
Location: Washington, DC
Role Overview
As a Data Engineer within the Air Force Intelligence Chief Data Office (AF IC CDO), you will shape the architectural design and strategic implementation of the enterprise data infrastructure essential for the Long-Range Kill Chain (LRKC). We are seeking a senior-level thinker who possesses deep foundational knowledge of modern data fabrics, AI-readiness, and Zero Trust principles.
In this role, your primary value is your ability to translate complex commercial data concepts into mission-ready solutions. You do not need to have worked in every specific DoD system previously; instead, you must demonstrate the expertise to assess our unique environment, select the right technologies (e.g., Apache Iceberg, Trino, Cloud-native storage), and architect a path forward that enables decision superiority for the warfighter.
Required Skills And Qualifications
We are looking for candidates with strong familiarity and conceptual fluency in the following areas. Hands-on implementation experience is a plus, but the ability to architect and guide implementation based on industry best practices is paramount.
Data Fabric & Modern Architecture:
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes company equity, retirement plan, company-paid health care benefits, flexible paid time off policy, and opportunity for a raise and bonus during the year.
ICR, Inc. considers several factors when extending job offers, including but not limited to candidates’ key skills, relevant work and/or military experience, education, training, certifications and work location.
ICR is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.
Location: Washington, DC
Role Overview
As a Data Engineer within the Air Force Intelligence Chief Data Office (AF IC CDO), you will shape the architectural design and strategic implementation of the enterprise data infrastructure essential for the Long-Range Kill Chain (LRKC). We are seeking a senior-level thinker who possesses deep foundational knowledge of modern data fabrics, AI-readiness, and Zero Trust principles.
In this role, your primary value is your ability to translate complex commercial data concepts into mission-ready solutions. You do not need to have worked in every specific DoD system previously; instead, you must demonstrate the expertise to assess our unique environment, select the right technologies (e.g., Apache Iceberg, Trino, Cloud-native storage), and architect a path forward that enables decision superiority for the warfighter.
Required Skills And Qualifications
- Active Top Secret Security Clearance with SSBI and SCI eligibility.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent extensive practical experience).
- Relentless Intellectual Curiosity: You possess an innate drive to obsess over hard problems. You don't just accept constraints; you dig deeper to understand the root cause of data friction and relentlessly pursue novel solutions. You are a continuous learner who stays ahead of the curve on emerging data trends, AI capabilities, and industry shifts.
- Python Proficiency: Strong command of Python for data processing, automation, and orchestration, with the ability to write clean, maintainable code for complex systems.
- Strategic Adaptability: High level of self-initiative with the proven ability to rapidly learn new domain-specific systems (e.g., IC data sources, tactical edge environments) and apply generalizable data engineering principles to solve unique mission problems.
- Security-First Mindset: Deep familiarity with implementing security controls within data architectures, specifically regarding data classification, access control models, and compliance frameworks.
We are looking for candidates with strong familiarity and conceptual fluency in the following areas. Hands-on implementation experience is a plus, but the ability to architect and guide implementation based on industry best practices is paramount.
Data Fabric & Modern Architecture:
- Familiarity with designing distributed, tiered data architectures.
- Conceptual understanding of open table formats (e.g., Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake) and high-performance query engines (e.g., Trino, Presto) suitable for building a unified data fabric.
- Experience evaluating and integrating modern data catalogs and governance tools (e.g., Collibra, Alation) to manage metadata at scale.
- Deep understanding of data requirements for LLMs and Agentic Workflows, including concepts like vectorization, RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), and data grounding/ontology design.
- Familiarity with the AI/ML lifecycle and how to prepare disparate datasets for consumption by advanced models (e.g., DAF AI Factory integration patterns).
- Ability to advise on model selection strategies (Frontier vs. specialized models) based on data availability and mission constraints.
- Strong knowledge of Zero Trust principles applied to the data layer, including Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), object-level tagging, and encryption strategies.
- Familiarity with creating data governance frameworks that balance agility with strict IC compliance standards.
- Experience with major cloud providers (AWS, Azure) and hybrid-cloud patterns, including object storage solutions (e.g., S3, Cloudian).
- Proficiency in CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform) to enable repeatable, secure deployments.
- Familiarity with DoD/IC standards, data sources (e.g., NSA, NGA, NASIC), or Distributed Ground System (DGS) environments. Note: Candidates with strong commercial backgrounds who demonstrate the ability to quickly master classified domain complexities are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Exposure to geospatial data workflows (e.g., ESRI ArcGIS) is a plus.
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes company equity, retirement plan, company-paid health care benefits, flexible paid time off policy, and opportunity for a raise and bonus during the year.
ICR, Inc. considers several factors when extending job offers, including but not limited to candidates’ key skills, relevant work and/or military experience, education, training, certifications and work location.
ICR is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.
Salary : $125,000 - $185,000