Senior Data Architect / Data Engineer

Location: Schenectady, New York, United States, Remote

Department: Engineering

Jahnel Group’s mission is to provide the absolute best environment for software creators to pursue their passion by connecting them with great clients doing meaningful work.

We get to build some of the most complex and compelling applications for our clients located across the country. We’re a fast-growing INC 5000 recognized company, yet we still work as a very close-knit team (100+ employees). We’re growing like crazy, and if you’re looking for the next place to call home, hit us up for a beer or coffee.

Who We’re Looking For

We're looking for a Senior Data Architect / Data Engineer to help lead a complex data transformation and migration initiative. This is a highly senior, architecture-heavy role focused on making sense of data across approximately 11 legacy systems and helping shape a unified or semi-unified data model.

The ideal candidate has strong data modeling judgment, can quickly understand messy and inconsistent source data, and knows when a canonical model makes sense versus when it will create unnecessary complexity. You’ll also be expected to stay hands-on, writing and shipping scripts for migration and transformation while providing technical guidance to less experienced data team members.

Instead of the typical job description, here's a breakdown of the tasks and qualities we're looking for in our next team member:

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and guide data architecture for a complex transformation and migration initiative spanning approximately 11 legacy systems.
• Analyze highly varied source data, potentially including roughly 400 form variants and source structures.
• Develop unified or semi-unified data models that balance consistency, flexibility, and long-term maintainability.
• Make thoughtful architectural decisions around canonical data models, mappings, transformations, and source-specific variations.
• Write and ship scripts quickly to support data migration, transformation, validation, and cleanup.
• Identify data quality issues, inconsistencies, and structural gaps across legacy systems and develop practical solutions.
• Collaborate with technical and business stakeholders to understand existing data structures and future-state requirements.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and mid-level data team members.
• Help establish patterns and best practices that reduce rework and support future data initiatives.

Skills and Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering, data architecture, or a closely related field.
• Strong experience designing data architecture and data models for complex enterprise environments.
• Proven experience working with legacy systems and large-scale data transformation or migration efforts.
• Strong understanding of relational data modeling, data structures, schemas, mappings, and normalization.
• Demonstrated ability to determine when a canonical data model is appropriate and when a more flexible approach is needed.
• Strong SQL skills and the ability to quickly write scripts for data transformation and migration.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and cloud-based data environments.
• Comfortable working hands-on while also making high-level architectural decisions.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to bring structure to ambiguous or messy data environments.
• Experience mentoring or advising other data engineers and helping less experienced team members grow.
• Experience with Git-based development workflows; GitLab experience is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field is preferred.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future sponsorship.

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

• Thinks like an architect but isn't afraid to write the code.
• Enjoys solving messy, ambiguous data problems.
• Has strong judgment around data modeling and long-term maintainability.
• Can quickly understand unfamiliar legacy systems and identify patterns across inconsistent data.
• Balances architectural strategy with the ability to execute and deliver.
• Communicates clearly and enjoys mentoring other technical team members.
• Thinks ahead about scalability, maintainability, and avoiding unnecessary rework.

Where We’re Looking For It

Schenectady, New York
100% Remote for the right candidate

Other Information

The work hours will be approximately 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST depending on workload, with occasional flexibility required to support business-critical initiatives.

We work with security-conscious clients, therefore background checks may be required. Compensation is dependent upon experience, qualifications, and location.