Senior Data Engineer

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our Careers page. 

The Senior Data Engineer, also referred to across the team as the Data Solutions Lead (DSL), is responsible for designing high-impact data and analytics solutions that help higher education institutions unlock the full value of their data within the Edify platform.

This role sits at the intersection of data architecture, partner strategy, and product innovation. The DSL partners closely with Strategic Leaders, Data Engineers, and Product teams to translate complex institutional challenges into scalable, well-architected data solutions that drive measurable outcomes.

Unlike traditional data engineering roles, the DSL’s primary day-to-day work does not focus on building pipelines or writing production code. Instead, they lead discovery, shape solution design, guide implementation, and ensure that delivered solutions are aligned to partner goals, technically sound, and positioned for long-term success.

We are seeking a leader who can connect data systems to real-world impact, bringing both technical depth and consultative strength to help institutions modernize their data ecosystems and explore emerging capabilities such as advanced analytics and AI-driven solutions.

This position is ideally based out of EAB's Washington, D.C. or Richmond, VA office, and is open to remote work within the continental U.S. Occasional travel (up to ~12 days annually) may be required for partner engagements and team collaboration.

This position is also posted at the Principal Data Engineer level; candidates are being considered at both levels for the current opening.

• →Lead discovery engagements with institutional stakeholders to translate business questions into clear data and analytic requirements
• →Design end-to-end data solutions, including data models, integrations, transformation logic, and reporting structures that align with Edify platform best practices and long-term partner data strategy
• →Serve as a trusted technical advisor to partners, guiding them through complex data challenges and opportunities to expand impact through improved data usage, reporting, and analytics
• →Mentor or manage Data Engineers and collaborate with Technical Project Managers to guide implementation of designed solutions
• →Identify, investigate, and resolve performance and production issues, proactively recognizing recurring patterns and developing scalable solutions to prevent future occurrences
• →Contribute to the development of advanced capabilities, including predictive analytics, automation, and AI-driven use cases
• →Provide structured feedback to Product and Engineering teams to inform platform evolution

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience
• 4+ years of experience in data architecture, analytics consulting, or related roles
• Strong proficiency in SQL, experience writing and code-reviewing complex stored procedures, and working knowledge of data transformation and modeling concepts
• Experience designing data pipelines, integrations, and warehouse structures
• Deep understanding of how data flows across systems and how it is used to drive business decisions
• Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous problems into structured, actionable solutions
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences
• Detail-oriented with ability to multitask and adapt to changing priorities

• Experience working directly with external stakeholders in a consulting or client-facing capacity
• Familiarity with cloud data ecosystems (AWS preferred) and modern data stack concepts
• Experience guiding data strategy, analytics roadmaps, or system design decisions
• Exposure to advanced analytics, predictive modeling, or AI/ML use cases
• Ability to recognize patterns across implementations and drive reusable, scalable solutions
• Experience in higher education or similarly complex data environments
• SPM certifications or demonstrated planning, organizing and time management skills
• Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB’s mission, values, and aspiration

If you’ve reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome new perspectives and learn from each other’s unique experiences. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.