Associate Data Engineer

ECPI University is building and maintaining a cloud data platform on Snowflake, and the Associate Data Engineer role supports that work by delivering reliable pipelines that move data from enterprise systems into Snowflake for reporting, analytics, and institutional decision making. This is an entry-level position for a recent graduate, with mentorship, structured code review, and a defined progression path toward the Data Engineer level.

Location: Virginia Beach, VA (onsite)

Salary: USD 70,000 - 82,000 per year

Education: Bachelor’s degree

What you’ll do

• Build and maintain data ingestion and transformation pipelines that load data from enterprise source systems into Snowflake, using established architectural patterns and standards.
• Write, test, and tune SQL for data transformation, validation, and reconciliation.
• Support scheduled data loads by monitoring job execution and escalating failures with clear diagnostic detail.
• Reconcile data between source systems and Snowflake to confirm completeness and accuracy.
• Build and run automated data quality checks, documenting exceptions for resolution.
• Investigate reported data discrepancies, trace them back to their origin, and communicate findings clearly.
• Use AI coding assistants such as GitHub Copilot as a routine part of daily work, validating every generated query, transformation, or script before committing.
• Submit changes through pull requests in GitHub and keep work moving through the automated build, test, and deployment process.
• Automate recurring manual tasks rather than repeating them, and apply platform-native AI capabilities such as Snowflake Cortex under the direction of senior engineers.
• Follow University guidelines for AI-assisted development, including keeping sensitive student and institutional data out of external tools.
• Document pipeline logic, data lineage, and table definitions so colleagues can maintain and extend the work.
• Participate in code review, design discussions, and Agile (Scrum) ceremonies, working with analysts and functional staff to confirm delivered datasets meet stated needs.
• Build depth in Snowflake, SQL, and Python through mentorship and structured learning, including certification such as SnowPro Core with University support.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What you bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, Analytics, or a related field.
• Zero to two years of professional experience.
• Working knowledge of SQL, including joins, aggregation, and subqueries, with the ability to reason about whether a query returned the right answer.
• Foundational understanding of relational database concepts and data modeling.
• Familiarity with Python or a comparable language used in data work.
• Git version control experience, including branching and pull requests, and willingness to work within a code review process.
• Practical use of AI coding assistants with sound validation judgment.
• Understanding of CI/CD concepts and willingness to ensure automated tests pass before deployment.
• Strong attention to detail, clear written and verbal communication, and sound judgment in handling sensitive student and institutional data.

Technologies you’ll work with

• Snowflake
• SQL
• Python
• Git
• GitHub
• GitHub Copilot
• Snowflake Cortex
• GitHub Actions
• Azure DevOps
• Azure
• AWS
• dbt
• ELT
• ETL
• Power BI
• Tableau
• CI/CD
• Agile (Scrum)

Role context

Working under the Senior Director of Solution Architecture alongside experienced engineers, you will help build and maintain pipelines that bring data from the University’s enterprise systems into Snowflake. Faculty, academic leadership, and student support staff depend on this data to advise students, monitor academic progression, and report accurately within a highly regulated environment.

Preferred qualifications

• Exposure to Snowflake or another cloud data platform through coursework, certification, or hands-on work.
• Exposure to dbt, ELT or ETL tooling, or automated data testing frameworks.
• Exposure to GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or another CI/CD platform.
• Exposure to Azure or AWS cloud services, or to a business intelligence tool such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Awareness of FERPA or comparable data privacy requirements in a regulated environment.

Working conditions

• Professionally communicate in person, over the telephone, and through email; move about the school and offices; handle various types of media and equipment; and visually observe and assess.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.