Institutional Data Engineer

Shape reliable institutional analytics by designing, developing, maintaining, and optimizing the University of South Carolina’s enterprise data infrastructure and integration environments. This onsite role in Richland, SC supports dependable reporting and modernized data capabilities, with opportunities to contribute to governance, data quality practices, automation, and enterprise-scale data engineering.

What you’ll do

• Provide scalable, reliable access to institutional data for analytics and reporting needs.
• Improve data accuracy, completeness, and consistency through data validation, reconciliation, and quality assurance processes.
• Design, develop, and maintain enterprise data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and system integrations, including automated workflows supporting institutional reporting and analytics.
• Modernize analytics capabilities and support modernization initiatives involving cloud technologies, advanced analytics, and data platform enhancements.
• Partner with data architects to set technical standards and architect or optimize enterprise data models, data warehouses, curated datasets, and database objects for secure, reliable access.
• Create and optimize database objects such as views and stored procedures, plus integration solutions that improve performance and scalability.
• Monitor data architecture and system performance, troubleshoot issues, and implement corrective actions to ensure reliability and availability.
• Develop automated monitoring and exception reporting to proactively detect data quality issues and discrepancies across source systems and reporting environments.
• Collaborate with data stewards and functional offices to recommend, establish, and maintain data standards and business rules, supporting enterprise data governance and data stewardship efforts.
• Maintain system and process documentation, technical specifications, and metadata for enterprise data platforms and reporting databases.
• Support integration of data across the Columbia campus and university system institutions to promote consistency and comparability of reporting.
• Participate in professional development, stay aware of emerging trends and recommended practices, and help evaluate and recommend emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies.
• Support training, mentoring junior engineers and technicians across the USC system.
• Translate functional requirements into technical specifications and data solutions, and provide technical guidance on data availability, structure, and reporting capabilities.

How you’ll work with others

You’ll contribute to enterprise data engineering and integration projects in partnership with institutional research, IT, academic units, administrative offices, and campus stakeholders. You will also participate in cross-functional project teams and working groups focused on institutional data initiatives.

Required experience and education

• Bachelor’s degree in a job-related field and 3 or more years of job-related experience.
• Experience may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job-related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Data Analytics, Information Systems, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Strong proficiency in ETL tools (e.g., IBM DataStorage, Informatica, SSIS) and BI tools (e.g., Cognos, Tableau, PowerBI), including recommended configuration and security practices in hardware and cloud-based server environments.
• Strong proficiency in SQL for data querying, transformation, and optimization.
• Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL.
• Familiarity with data warehouse concepts and dimensional modeling.
• Experience working in a higher education or public sector environment.
• Experience working with enterprise data systems (e.g., HR, Finance, Student Information, Learning Management) and large-scale institutional datasets.

Tools and technologies

SQL, relational databases, ETL/ELT technologies, data warehousing, IBM DataStorage, Informatica, SSIS, Cognos, Tableau, PowerBI, Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, dimensional modeling, cloud technologies, database objects, data models, data warehouses, stored procedures, views, automation, dashboards, self-service analytics, data integration environments.

Benefits

• Health and Life Insurance
• Generous paid leave and retirement programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding

Additional job information

• Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.
• Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive: No
• Hazardous weather category: Non-Essential

Application timing

• Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on the job website and may close at the discretion of the department at any time after that period.
• Only applications submitted by October 31, 2026 will be accepted.
• If your qualifications are reviewed and the department decides to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.