Data Engineer

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Job Overview

The Applications Development Technology Lead Analyst is a senior level position responsible for establishing and implementing new or revised application systems and programs in coordination with the Technology team. The overall objective of this role is to lead applications systems analysis and programming activities.

This is a hands-on technology leadership role responsible for architecting, developing, optimizing, and operating large-scale batch and real-time data-processing platforms at an enterprise scale. The position requires a candidate who can combine deep technical expertise in distributed data processing with effective team leadership, stakeholder management, and end-to-end delivery accountability. The successful candidate will serve as a subject-matter expert in modern data engineering, guiding both technical strategy and execution.

The Data Engineering Lead will drive the design and implementation of high-throughput data solutions capable of handling multi-terabyte to petabyte-scale datasets. This role balances advanced development and performance engineering with the leadership of a global team of data engineers, ensuring the delivery of robust, scalable, and maintainable data pipelines.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with multiple management teams to ensure appropriate integration of functions to meet goals as well as identify and define necessary system enhancements to deploy new products and process improvements

• Resolve variety of high impact problems/projects through in-depth evaluation of complex business processes, system processes, and industry standards

• Provide expertise in area and advanced knowledge of applications programming and ensure application design adheres to the overall architecture blueprint

• Utilize advanced knowledge of system flow and develop standards for coding, testing, debugging, and implementation

• Develop comprehensive knowledge of how areas of business, such as architecture and infrastructure, integrate to accomplish business goals

• Provide in-depth analysis with interpretive thinking to define issues and develop innovative solutions

• Serve as advisor or coach to mid-level developers and analysts, allocating work as necessary

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of high-throughput batch and real-time streaming data pipelines using Apache Spark, Databricks, and Kafka.

• Serve as the senior subject-matter expert for Spark architecture, job optimization, SQL query tuning, distributed processing, and Databricks performance engineering.

• Write, review, and approve clean, modular, and highly performant Scala and Python code, enforcing best practices across the team.

• Diagnose and resolve complex performance bottlenecks by analyzing Spark DAGs, execution plans, and executor metrics to address issues like data skew, shuffling, and memory management.

• Apply advanced optimization techniques for Spark and SQL, including broadcast joins, predicate pushdown, partition pruning, Z-Ordering, and adaptive query execution.

• Manage and optimize Databricks workspaces, including Unity Catalog, Delta Live Tables, job clusters, security, governance, and monitoring.

• Implement and manage Apache Iceberg or Delta Lake as an enterprise table format, applying knowledge of features such as hidden partitioning, schema evolution, and compaction strategies.

• Develop and enforce enterprise data-modelling standards and Lakehouse practices, including medallion architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold layers).

• Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of data engineers, conducting code reviews, architecture reviews, and technical design sessions.

• Manage technical priorities, delivery milestones, dependencies, and risks, and collaborate effectively with business stakeholders, product owners, architects, and support teams.

• Define and enforce standards for coding, testing, deployment, monitoring, data quality, operational readiness, and production support.

• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.

Recommended Qualifications:

• 6+ years of relevant experience in Apps Development or systems analysis role

• Extensive experience system analysis and in programming of software applications

• Expert-level development skills in Scala and Python.

• Advanced SQL development and query-optimization skills, with a proven ability to tune slow-running queries and Spark jobs.

• Strong knowledge of data warehousing concepts, Lakehouse modelling, and medallion architecture.

• Hands-on experience with Apache Iceberg or Delta Lake is required.

• Extensive hands-on experience with Apache Spark, Spark Structured Streaming, Databricks, Delta Live Tables, and Kafka.

• Deep knowledge of Apache Spark internals, including the Catalyst Optimizer, Tungsten execution engine, memory management, execution plans, partitioning, and shuffle behavior.

• Expertise in reading Spark UI metrics to identify bottlenecks, resolve data skew, and optimize partitioning, caching, joins, and memory utilization.

• Proven experience architecting and operating multi-terabyte to petabyte-scale data platforms in a public-cloud environment (AWS or Google Cloud Platform).

• Subject Matter Expert (SME) in at least one area of Applications Development

• Experience in managing and implementing successful projects

• Experience leading and mentoring global or distributed data-engineering teams.

• Demonstrated leadership and project management skills

• Exceptional communication, stakeholder-management, and problem-solving skills.

• Consistently demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication

• Ability to adjust priorities quickly as circumstances dictate

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree/University degree or equivalent experience

• Master’s degree preferred

This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.

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Job Family Group:

Technology

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Job Family:

Applications Development

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Time Type:

Full time

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Primary Location Full Time Salary Range:

$120,800.00 - $170,800.00

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Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate's skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.

Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not involve relying on automatic or autonomous decision-making. Please refer to any Jurisdictional Considerations, with specific provisions for your country (where relevant) for further details.

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This job opening is for an existing job vacancy.

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