Junior Data Engineer

Position Summary:

In pursuit of Audubon's conservation mission, the Data & Technology team partners with programmatic and business teams across the organization to develop and deploy enterprise data systems and data-driven practices at the scale needed to achieve our ambitious goals.  The Junior Data Engineer will play a key role in helping maintain and support software applications and data solutions within a modern-day data stack, using enterprise scale data resources to ensure that high quality data is available across the organization to support conservation and operational objectives and advance our mission for hemispheric level bird conservation.

A successful candidate will be familiar with a number of data engineering tools and methods, as well as exhibiting strong communication and time management skills. This team member will work closely with other software and data engineers and report to the Director, Data Engineering.

This is a hybrid position based in Audubon’s New York City or Washington, DC offices. We will also consider remote candidates within the United States. 

Working closely with other Data team members and project stakeholders, the Junior Data Engineer will contribute to projects such as:

• Strengthening an enterprise data architecture and strategy that includes ELT, systems integration, governance, cataloging and quality control

• Supporting and improving operational data processes to ensure data quality and reduce technical debt in critical functional business areas such as finance and fundraising

• Improving inclusive outreach, membership growth and advocacy engagement among prospective and current Audubon members by bringing together disparate data sets from CRM systems, census, demographic, social media and web analytics data sources

This position is funded through December 2026.

Compensation:

Salary range based on geo-differentials:

• $25.00 - $30.00 / hour = National

• $30.00 - $35.00 / hour = Alaska, CA (not San Francisco), Connecticut, D.C., Chicago, Oyster Bay, NY

• $35.00 - $40.00 / hour = NYC (not Oyster Bay), San Francisco, Seattle

Additional Job Description

Essential Functions

• Support and maintain data workflows and business applications critical to Audubon’s operational success, leveraging enterprise data architecture tools and applications built in legacy tools and frameworks (such as .NET).

• Assist in modernizing data integrations between various data systems using a light-weight Python orchestration environment (Apache Airflow).

• Work closely with the Senior Coordinator of Data & Technology to help grow the maintainability of the technical stack by documenting support processes and systems interactions, as well as to helping to prioritize support needs and communicate solutions to stakeholders.

• Collaborate with various members of the organization to perform ad-hoc data explorations and analysis to troubleshoot data issues and clarify business requirements.

• Administer secure access to the data, including implementing data governance practices, user permissioning for systems and data sources, data hiding strategies such as row-level permissions and data masking.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of risk-mitigation efforts, including a disaster recovery program and job health monitoring.

• Contribute to initiatives that improve Audubon's data governance, documentation, and data quality standards. Implements that guidance in practice with methodology documentation, metadata, code comments, etc.

• Convey willingness and customer orientation to train users of varying backgrounds and skillsets to utilize and partner in improving data engineering processes and practices.

• Collaborate with Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.

• Travel two or more times a year to attend in person meetings and events.

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience:

• 0-2 years of experience as a Data Engineer, or in similar roles such as Software Engineer, Data Analyst, or Database Administrator.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Statistics, Data Science, Mathematics, or related quantitative field preferred.  An equivalent combination of education and work experience will also be considered.

• Proficiency in at least one high-level programming language such as Python, Java, or .NET.

• Strong SQL coding ability.

• Familiarity with software version control, such as Git.

• Experience utilizing modern data infrastructure tools such as cloud data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, etc.), data integration tools (dbt, Fivetran, Airflow, etc.), business intelligence tools (PowerBI, Sigma, etc.), CRM systems (Salesforce, Everyaction, etc.), and other enterprise data tools (such as Airtable) required.

• Demonstrated experience applying technical coordination and project management best practices using tools such as Asana and Jira required. 

• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences.

• Ability to collaborate with colleagues with transparency, inclusivity and trust.

• Self-starter who can work as part of a virtual team and remain motivated in a dynamic environment.

• Curiosity to stay on the cusp of software and product trends in non-profits and the greater tech industry.

• Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.

• Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

• Genuine passion for conservation and the mission of the National Audubon Society.

• Ability to travel at least two times a year.

This position is represented by the Communication Workers of America (CWA).

National Audubon Society Competencies: This role will also be accountable to apply and develop the following competencies.

Building Relationships: Establish and nurture meaningful connections and trust with others while fostering an environment of inclusivity and respect.  

Problem Solving: Find effective solutions to challenges and support decision-making by drawing on critical thinking, creativity, and systematic approaches.  

Accountability: Be reliable and trustworthy in fulfilling commitments while recognizing inequities that may impact the ability of others to fulfill responsibilities effectively.  

Supporting Change: Adapt to changes and modify behavior in response to new information or unexpected obstacles while considering the diverse needs of others.  

Critical Thinking: Take an active approach to analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting information or situations objectively and logically to make informed decisions or judgments.