Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact. 
As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.
What We Offer:
•    Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
•    Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
•    Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
•    Benefits - We care about your well-being.
 

The Office of Innovation & Technology (OIT) is the central IT agency for the City of Philadelphia headed by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). OIT oversees all major information and communications technology initiatives for the City of Philadelphia - increasing the effectiveness of the information technology infrastructure, where the services provided are advanced, optimized, and responsive to the needs of the City of Philadelphia’s businesses, residents, and visitors. OIT responsibilities include: identifying the most effective approach for implementing new information technology directions throughout city government; improving the value of the city’s technology assets and the return on the city’s technology investments; ensuring data security continuity; planning for continuing operations in the event of disruption of information technology or communications services; and supporting accountable, efficient and effective government across every city department, board, commission and agency.

The Free Library of Philadelphia (FLP) is one of the largest public library systems in the world. As an important cornerstone of the Philadelphia community, FLP has a mission to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity. The long-term vision of the FLP is to build an enlightened community devoted to lifelong learning. For over 100 years, the FLP has championed education in and out of the classroom, providing no cost resources for literacy and learning.

Job Description

The Free Library of Philadelphia is looking for an experienced Data Engineer to join the Research & Data Analytics group. The Data Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining data architecture and infrastructure that enable efficient collection, storage, and analysis of data to support Performance Management objectives. 
The Data Engineer will work closely with data scientists, analysts, and other team members to ensure that data is available, reliable, and ready for analysis. Expertise in data pipelines, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, and data warehousing will be essential in this role.
Beyond being a key asset to enterprise integration and open data initiatives, the Data Engineer will help develop and support the creation of Open Data initiatives for the Free Library’s data sharing objectives by integrating appropriate City, state, and federal datasets.

Essential Functions
•    Design, build, and maintain data pipelines to automate extraction, transformation, and loading of data from diverse sources.
•    Develop and maintain data models that support Performance Management objectives, including designing schema structures, data dictionaries, and defining relationships.
•    Integrate data from multiple sources, such as databases, APIs, logs, and third-party data providers, into a unified and accessible format.
•    Develop and optimize ETL processes to ensure data quality, consistency, and availability. Handle data cleansing, enrichment, and transformation as needed.
•    Maintain and optimize data warehousing solutions (e.g., SQL databases, NoSQL databases) to ensure efficient data storage and availability.
•    Monitor and fine-tune data pipelines and database systems for optimal performance, scalability, and reliability.
•    Implement data security and privacy measures to protect sensitive information, ensure compliance with appropriate data safety regulations, and establish access controls.
•    Create and maintain documentation for data engineering processes, data models, and data flow diagrams to facilitate understanding and collaboration.
•    Collaborate with data analysts, software engineers, and FLP Leadership to understand data requirements and provide support for data-driven decision making.
•    Implement data governance practices, including data lineage, metadata management, and data cataloging.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required:
•    Proficiency in programming languages (R, Python) and database query languages (SQL).
•    Knowledge of ETL tools and data integration techniques.
•    Experience with data warehousing solutions.
•    Familiarity with big data technologies (Hadoop, Spark) is a plus.
•    Experience with Linux server administration.
•    Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
•    Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
Preferred:
•    Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).
•    Experience handling regulatory requirements related to PII.
•    Knowledge of containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
•    Understanding of data streaming technologies (e.g., Kafka, Apache Flink).
•    Familiarity with data governance and data cataloging tools.

Qualifications

•    Bachelor's or higher degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Science, or a related field.
•    3 years experience as a Data Engineer or similar role.

Additional Information

Salary Range: $75,000 ‐ $85,000

Starting salary to be determined based on experience and qualifications.

Important: To apply, candidates must provide a cover letter and a resume.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:
•    We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
•    Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
•    Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
•    Generous retirement savings options are available
•    Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
•    Enjoy a Free Commute on SEPTA - Starting September 1, 2023, eligible City employees will no longer have to worry about paying for SEPTA public transportation. Whether you're a full-time, part-time, or provisional employee, you can seize the opportunity to sign up for the SEPTA Key Advantage Program and receive free Key cards for free rides on SEPTA buses, trains, trolleys, and regional rails.
•    Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!
Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.