_{22nd October, 2025}

For more than three decades, Strategic Data Systems (SDS) has been a software consultancy firm specializing in strategy, technology, and business transformation for Fortune 100 companies, mid-sized firms, and startups. At SDS, we empower our development teams to address our clients' critical business challenges by leveraging cutting edge technologies. If you seek a workplace where your contributions are truly appreciated, then SDS is the company for you. Join us today to work alongside fellow development specialists and become a crucial part of our dynamic and cohesive community.
 
Job Description – Data Engineer III
Location: Cincinnati, OH (Hybrid Preferred)

About the Role:
For more than three decades, Strategic Data Systems (SDS) has been helping Fortune 100 companies, national retailers, and financial organizations modernize their data ecosystems. We are seeking a Data Engineer III to support a major data migration and modernization initiative within our client’s commercial lending, underwriting, and reporting functions.
This role combines deep technical analysis, legacy-to-modern data transition, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate thrives at the intersection of engineering precision and business understanding, translating legacy systems into modern, scalable architectures.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform deep analysis of legacy SQL, DataStage, and SAS codebases to identify business logic and critical data elements.
• Build and document data inventories and data lineage across multiple platforms and reporting systems.
• Assess and mitigate downstream impacts of data migration on analytics, regulatory, and operational systems.
• Design and maintain scalable data management systems aligned with enterprise migration objectives.
• Develop modern ETL/ELT pipelines using DataStage, dbt, Python, and other frameworks.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders and technology teams to capture requirements and translate them into actionable data engineering solutions.
• Create custom scripts, data transformations, and analytic components that support lending and risk management analytics.
• Implement data quality, reliability, and disaster recovery procedures to ensure robust production pipelines.
• Contribute to modernization initiatives, introducing cloud and open-source technologies to replace legacy infrastructure.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with relational and non-relational databases (SQL, Snowflake, DB2, MongoDB).
• 5+ years analyzing legacy systems and extracting business logic from SQL, DataStage, or SAS.
• 3+ years of software development experience in Python, Java, or J2EE.
• 3–5 years designing and maintaining data pipelines using DataStage, dbt, or equivalent ETL tools.
• Demonstrated experience translating business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Strong communication and documentation skills for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience within financial services or commercial lending environments preferred.
• Working knowledge of Agile methodologies and collaborative delivery.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with data modeling, metadata management, and data governance frameworks.
• Experience optimizing SQL and Python performance in large datasets.
• Exposure to cloud data ecosystems (Azure Synapse, AWS Redshift, Databricks).
• Understanding of regulatory reporting and risk analytics workflows.

Why Join Us

• Be a key contributor in transforming legacy systems into modern data platforms.
• Work within a high-performing engineering team embedded in one of the largest national retailers.
• Collaborate with business, compliance, and analytics leaders across the enterprise.
• Gain hands-on experience with modern data engineering stacks and cloud transformation initiatives. 

What You'll Get
 
SDS, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
 

• Competitive base salary
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Optional life and disability insurance provided
• 401(k) with a company match and optional profit sharing
• Paid vacation time
• Paid Bench time
• Training allowance offering
• You'll be eligible to earn referral bonuses!

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