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Junior Data Engineer

Zel Technologies

Charlottesville, VAFull-time$100–107K/yrSeen 2w agoSeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$100–107K/yr
Location
Charlottesville, VA
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

TS/SCI clearance

Job overview

The Junior Data Engineer will support data informatics, management, and curation of scientific and intelligence data sets. Working on-site with clients and a data curation team, the role manages and reviews biologically oriented repositories, uploads verified data to a web-based Intelligence Community application, and supports data discovery and Requests for Information. The position also involves metadata work, structured data organization, and GitLab-based project tracking and team coordination.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Complex Folder Data StructuresMetadata Compilation and ReviewGitLab Task ManagementGitLab Wiki DocumentationTeam CoordinationBiological or Life Sciences KnowledgeData ManagementData CurationCommunicationAttention to DetailCustomer Focus

Qualifications

US CitizenshipActive TS/SCI Clearance With CI PolyBachelor's Degree or 4+ Years Relevant Data Management Experience2+ Years Relevant ExperienceSuccessful Background and Drug ScreeningBachelor's in Life Sciences or Data Management2+ Years Relevant ExperienceDepartment of Defense Contracting Experience1+ Years Data Management or Curation Experience

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Tuition Assistance
Paid Time Off

Full job description

Full Time

74

Charlottesville, VA, Charlottesville, VA, US

Requisition ID: 2197

Salary Range: $100,000.00 To $107,000.00 Annually

  • This position is eligible for a $500 ZelTech Non-Employee Referral fee. Contact ZelTech Recruiters ([email protected]) for questions concerning this matter. *

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Job Summary:

In this role, you will provide critical technical support for data informatics, management, and curation of data sets containing diverse scientific reports and information. Working on-site alongside the client and a collaborative data curation team, you will manage, review, and upload staged biologically oriented data repositories into a web-based application. This application serves as a vital resource across the Intelligence Community (IC) for data discovery and responding to Requests for Information (RFIs). We are seeking a mission-oriented professional with a strong customer focus, excellent communication skills, and exceptional attention to detail.

Responsibilities:

  • Data Curation & Integrity: Manage, curate, and review internal and external biologically oriented repository data sets containing scientific reports and intelligence information.

  • System Uploads: Prepare and upload verified data sets into a web-based IC application to facilitate data discovery and support critical RFIs.

  • Metadata Engineering: Review acquired materials to identify, compile, and document relevant metadata for various complex data sets.

  • Data Organization: Maintain, navigate, and optimize structured folder systems where data repositories are organized and stored.

  • Project Tracking & GitLab Management: Use GitLab to manage tasking via issues, update curation statuses, and maintain team SOPs, weekly updates, and workflows on GitLab wiki pages.

  • Team Collaboration: Act as a central communication link on-site, collaborating closely with clients, fellow curators, and software developers.

Requirements:

  • Must be a US citizen.

  • Must possess an active Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance with CI Poly.

  • Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) with 2+ years of relevant experience.

  • In lieu of a degree, 4+ years of relevant data management experience.

  • Proven experience working with complex folder data structures.

  • Proven experience compiling and reviewing metadata from diverse data sets.

  • Hands-on experience using GitLab for task management (issues), wiki documentation, and team coordination

  • Successful background and drug screening check.

Preferred Requirements:

  • Knowledge of the biological or life sciences.

  • Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) preferred in the life sciences or a data management-related field with 2+ years of relevant experience

  • Prior experience working within Department of Defense (DOD) contracting environments.

  • 1+ years’ direct experience working on data management or data curation projects.

Physical Demands or Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • The majority of the time is spent in an office setting.

  • Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

  • Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance, vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.

About ZelTech:

Founded in 1988 by Ret. Col. Jack L. Ezzell Jr., Zel Technologies is a trusted leader in national security, providing comprehensive research, development, engineering, and operational support to the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and federal agencies. Originally focused on leveraging operational and software expertise to improve time-critical targeting capabilities for the military, the company advanced its capabilities to provide scientific and HUMINT expertise for CBRNE collection and analysis. In the wake of 9/11, Zel Technologies rapidly expanded its capabilities to provide turnkey ISR support services to US Special Operations Forces (SOF), as well as advanced technical & operational intelligence, physical & data science, and engineering support services to the greater Intelligence and SOF Communities supporting global counterterrorism and CWMD operations.

Today, Zel Technologies remains at the forefront of intelligence missions, advancing CWMD and global counterterrorism efforts, while also addressing emerging threats posed by near-peer adversaries. Our team remains committed to delivering adaptive, innovative, and cost-effective solutions across multiple domains, in alignment with the mission priorities of the U.S. Government and its partner nations.

Our Mission:

Through our commitment to innovation and quality, our skilled teams deliver robust, technology driven solutions and insights that empower our customers to overcome complex challenges and achieve their mission objectives.

Our Workforce:

ZelTech team members represent a wide range of backgrounds, skills, experience, and personalities bound together by common objectives and mutual respect. You will join a caring community of professional, including many military veterans (https://www.zeltech.com/veterans/) who challenge and support each other in seeking the right solutions to important matters.

Benefits:

  • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

  • 401k immediate vesting with company match

  • Flexible Spending Accounts

  • Health Savings Account with company contributions

  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

  • Bonuses for performance

  • Voluntary life/accidental death & dismemberment

  • Educational assistance and special training programs

  • Voluntary benefits (accidental, critical illness, whole life)

  • Group life insurance (Company paid)

  • Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance (Company paid)

  • Paid Time Off (PTO), Holiday Leave, Jury Duty, and Military Leave

  • Health and fitness reimbursement

  • Referral bonuses

  • Employee discounts on various services and products

Equal Opportunities:

ZelTech is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, marital status, military status, genetic predisposition, or any other basis protected by law.

How this job compares

Set against the 6,189 open Data Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 31, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$100–107K/yr
  • Virginia median$116–190K/yr337 salary ranges
  • US median$122–208K/yr4,883 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $104K, is 34% below the Virginia median midpoint ($156K) — in the lowest quarter of Data Engineer salary ranges in Virginia.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 418 open Data Engineer jobs in Virginia and 6,189 across the US. 9% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Virginia
Experience
This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience — less than three in four Data Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 5,420 postings).
Education
2,801 of the 6,189 open Data Engineer jobs (45%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 31, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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