Pay
In line with similar jobs
$99K–$206K against $127K–$190K, the middle half of what similar US postings state.
From 2,229 postings in the last year. Stated ranges, not salaries paid.
Data Automation Engineer
Arlington, VA
Open 3 months, first seen by us 117 days ago- Pay
$99,000–206,000/yearAnnual period assumed — pay source
Salary & Benefits The salary associated with this position ($99,000-$206,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards. Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances. Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.
Read the full posting- Work setting
- Not stated
- Employment
Full-time — employment source
Employment type in the employer’s posting: Full time
From the employer’s posting
What you’ll work on
Full postingDevelop automated data pipelines for technology integration initiatives
Create automation workflows for malware sample collection, detonation, and taxonomy
Implement API integrations for data sharing and workflow automation
Support Automated Malware Analysis (AMA) platform development and enhancement
Create data transformation and normalization automation
From the employer’s posting
Develop automated data pipelines for technology integration initiatives
Create automation workflows for malware sample collection, detonation, and taxonomy
Implement API integrations for data sharing and workflow automation
Support Automated Malware Analysis (AMA) platform development and enhancement
Create data transformation and normalization automation
What you’ll bring
All qualificationsCore experience
- Strong Python programming skills with data manipulation libraries
- Experience building data pipelines and ETL processes
- Ability to obtain DHS Entry on Duty (EOD) Suitability
Preferred experience
- Experience with malware analysis automation or cybersecurity tools
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Knowledge of AI/ML pipelines and data preparation
- Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis)
Qualification wording
Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in data manipulation libraries
Experience developing data pipelines and ETL processes
Ability to obtain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry on Duty (EOD) Suitability
Experience with malware analysis automation or cybersecurity tools
Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
Knowledge of AI/ML pipelines and data preparation
Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis)
Education & alternatives
Required Education: BS in Computer Science, Data Science, or related degree, or HS Diploma and 7+ years of directly relevant experience Desired Certifications: - DoD 8140 IAT Level III
Posting record
Report an errorOpen 3 monthsWe first saw this posting 117 days ago and it is still up. Roles open this long are often slow to fill or kept open to collect applications.
- Status in our records
- Live
- First seen by us
- Jul 17, 2026117 days ago
- Recorded sightings
- 172
- Last seen by us
- Nov 10, 2026
- Employer says posted
- Jul 15, 2026
These dates show when we found the posting. Check the employer’s website to confirm it is still accepting applications.
How this job compares
Time since we first saw it
Day 117
Up longer than most. Similar jobs usually come down between day 6 and day 55.
Well past Nwis’s usual: its jobs come down by about day 42.
From 13,018 similar postings that came down, and 12 of Nwis’s. Coming down is not always a hire.
Nwis is hiring
6 open jobs
Open jobs by the week we first saw them, last 12 weeks.
- Hiring has slowed
- Its jobs tend to stay up a long time
- 17% of open jobs were reposted
See how this role fits your experience
Add your resume and we’ll mark which of these tools you already use, and point out anything in the posting that could rule you out.
- Python
- Docker
- Hadoop
- Kafka
- Kubernetes
- Prefect
- Spark
- Airflow
Where the posting names them
- 5+ years of experience in automation engineering, data engineering, or software development - Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in data manipulation libraries - Experience developing data pipelines and ETL processes
- Background in cybersecurity or threat intelligence automation - Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) - Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis)
- Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis) - Familiarity with big data technologies (Spark, Hadoop) - Experience supporting federal cybersecurity programs
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) - Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis) - Familiarity with big data technologies (Spark, Hadoop)
- Knowledge of AI/ML pipelines and data preparation - Experience with workflow orchestration tools (Airflow, Prefect) - Background in cybersecurity or threat intelligence automation
Your next step
Complete your application on nwis.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com. The employer’s form will show what is required.
Applying through Workday
- You create an account with each employer before you can upload anything. Every Workday employer has its own account, so one sign-up doesn’t carry over.
- “Autofill with Resume” comes right after sign-in, before the My Information and My Experience steps. Check every field it fills in those steps, since that’s what recruiters see.
- Your application status lives in that employer’s Candidate Home, under the same sign-in.
Already applied? Track this application
Has Nwis posted this job before?
Yes. We’ve followed one other Data Automation Engineer job there since May 2026. It is still up.
Demand for Data Engineer roles
New Data Engineer postings at the employers we follow are up 7% over the last 6 weeks compared with the 6 before.
Each bar is one week of new postings. The darkest bars are the last 6 weeks.
Counted from the hiring pages we’ve followed for at least five weeks, so employers we add don’t look like growth. Updated weekly.
About the role
We file this job under Data Engineer, by the work the posting describes.
Data engineers build and run the pipelines that copy data out of apps and outside services into a warehouse or lake, and fix them when a source changes or a load fails.
Expect SQL, Python, a cloud platform, a scheduler such as Airflow, and often tools for large data such as Spark or Kafka.
An analytics engineer works one step later, turning the raw data a data engineer lands into clean tables people can query.
US government figures for database architects
- Median yearly pay, May 2025
- $139,500
- Expected change, 2025 to 2035
- 9.4% more jobsagainst 3.5% for all jobs
The government has no code for data engineers, so these figures are for the closest group, database architects, which includes data integration and data warehousing specialists.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025 to 2035). Occupation code 15-1243.
Job description
Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers’ most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.
Nightwing is supporting a U.S. Government customer to provide support for onsite incident response to civilian Government agencies and critical asset owners who experience cyber-attacks, providing immediate investigation and resolution. Contract personnel perform investigations to characterize the severity of breaches, develop mitigation plans, and assist with the restoration of services. Nightwing is seeking a Data Automation Engineer to support this critical customer mission.
The Data Automation Engineer will develop and implement automation solutions to support technology integration activities, focusing on data pipeline development, automated analysis workflows, and integration automation. This role addresses manual workflow pain points and enables scaling of technology capabilities through intelligent automation.
Responsibilities:
- Develop automated data pipelines for technology integration initiatives
- Create automation workflows for malware sample collection, detonation, and taxonomy
- Implement data integration automation between pilot and production systems
- Support Automated Malware Analysis (AMA) platform development and enhancement
- Develop scripts and tools to automate repetitive technical tasks
- Create data transformation and normalization automation
- Support AI/ML data preparation and feature engineering automation
- Develop monitoring and alerting automation for integrated systems
- Implement API integrations for data sharing and workflow automation
- Document automation solutions and maintain code repositories
- Support scaling automation from pilot to production environments
- Optimize automation performance and efficiency
- Collaborate with analysts to identify automation opportunities
- Ensure automation solutions maintain data quality and integrity
- Support continuous improvement of automated capabilities
Required Skills:
- U.S. Citizenship
- Active Secret clearance, TS/SCI preferred
- Ability to obtain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Entry on Duty (EOD) Suitability
- 5+ years of experience in automation engineering, data engineering, or software development
- Strong programming skills in Python, with experience in data manipulation libraries
- Experience developing data pipelines and ETL processes
- Knowledge of automation frameworks and orchestration tools
- Experience with APIs and integration technologies
- Understanding of database systems and data modeling
- Familiarity with version control (Git) and CI/CD practices
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- Ability to translate business requirements into automated solutions
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent documentation and communication abilities
Desired Skills:
- Experience with malware analysis automation or cybersecurity tools
- Knowledge of AI/ML pipelines and data preparation
- Experience with workflow orchestration tools (Airflow, Prefect)
- Background in cybersecurity or threat intelligence automation
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Knowledge of streaming data platforms (Kafka, Kinesis)
- Familiarity with big data technologies (Spark, Hadoop)
- Experience supporting federal cybersecurity programs
Required Education:
BS in Computer Science, Data Science, or related degree, or HS Diploma and 7+ years of directly relevant experience
Desired Certifications:
- DoD 8140 IAT Level III
- CSSLP
Syndeo: ESS-3609
Salary & Benefits
Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.
Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.
Source details
Source notes
Source excerptsSelected passages from the saved posting. Check the full description for conditions and exceptions.
- Pay
Salary & Benefits The salary associated with this position ($99,000-$206,000) is commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards. Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances. Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.
- Location & working pattern
Arlington, VA
Working pattern and location restrictions need checking in the full posting.
- Work authorization
Required Skills: - U.S. Citizenship - Active Secret clearance, TS/SCI preferred