Job Vacancy – Senior Data Engineer

Expired on: Mar 17, 2026

Our client, Natural State, is a non-profit organization focused on large-scale environmental restoration and biodiversity conservation, using technology, impact monitoring, and innovative finance mechanisms to drive nature-based solutions worldwide. Natural State is seeking a highly driven and experienced professional to fill the following remote position.

SENIOR DATA ENGINEER

Reporting to the Head of Conservation Technology, the incumbent will lead the design, development, and implementation of scalable data engineering and infrastructure solutions that support ecological monitoring and large-scale restoration programs. The role will drive robust data architecture, governance standards, and high-performance analytics platforms to enable data-driven scientific research and global conservation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Designing, building, and optimizing scalable cloud-based data pipelines and architectures primarily within Microsoft Azure, while supporting future integration with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform environments
Utilizing Databricks for advanced data analytics, including Databricks Autoloader for seamless data ingestion and Databricks Unity Catalog for data governance.
Implementing robust data models using the Data Build Tool (DBT and maintaining strong data governance and quality controls.
Applying Great Expectations frameworks to perform comprehensive data quality validation, quality assurance, and quality control processes, ensuring high standards of data integrity, accuracy, and reliability across enterprise data platforms.
Developing and maintaining Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines using GitHub Actions to automate application and data workflow deployments while ensuring seamless integration, version control, and release management.
Deploying and managing Kubernetes clusters using Helm for efficient container orchestration and application deployment.
Leveraging Databricks, Apache Spark, and Azure Machine Learning to support advanced analytics and Machine Learning driven applications.
Supporting deployment of data-driven web applications and user interfaces.
Collaborating with research and monitoring teams to translate scientific workflows into production-grade engineering systems.

Required Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years’ hands-on data engineering experience, including at least 3 years in a senior or architect-level role designing and deploying scalable data platforms.
Familiarity with environmental or climate data standards and scientific data workflows.
Prior experience in startup, NGO, or research-driven environments.
Contributions to open-source data or conservation technology initiatives.

Core Cloud & Data Platform Expertise

Proven production experience with Microsoft Azure (mandatory).
Experience with AWS and/or GCP is highly preferred.
Strong proficiency in Databricks, including Autoloader and Unity Catalog.
Advanced skills in Apache Spark for distributed data processing.

Data Engineering & Infrastructure Tooling

Extensive experience with DBT for data modelling and transformation.
Hands-on experience with Great Expectations for data quality and validation.
Strong experience with Terraform/Terragrunt for Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

DevOps & Orchestration

Proficiency in Kubernetes and Helm.
Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions or similar tools.

ML Engineering Exposure

Practical experience with Azure Machine Learning or comparable ML platforms for model training and deployment.

Soft Skills & Environment

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to work independently in a fully remote, globally distributed team.
Mission-driven mindset with interest or experience in conservation, environmental science, NGO, or research-intensive environments.

Interested candidates are requested to forward their updated CVs to recruit@virtualhr.co.ke, stating the subject heading Senior Data Engineer by Tuesday, 17th March 2026. Please indicate your expected remuneration and provide contacts and addresses for three referees.

Note:

Natural State is an equal opportunity employer. The Organization celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.