Lead Data Systems Engineer

Job Title: Lead Data Systems Engineer Position Summary: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is seeking top talent for its Lead Data Systems Engineer Role. This position at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is responsible for architecting, building, administering, and maintaining the organization’s data platforms, cloud infrastructure, and business-critical applications, with primary ownership of AWS-based databases, automated data pipelines, and integrations involving Salesforce, SmartSimple, and other enterprise systems.

Responsibilities include designing and building secure, reliable, and cost-conscious solutions; building and troubleshooting Python, SQL, and API-based workflows; monitoring and validating production processes; supporting legacy platforms; and enabling staff through governed data access and clear documentation. This role partners directly with stakeholders across the organization, manages technical delivery with vendors, and operates at a strategic level, setting priorities and evaluating architectural trade-offs while leading technical delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders to gather technical requirements, translate business needs into implementation plans, and manage delivery Independently prioritize and lead complex work from planning through implementation.

Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and knowledge sharing to help other team members strengthen their skills and successfully deliver their work Architect, administer, and optimize AWS-based data and application infrastructure, including databases, storage, compute, networking, monitoring, and access controls Build and operate automated data pipelines, database backup and restore processes, and production workflows with strong validation, logging, alerting, rollback, and recovery practices Lead complex data migrations, integrations, and production cutovers.

Develop and troubleshoot Python, SQL, REST API, SFTP, and bulk data solutions connecting Salesforce, SmartSimple, and other enterprise platforms Administer and support business-critical applications and legacy systems.

Implement least-privilege access, PII protections, retention policies, and cost-conscious architecture Enable analysts and staff through governed database access, troubleshooting, and clear documentation Partner with vendors and consultants on architecture, implementation, validation, and handoff Provide technical direction and oversight while advancing infrastructure such as code, automation, and reliable version-controlled deployment practices Qualifications and Skills: Proven experience in data engineering, cloud engineering, systems integration, or related technical roles, including supporting production systems in enterprise environments Proven experience with AWS services, including RDS, EC2, S3, Lambda, Glue, IAM, CloudWatch, and VPC networking Advanced proficiency in…

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