Level III Data Engineer

Fort Collins, CO

About Us 

At Blue Margin, we’re on a mission to build the go-to data platform for PE-backed mid-market companies. We provide hosted data platforms that help executives and operators turn data into a strategic advantage. We’re passionate about helping clients increase company value through better analysis and decision-making, and we’re looking for a Level III Data Engineer to strengthen our team.

Job Description

As a Level III Data Engineer, you will build, maintain, and improve the data platforms that power analytics for our clients. You will be hands-on with data pipelines, large-scale data processing, and modern cloud data stacks, working within Blue Margin’s architecture and standards. You will also help build and extend the MCP Servers that connect our data platforms to AI and natural-language applications. This role requires solid experience with Python (including PySpark/Apache Spark), experience working with high-volume data, and Delta Lake–based architectures. Exposure to Snowflake or Microsoft Fabric, and tools like Fivetran, Azure Data Factory, Synapse Pipelines, and MCP Servers, is highly valued.

On this team, you will help build and maintain our MCP Servers - the servers, their tools, and functionality, along with the performance, reliability, and security behind them. A separate team owns the data modeling and context gathering that power natural-language querying, so your focus stays on building reliable platform capabilities.

If you’re motivated by solving complex data challenges, thrive in a collaborative environment, and enjoy applying AI to increase engineering productivity, this role offers the opportunity to grow your craft and make a meaningful technical impact. We are seeking a candidate to work as a full-time employee in one of our local offices in Fort Collins or Denver where we work in a hybrid structure.

Please note that we are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we cannot sponsor visas. 

Responsibilities

· Build, test, and optimize data pipelines using tools like PySpark, SparkSQL, Delta Lake, and cloud-native tools.

· Support incremental/delta data loading, partitioning, and performance tuning.

· Implement and support solutions across Azure Synapse, Microsoft Fabric, and/or Snowflake environments.

· Collaborate with analysts and senior engineers to turn requirements into working data solutions.

· Use AI/automation to improve development speed, testing, and data quality.

· Help build and extend custom MCP Servers, including their tools and functionality, that expose our data platforms to AI applications.

· Follow software engineering best practices, API and service design, testing, and secure authentication, in platform and MCP Server development.

· Follow team coding standards and best practices, and contribute improvements where you see them.

· Uphold standards for data quality, security, and governance.

· Contribute to solution design for client engagements with the guidance of senior engineers.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.

· 4+ years of professional experience in data engineering, with emphasis on Python & PySpark/Apache Spark.

· Good communication skills; ability to explain technical details to both engineers and business stakeholders.

· Concrete experience leveraging AI and AI-assisted tools to accelerate engineering workflows.

· Experience managing large datasets and optimizing for speed, scalability, and reliability.

· Solid SQL skills and understanding of relational and distributed data systems.

· Exposure to Azure Data Factory, Synapse Pipelines, Fivetran, Delta Lake, Microsoft Fabric, MCP Servers, or Snowflake.

· Familiarity with data modeling, orchestration, and Delta/Parquet file management best practices.

· Familiarity with CI/CD, version control, and DevOps practices for data pipelines.

· Software engineering fundamentals & familiarity with LLM tool-calling or MCP Server patterns is a strong plus.

· Relevant certifications (Azure, Snowflake, or Fabric) are a plus. 

What Success Looks Like

We measure this role against clear.  Here are our shared expectations and why they matter:

  •  Utilization: 75-80% - this reflects consistent delivery of high-value work and drives strong operating performances
  •  Pipeline Reliability & Data Accuracy: 98%+ of schedule runs succeed for issues within our control (failures from client-side changes or source-system outages don't count); raw data reconciles to source - stable pipelines that keep raw data accurate are the foundation clients build every decision on.
  • Incident Resolution: critical pipeline failures resolved within 1 business day - fast fixes keep client reporting trustworthy and limit downstream disruption
  • Quality & Adherence to Standards: clean builds that follow Blue Margin standards and work done right the first time - consistent, standard-based work keeps the platform reliable and reduces rework. 

Our Culture

· Company Core Values: Commit to Quality, Embrace Transparency, Choose to Be Positive, Be Efficient/Systematize, Pursue Learning, Be Generous. 

· We believe that in-person interaction is vital to solid work relationships, and we cater lunch every Friday.

· Weekly personal and professional development programs for all. 

· Teamwork – we maintain company-wide interaction and communication. 

· Entrepreneurism – we want everyone on our team to be eager to adapt and evolve with our advancing business. We are looking for someone who is comfortable wearing more than one hat. 

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

· This position may require minimal physical effort including lifting materials and equipment of less than 10 pounds. This position requires viewing a computer screen more than 80 percent of the time. The job will take place in a normal office environment with controlled temperature and lighting conditions. This position may require some travel and occasional participation in off-site functions.

Salary and Benefits: 

· This is a full-time position with a starting salary range of $100K – $120K and is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

· Benefits include health, dental and vision insurance, short- and long-term disability, 401K matching, health club stipend, paid vacation, sick leave, and a bonus structure.