Principal Data Consultant (Contract-to-Hire)

Avenera · Remote (US) · Contract-to-Hire

$75–$115/hr (contract phase) · $115,000–$165,000 USD (converted FTE)

Avenera is an AI engineering and services company. We partner with enterprise leaders on AI over the long term, building proprietary AI systems on their data and operating those systems alongside their teams, so capability compounds over time. Our work sits across strategic decisions and hands-on technical execution, and we measure ourselves on business outcomes. Learn more at avenera.ai.

We're hiring a Principal Data Consultant to lead the data work on our client engagements. This is a lead role. You'll own the data platform that our clients' AI systems run on, from the first discovery conversation through production and handover.

You'll lead a team of data engineers who implement the platforms you design. We need someone who can set direction, review the work, and get hands-on at the keyboard when the work calls for it. You'll also work closely with Avenera's AI Solutions Architect, AI Strategist, and AI engineers. You'll own the data layer, and they'll own the AI systems built on it.

This role is for someone who has already led data platform work for clients, still writes production code, and is comfortable in a room with both a CFO and an engineering team.

• Lead the data workstream on client engagements, from discovery through delivery
• Work directly with client leadership and technical teams to understand the business problem behind the request, and turn it into a scoped plan
• Design and build modern data platforms: ingestion, modeling, transformation, orchestration, and governance
• Build the data foundations AI systems need, including document and unstructured data pipelines, metadata and semantic layers, lineage, and access controls that carry through to retrieval
• Lead and mentor the data engineers implementing client platforms, including setting standards, reviewing code, and unblocking the team
• Stay hands-on in Python and SQL, writing production code alongside the team
• Assess client data estates and give a clear read on what's usable, what needs fixing, and what it will cost
• Explain tradeoffs to executives in terms of cost and risk, and to engineers in terms of implementation
• Build reusable patterns, templates, and reference designs we use across engagements

• 10+ years in data engineering, data platform, or data consulting roles, with substantial time in client-facing work
• You have personally designed and delivered at least three end-to-end data platforms, through to production
• Expert-level Python and SQL, and hands-on experience with dbt, Airflow or Dagster, and Spark
• Expert-level Databricks; experience with Snowflake or BigQuery is a plus
• Strong AWS and/or Azure experience, with working experience on GCP
• Experience leading teams of data engineers on client delivery while staying hands-on yourself
• Real data modeling ability (dimensional, Data Vault, or equivalent) and a view on when each approach fits
• Hands-on experience with data governance, data quality, and secure data architecture
• Clear communication; able to explain technical concepts in practical language to varied audiences

• Experience building data foundations for AI or LLM workloads, such as retrieval pipelines, unstructured data processing, and evaluation data capture
• Work in regulated environments such as manufacturing, defense supply chain, healthcare, or financial services
• Consulting, client services, or technical pre-sales background
• Fluency with AI-assisted coding and modern development workflows

• Contract-to-hire, with potential to grow into a longer-term role leading Avenera's data practice
• Hands-on technical responsibility and autonomy from day one
• Close collaboration with Avenera's AI Solutions Architect, AI Strategist, and AI Architect

• Contract phase: $75–$115 per hour, based on experience
• Converted FTE: $115,000–$165,000 USD, based on experience
• Remote (US)
• Open to sponsoring work authorization for the right candidate