About the Opportunity

5K C&T Services is seeking a Lead Forward Deployed Engineer for an initial six-month contract opportunity supporting a confidential client. The contract may be extended based on client demand, project requirements, and contractor performance.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on enterprise data migration, multi-system consolidation, cloud modernization, and data platform engineering. The selected engineer will work directly with enterprise customers to assess complex data environments, develop migration strategies, build scalable data pipelines, and lead the technical execution of large transformation programs.

The Lead Forward Deployed Engineer will serve as both a solution architect and hands-on engineer. This role requires the ability to independently lead complex migration engagements while remaining directly involved in architecture, development, testing, reconciliation, deployment, and client communication.

The successful candidate must be comfortable working in high-stakes enterprise environments involving legacy systems, fragmented ERP platforms, large data volumes, complex business rules, and demanding migration timelines.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Data Migration and Cloud Architecture

Lead the technical delivery of enterprise data migration and data consolidation programs.
Design migration strategies for moving data from legacy enterprise systems into cloud platforms, SaaS applications, data warehouses, operational data stores, and lakehouse environments.
Assess current-state architectures, data landscapes, system dependencies, technical risks, and migration readiness.
Design cloud landing zones, data governance controls, migration frameworks, and system rationalization strategies.
Execute parallel ingestion and migration workflows across heterogeneous source systems while minimizing business disruption and protecting data integrity.
Establish automated rollback procedures, migration controls, operational readiness criteria, and cutover plans.
Maintain technical accountability for migration scope, dependencies, risks, quality, and delivery outcomes.
Support multi-phase migration and modernization roadmaps that may span multiple systems, business units, or geographic regions.

Data Pipeline Engineering and Transformation

Design and build production-grade connectors for enterprise platforms, including SAP, Oracle, Epic, SQL databases, APIs, and other structured and unstructured data sources.
Develop scalable ETL and ELT pipelines using modern data integration platforms and cloud-native services.
Build version-controlled pipelines with automated error handling, incremental loading, data validation, and Change Data Capture.
Develop data profiling, cleansing, transformation, reconciliation, and quality-control processes.
Configure pipeline outputs for ERP platforms, cloud data warehouses, data lakes, lakehouses, and operational systems.
Optimize migration throughput and reliability for datasets ranging from millions to billions of records.
Implement monitoring and exception-management processes throughout the migration lifecycle.
Develop source-to-target transformation logic for complex and poorly documented legacy environments.

Data Consolidation and Master Data Management

Lead the consolidation of multiple ERP, application, and data platform instances into standardized enterprise data models.
Develop common master data structures for customers, products, vendors, assets, orders, invoices, and financial records.
Resolve conflicting data definitions, hierarchies, identifiers, and business rules across source systems.
Perform entity resolution, customer matching, product harmonization, vendor consolidation, and key reconciliation.
Establish golden-record frameworks, survivorship rules, quality scorecards, and stewardship workflows.
Implement ownership models, lineage tracking, and long-term data governance controls.
Maintain data integrity throughout migration, consolidation, and post-production operations.

Schema Mapping, Ontology, and AI-Assisted Transformation

Develop semantic models and ontology layers that translate raw enterprise data into business-consumable objects.
Design automated source-to-target schema mapping and transformation processes.
Use AI-assisted tools to support schema inference, data mapping, transformation logic, anomaly detection, and reconciliation.
Build entity relationships and cross-system lineage models.
Develop AI-ready semantic structures that support analytics, reporting, operational workflows, and decision intelligence.
Implement appropriate row-level and column-level access controls.
Support knowledge graph, ontology, and semantic modeling activities where applicable.

Application and Workflow Development

Build migration dashboards, control centers, monitoring applications, and business process workflows.
Develop user interfaces that give business and technical stakeholders visibility into migration progress, data quality, risks, and issue resolution.
Create automated workflows for validation, reconciliation, exception handling, and anomaly detection.
Develop APIs, SDKs, and integration services using Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, or comparable technologies.
Support custom connectivity requirements across enterprise systems and third-party platforms.
Implement real-time monitoring of migration progress, service-level commitments, quality metrics, and compliance controls.

Client Engagement and Technical Leadership

Serve as the primary technical advisor for enterprise data migration and consolidation engagements.
Work directly with executives, enterprise architects, program leaders, engineers, and business stakeholders.
Lead technical discovery sessions, architecture workshops, migration planning discussions, and solution-design reviews.
Translate business requirements into practical technical architectures and implementation plans.
Present migration status, technical risks, architectural decisions, and readiness assessments to executive and technical stakeholders.
Operate independently in complex client environments while maintaining alignment with program leadership.
Mentor engineers and support knowledge transfer to client technical teams.
Lead milestone demonstrations, technical reviews, and migration readiness discussions.

Reusable Assets and Delivery Improvement

Develop reusable migration accelerators, templates, connectors, playbooks, and reference architectures.
Document implementation patterns, lessons learned, technical standards, and best practices.
Identify opportunities to improve migration quality, delivery speed, repeatability, and time to value.
Support knowledge transfer and transition planning so client teams can maintain solutions after deployment.

Required Qualifications

Seven or more years of progressive experience in enterprise data engineering, data migration, data integration, or system consolidation.
At least three years of experience leading complex data migration or multi-system consolidation initiatives.
Demonstrated hands-on ownership of enterprise data migration delivery, including planning, architecture, pipeline development, testing, reconciliation, cutover, and stabilization.
Experience migrating data from multiple heterogeneous source systems.
Strong hands-on proficiency with Python and SQL.
Working experience with PySpark, TypeScript, JavaScript, or comparable development technologies.
Experience with modern ETL and ELT platforms such as Informatica, Talend, Matillion, Fivetran, AWS Glue, Azure Data Factory, or comparable tools.
Experience developing scalable data pipelines with error handling, version control, incremental loading, and Change Data Capture.
Experience with at least one major cloud platform: AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
Experience with cloud data warehouses or lakehouse platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift, Synapse Analytics, Delta Lake, or comparable technologies.
Experience integrating with complex enterprise ERP, operational, database, and application environments.
Experience with data profiling, cleansing, validation, reconciliation, and migration quality controls.
Experience with master data management, entity resolution, golden-record creation, or enterprise data consolidation.
Ability to analyze complex source systems and develop source-to-target mappings.
Strong understanding of data governance, metadata, lineage, security, and access controls.
Experience using AI-assisted capabilities for data discovery, schema inference, mapping, transformation, or reconciliation.
Demonstrated client-facing experience leading technical workshops and architecture discussions.
Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to executives, architects, engineers, and business stakeholders.
Ability to independently lead technical delivery in ambiguous and high-pressure environments.
Ability to work effectively with clients and delivery teams across United States time zones.
Willingness and ability to travel to client locations based on project requirements.
Existing authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship from 5K C&T Services during the engagement.

Preferred Qualifications

Hands-on experience with AI Foundry or a comparable enterprise AI-enabled data transformation platform.
AI Foundry certification in data engineering, ontology development, application development, or a related discipline.
Direct experience with SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, SAP MDG, Oracle ERP, Oracle GoldenGate, Epic, or comparable enterprise platforms.
Experience with SAP integration technologies such as RFC, IDoc, BAPI, or OData.
Experience consolidating multiple ERP instances into common enterprise data models.
Experience migrating more than 100 million records across complex enterprise systems.
Experience with enterprise Master Data Management platforms such as Informatica MDM, SAP MDG, Profisee, or Reltio.
Experience with ontology development, semantic modeling, knowledge graphs, RDF, OWL, Neo4j, Stardog, or comparable technologies.
Experience incorporating large language models or AI-assisted tools into schema inference, mapping, transformation, or reconciliation workflows.
Experience with OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, or comparable AI services.
Experience with low-code application platforms such as Mendix, OutSystems, Power Apps, or comparable tools.
Experience with Kafka, Kinesis, Event Hubs, Pub/Sub, or another event-streaming platform.
Experience with infrastructure as code and CI/CD technologies such as Terraform, Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or Argo CD.
Experience with data observability, cataloging, or lineage platforms such as Monte Carlo, Collibra, Alation, or Apache Atlas.
Knowledge of data privacy and regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA, or FedRAMP.
Relevant cloud, data engineering, SAP, master data management, or enterprise AI certifications.
Experience in healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, energy and utilities, or the public sector.
Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, data science, information systems, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

Engagement Details

Client: Confidential Client
Employment Type: Six-Month Contract with Possibility of Extension
Engagement Structure: 1099 Only (C2C arrangements will not be considered)
Location: Remote within the United States
Compensation: $75-$100 per hour on a 1099 basis, depending on experience, technical alignment, and relevant enterprise migration expertise
Travel: Travel to client locations may be required based on project needs; approved business travel expenses will be reimbursed
Anticipated Start Date: Within two to four weeks of candidate selection
5K C&T Services will not provide employment sponsorship during the engagement

Interview Process

The interview process is expected to include multiple stages:

Initial screening with 5K C&T Services.
Technical and experience-based interviews with the client.
Technical assessment, case study, or solution-design exercise.
Additional stakeholder or final interviews, as required.

The number and sequence of interviews may vary based on client requirements and candidate availability.

What Success Looks Like

Quickly understands complex enterprise data environments and migration requirements.
Develops practical migration plans that address risk, quality, security, and business continuity.
Builds reliable and scalable data pipelines for large and complex datasets.
Maintains data accuracy and completeness throughout migration and consolidation.
Resolves complex schema, master data, entity-matching, and reconciliation challenges.
Uses AI-assisted and enterprise data platform capabilities to accelerate discovery, mapping, transformation, and migration delivery.
Communicates risks, progress, and architectural decisions clearly to client stakeholders.
Provides hands-on technical leadership while supporting the broader delivery team.
Creates reusable migration components and delivery practices that improve future engagements.

About 5K C&T Services

5K C&T Services is an operator-led advisory and talent solutions firm supporting organizations across artificial intelligence, customer experience, digital transformation, cloud technology, data engineering, and enterprise IT.

We connect clients with experienced professionals who can solve complex business and technology challenges. Our recruiting process combines technology-enabled candidate evaluation with direct professional screening to identify candidates who align with both the technical requirements and business objectives of each opportunity.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply through the 5K C&T Services application process. Candidates selected for consideration will participate in an initial screening with 5K C&T Services before being presented to the confidential client. 5K C&T Services provides equal employment opportunities and evaluates candidates based on their qualifications, experience, and ability to perform the responsibilities of the engagement.

Lead Forward Deployed Engineer, Data Mi...