Data Engineer (Temporary Employment)

Risepoint assists primarily regional universities in increasing their access and impact by making their academic programs available to students online. Founded in 2007, Risepoint mission is to expand access to high-quality, affordable, and workforce-relevant education, especially for working and adult students. Risepoint brings single-minded dedication to student success, an integrated set of services, and data-driven performance to our collaboration with university partners

At Risepoint, we partner with universities to expand access to top-quality, affordable, and workforce-relevant degree programs. Our Research & Insights team powers this mission by delivering data-driven understanding of student needs, market dynamics, and institutional opportunities.

We are seeking a Data Engineer to support ongoing data integration, analysis, and dashboarding work that enables insights across the organization.

Role Overview

The Data Engineer will help maintain and enhance Risepoint’s research data ecosystem. This role is ideal for someone who is detail-oriented, curious, and capable of solving technical challenges independently.

Working closely with teams across Risepoint, the contractor will ensure data pipelines, warehouse structures, and dashboards continue to deliver reliable, actionable insights. This position is hands-on and tactical, primarily focusing on maintaining existing systems, troubleshooting, and refining Python and SQL-based processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Run, maintain, and troubleshoot existing Python scripts that process and integrate data from internal and third-party sources.
• Modify and enhance existing scripts to handle new edge cases, errors, or updated data structures.
• Write, edit, and optimize SQL queries, stored procedures, and functions to support reporting and analytics requests.
• Manage and query databases to ensure data integrity, performance, and consistency across sources.
• Support and refine Tableau dashboards, including data connections, calculations, and visualizations.
• Investigate and resolve data discrepancies by reviewing documentation, data dictionaries, and metadata.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across Strategy, Marketing, Product Innovation, and other areas to understand data requests, clarify objectives, and deliver clean, accurate outputs.
• Document updates, queries, and fixes for knowledge continuity.

Qualifications

• Strong curiosity and a drive to understand why behind data requests and workflows.
• Resourceful problem-solver; comfortable using Google, ChatGPT, and existing documentation to debug code or locate data sources.
• Strong analytical mindset and ability to identify the right data fields for specific questions or metrics.
• Experience in SQL (intermediate to advanced):
  • Writing and editing queries
  • Creating and modifying stored procedures and functions
  • Managing database tables and relationships
• Python skills at a low- to intermediate level:
  • Ability to run existing scripts
  • Ability to modify or extend scripts to handle new scenarios and data issues
• Experience using and maintaining Tableau dashboards (intermediate).
• Familiarity with IPEDS or higher education data sources preferred, but the ability to learn quickly through documentation is essential
• Comfortable working independently, asking clarifying questions, and communicating progress proactively

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• Naturally curious and methodical; enjoys exploring data to find answers.
• Pragmatic and self-directed; can balance accuracy with delivery speed.
• Eager to learn new data structures and tools through exploration and experimentation.
• Brings a practical, problem-solving mindset to coding, data cleaning, and dashboard work.

Engagement Details

• Type: Temporary Employee
• Duration: 3 months (possible extension)
• Commitment: Part-time
• Location: Remote (United States)
• Start Date: As soon as available

Join Us

If you’re a hands-on data engineer who enjoys solving data puzzles, refining existing code, and supporting a mission-driven education organization, we’d love to hear from you.

RisePoint is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce