Forward Deployed Data Engineer

About the Role

Abacus Insights is expanding what we do for health plans, and we're looking for a Forward Deployed Data Engineer to help us do it. As we launch new and expanded service offerings, we're putting multidisciplinary teams directly alongside our clients-pairing healthcare subject matter experts, AI and product engineers, and forward-deployed data engineers, each bringing a distinct and essential skill set-to solve their hardest data challenges and deliver value faster than ever. This is a chance to be part of that build from the start.

In this role, you will be the hands-on data engineering expert on client-facing work. You will go on-site with clients, dig into their environments and source systems, and design and build the data models, pipelines, and integrations that turn fragmented payer data into a governed, analytics-ready foundation-frequently on Snowflake, where many of our clients are building.

You will often step into ambiguous situations-unfamiliar systems, incomplete documentation, competing priorities-and bring the structure, technical judgment, and healthcare fluency to move forward. You will work hand in hand with our core delivery teams, preserve Abacus data-modeling practices, and capture the patterns and lessons that help us scale these new offerings and reuse what we learn across engagements.

This role sits at the intersection of senior data engineering, client consulting, and payer data expertise.

Your day to day

• Design and implement data models, ETL/ELT pipelines, and integrations that bring client payer data into governed, analytics-ready foundations, with a particular focus on Snowflake
• Translate business requirements into scalable technical designs, from ingestion and standardization through analytics-ready data products
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to client data, IT, and business stakeholders, including senior leaders, and work on-site with clients as engagements require
• Lead discovery sessions and workshops, gather requirements, and bring structure to open-ended problems
• Communicate technical tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Work with core payer datasets-claims, eligibility, member, provider, encounter, and care management data-and advise clients on data quality, mapping, and integration approaches across commercial, government, and other lines of business
• Navigate healthcare interoperability standards and exchange patterns, including FHIR, HL7, EDI, and APIs
• Partner closely with the healthcare SME, AI/product engineer, and core delivery teams on every engagement
• Preserve and apply Abacus data-modeling standards and best practices across client work
• Capture reusable patterns, accelerators, and lessons learned, and contribute to the playbooks and practices that support our new and expanded service offerings as they grow

What you bring to the team

Technical Experience

• 7+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, solution engineering, or a related technical role
• Strong expertise in data modeling, ETL/ELT, integration, databases, data pipelines, and analytics solution design
• Proficiency in SQL, Snowflake, Databricks, Spark, cloud data services, APIs, and integration frameworks; hands-on Snowflake experience strongly preferred, as clients build their data foundations there

Healthcare Domain Expertise

• Experience with healthcare payer, government, claims, eligibility, member, provider, encounter, and care management data
• Familiarity with healthcare interoperability standards and exchange patterns, including FHIR, HL7, EDI, and APIs

Consulting and Client Engagement

• Proven ability to work directly with external clients, senior stakeholders, and ambiguous requirements
• Strong facilitation, requirements-gathering, communication, and structured problem-solving skills

Leadership and Personal Attributes

• T-shaped professional with deep technical expertise, broad systems understanding, and sound business judgment
• Self-starter with strong analytical instincts, pragmatic problem solving, and the ability to work on-site with clients as needed

What we'd like to see, but not required

• Experience in a consulting, professional services, or other client-facing delivery environment
• Snowflake or Databricks certifications
• Experience with data governance, master data management, or data quality frameworks
• Familiarity with CMS, Medicaid, or Medicare data requirements

Compensation

Compensation for this role is based on experience, skills, and location, and includes base salary plus eligibility for performance bonuses and equity grants.

What you'll get in return

• Unlimited paid time off - recharge when you need it
• Work from anywhere - flexibility to fit your life
• Comprehensive health coverage - multiple plan options to choose from
• Equity for every employee - share in our success
• Growth-focused environment - your development matters here
• Home office setup allowance - one-time support to get you started
• Monthly cell phone allowance - stay connected with ease