Data Engineer (Contract) – St. Louis, MO – Join Robert Half's Elite Talent Network

Are you a skilled Data Engineer passionate about building scalable data solutions that drive business success? Robert Half is partnering with leading organizations in St. Louis, Missouri to place top-tier Data Engineering talent for high-impact contract opportunities. This role offers the perfect platform to leverage your expertise in data pipelines, ETL processes, and cloud architectures while enjoying the flexibility of contract work with Robert Half's unmatched support.

About the Role

As a Data Engineer on this contract assignment, you'll be at the forefront of transforming raw data into actionable insights. Based in the vibrant tech hub of St. Louis, MO, you'll design and maintain robust data infrastructures that power advanced analytics, machine learning models, and business intelligence dashboards. This position is ideal for professionals with 3+ years of hands-on experience who thrive in dynamic environments and excel at integrating diverse data sources—from relational databases to streaming data and unstructured formats.

Robert Half specializes in connecting exceptional talent like you with innovative companies seeking contract Data Engineers. Whether you're optimizing data warehouses, automating ETL workflows, or ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations, your contributions will directly influence strategic decision-making. With St. Louis' growing tech scene and proximity to major corporations, this role provides exposure to cutting-edge projects in industries like finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and e-commerce.

Key Responsibilities

Your day-to-day impact will include:

• Architecting, developing, testing, and maintaining scalable data pipelines using tools like Apache Airflow, Kafka, or AWS Glue.
• Integrating heterogeneous data sources (SQL/NoSQL databases, APIs, flat files, real-time streams) to enable seamless analytics and BI reporting.
• Performance tuning databases (PostgreSQL, Snowflake, BigQuery) and optimizing query execution for high-volume workloads.
• Implementing end-to-end data security measures, including encryption, access controls, GDPR/HIPAA compliance, and auditing protocols.
• Partnering with data scientists, analysts, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical data solutions.
• Diagnosing and resolving complex data issues, bottlenecks, and anomalies through root cause analysis.
• Automating data ingestion, transformation, and orchestration processes to reduce manual intervention and improve efficiency.
• Maintaining comprehensive data documentation, metadata management, and promoting data governance best practices across teams.

Expect to work in agile environments, participating in sprint planning, code reviews, and deployment cycles using CI/CD pipelines.

Required Qualifications

To succeed, you'll bring:

• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related discipline (Master's preferred).
• 3-5+ years of progressive Data Engineering experience, with proven success in building production-grade data systems.
• Expertise in programming languages such as Python, Scala, or Java for data processing.
• Deep knowledge of SQL and experience with big data tools like Spark, Hadoop, or Flink.
• Hands-on proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS Redshift/S3, Azure Synapse, Google BigQuery) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong skills in ETL/ELT frameworks, data modeling (dimensional/star schema), and orchestration tools.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally and communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Certifications like AWS Certified Data Analytics or Google Professional Data Engineer are highly valued.

Why Join Us at Robert Half?

Robert Half offers more than just a job—it's a career accelerator. Enjoy competitive pay starting at $64/hour (equivalent to $125K+ annually), flexible contract terms, and the potential for long-term placement. Our benefits include weekly direct deposit, dedicated recruiter support, access to exclusive training via Robert Half University, and a vast professional network spanning Fortune 500 firms.

St. Louis, Missouri, combines Midwestern affordability with booming tech opportunities, world-class barbecue, and attractions like the Gateway Arch. Join a community of high-achieving Data Engineers through Robert Half and elevate your career. Apply today to secure your spot in this sought-after contract role—positions fill quickly!

This job posting is optimized for Data Engineer careers in St. Louis, MO. Keywords: data pipelines, ETL, cloud data engineering, SQL, Python, AWS, Azure, Robert Half jobs.