Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey. Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more. Explore more details on the Benefits of Working at HHS webpage.

Brief Job Description:

The Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) seeks a motivated and talented Data Engineer (Data Architect I) to join the Fraud Analytics unit within the OIG’s Data Reviews Division.

The OIG’s mission is to protect public resources and improve the health, safety, and well-being of Texans by preventing, detecting, auditing, inspecting, reviewing, and investigating fraud, waste, and abuse in the provision and delivery of all state health and human services and enforcing state law related to the provision of those services. The OIG’s Data Reviews Division develops OIG initiatives through research and innovation, employing tools and processes that leverage the power of data to increase efficiency.

The Fraud Analytics unit plays a critical role in the OIG’s mission by developing and implementing algorithms, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) models, and advanced analytics to detect fraud, waste, and abuse, identify and respond to risks, and to generate insights and actionable leads that support investigations, audits, inspections, and reviews in state health and human services programs such as Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

The Data Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, integrating, maintaining, and optimizing scalable data pipelines that support these efforts and enable advanced analytics capabilities, ensuring that data analysts and data scientists have efficient, high-quality data to strengthen the OIG’s data driven decision-making processes. This position reports to the Deputy Inspector General of Fraud Analytics and works under minimal supervision, with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. 

Essential Job Functions:

Attends work on a regular and predictable schedule in accordance with agency leave policy and performs duties as assigned:

1. Designs, builds, and manages efficient, scalable, and reliable data pipelines to support ETL/ELT processes and data integration efforts. Extracts data from multiple sources, and loads into a data warehouse, data store or other system and transforms raw data into structured, high-quality datasets that are readily usable by data analysts and data scientists to support analytics and data science use cases. Develops pipeline code using Python and SQL and sets standards for related metadata management. Implements and manages the data pipeline continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) processes using GitHub Enterprise. Manages data pipeline jobs throughout their lifecycle. Supports the task of deploying analytics and data science outputs into existing processes, applications, and dashboards. Develops and maintains a robust data architecture that supports the needs of data analysts and data scientists, while ensuring security and compliance standards are met. (40%)
2. Develops and maintains documentation of best practices and standards for data engineering within the Office of Inspector General. Works closely with data analysts, data scientists, and other stakeholders to understand their data needs and ensure the accessibility, reliability, and scalability of data and to deliver necessary data infrastructure and resources. Implements processes and tools to monitor, validate, and ensure the accuracy and integrity of data used for analysis, with a focus on Databricks on Azure environments. Assists in the identification and integration of existing and potential new data sources, including HHS Snowflake data warehouses and Oracle databases. (30%)
3. Performs Databricks administration tasks, including managing workspaces, clusters, and access controls. Optimizes Databricks environments for performance and cost-efficiency. Implements and maintains security protocols within the Databricks ecosystem. Manages integration between Databricks, Azure, Snowflake, and Oracle environments. (15%)
4. Researches and evaluates emerging data engineering technologies and methodologies to enhance the organization's data capabilities, with a focus on Databricks, Azure, and open-source technologies, ensuring alignment with the OIG’s strategic goals. Serves as a subject matter expert in health and human services and OIG program data. Serves as a liaison with external data engineering teams, the HHS Office of the Chief Data Architect, and technology vendors. Performs other duties necessary to achieve the mission of the Office of Inspector General. (15%)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Extensive knowledge of data engineering principles and practices, with a focus on cloud computing platforms, particularly Databricks, Azure, and Snowflake. Strong understanding of data modeling, data warehousing, data lake and lakehouse concepts, and querying relational databases. Proficiency in data wrangling, data storage, and data pipeline operations. Knowledge of data governance and quality standards, relational/non-relational data structures, theories, principles, and practices. Understanding of record keeping, including security procedures for handling, protecting, and distributing confidential data.

2. Expert skill in Python for ETL/ELT processes and in SQL to query and optimize data queries to improve efficiency and reduce run times, especially in large, complex databases. Advanced experience with Databricks, including Delta Lake, Spark, and Databricks administration tasks. Proficiency in automating data collection and processing. Experience with Snowflake and Oracle data warehousing concepts and operations. Skill in Excel and PowerPoint.
3. Skill in critical thinking, analyzing problems, and devising effective solutions.
4. Verbal and written communication skills essential to effectively interact with data analysts, data scientists, OIG customers, and OIG leadership.
5. Ability to design and implement complex data pipelines and architectures, particularly in Databricks and Azure environments.
6. Ability to plan, organize, lead, manage and monitor data engineering projects from inception to completion.
7. Ability to adapt to rapidly changing technologies and methodologies.
8. Ability to effectively communicate complex data findings and analytical methodologies, both verbally and in writing, to technical and non-technical audiences.
9. Ability to work effectively in teams that may cross departments and/or agencies. Ability to mentor and support team members in data engineering practices.
10. Ability to work independently, exercise independent judgment, prioritize tasks, and manage multiple projects/assignments/responsibilities in a fast-paced environment under time constraints.

Registrations, Licensure Requirements or Certifications:

N/A

Initial Screening Criteria:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in data engineering, including designing, building, and maintaining large-scale data pipelines and architectures using Python and SQL.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience with Databricks, including administration tasks.
• Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) preferred.
• Experience with VS Code preferred.
• Experience with Git for version control and collaborative development preferred.
• Experience with Snowflake and Oracle databases preferred.
• Experience in data engineering solutions in the healthcare domain preferred.
• Experience supporting AI/ML and advanced analytics/data science teams by designing and optimizing data pipelines for model training and inference preferred.
• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in computer science, computer information systems, engineering, or a related field. Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in related field may substitute for experience.

Additional Information:

• A copy of college transcript will be required.

• The OIG is responsible for preventing, detecting, auditing, inspecting, reviewing, and investigating fraud, waste, and abuse in the provision of HHS in Medicaid and other HHS programs.  Potential employees of OIG are subject to criminal background checks in accordance with the HHS Human Resources policy. Selected applicants must complete a national fingerprint-based criminal background check through Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to determine if they have criminal history record information that constitutes a bar to employment.
• Any employment offer is contingent upon available budgeted funds. The offered salary will be determined in accordance with budgetary limits and the requirements of the HHSC Human Resources Manual.

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Active Duty, Military, Reservists, Guardsmen, and Veterans:

Military occupation(s) that relate to the initial selection criteria and registration or licensure requirements for this position may include, but not limited to those listed in this posting. All active-duty military, reservists, guardsmen, and veterans are encouraged to apply if qualified to fill this position. For more information please see the Texas State Auditor’s Job Descriptions, Military Crosswalk and Military Crosswalk Guide at Texas State Auditor's Office - Job Descriptions.

ADA Accommodations:

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), HHSC and DSHS agencies will provide reasonable accommodation during the hiring and selection process for qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance completing the on-line application, contact the HHS Employee Service Center at 1-888-894-4747. If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodation to participate in the interview process, please notify the person scheduling the interview.

Pre-Employment Checks and Work Eligibility:

Depending on the program area and position requirements, applicants selected for hire may be required to pass background and other due diligence checks.

HHSC uses E-Verify. You must bring your I-9 documentation with you on your first day of work. Download the I-9 Form