Data Engineer - Behavioral Health
Apply NowCompany: King County, WA
Location: Seattle, WA 98115
Description:
Salary: $116,665.12 - $147,879.89 Annually
Location : Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Job Number: 2025SC24142
Department: DCHS - Community & Human Srvcs
Division: Comm & Human Svcs Admin
Opening Date: 04/11/2025
Closing Date: 4/26/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: C23 : PROTEC17-Non-Sups Staff (DCHS)
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours/Week: 40 hours/week
Summary
The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences.
Are you a technical whiz who excels at creating efficient and beautiful scripts, packages, data pipelines and database solutions for use by other data professionals? Do you love helping others understand data systems and how to optimize their design? Are you excited about being the subject matter expert for a large and complex data system, and creating processes and documentation for others to build their knowledge? The Performance Measurement and Evaluation (PME) Unit within the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is seeking a savvy Data Engineer to join our team of analytic experts!
King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, self-reliant, and connected to community. DCHS manages a wide range of programs and services to assist the county's most vulnerable residents. The department maintains a pro-equity focus aimed at developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all county residents, regardless of race or income.
DCHS is committed to leveraging data to inform program and investment decisions. We are investing heavily in data systems to collect robust client-level outcome data as well as in data infrastructure to support workflows that combine data across historically siloed service systems. This opens opportunities for more impactful analytics as well as introducing more complex requirements for data management. We are seeking a skilled and collaborative Data Engineer who is interested in working with a wide range of internal partners to expand and optimize our data and data pipeline architecture, as well as optimize data flow and collection for cross functional teams. This position supports the (BHRD) within DCHS. BHRD provides a wide variety of services including crisis services, mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, and diversion and reentry services.
This position is centrally located within the Performance Measurement and Evaluation (PME) unit of the DCHS Director's Office. PME is composed of a team of dedicated data scientists, engineers and evaluators who work with partners within and outside of DCHS to provide insights for data-informed program and policy decisions and test innovative approaches to tackling a variety of system, policy, and service delivery challenges.
WHO MAY APPLY: The position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit a complete King County application online and respond to the supplemental questions. Please ensure that you respond to these supplemental questions fully and thoughtfully, as they will be evaluated alongside your application during the recruitment process.Interviews will be conducted around May 8 and 9, 2025.
WORK SCHEDULE: This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and not eligible for overtime. Typical hours are Monday - Friday 8am-5pm. Data Engineers are represented by PROTEC17.
MISSION CRITICAL POSITION STATUS: This position has been designated Non Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information, please visit and the
TELEWORKING REQUIREMENT: The work associated with this position will be performed or conducted through a combination of teleworking and onsite work and meetings. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
RECRUITER:
Job Duties
Create and Maintain Optimal Data Pipeline Architecture and Documentation
Build Analytical Tools that Utilize the Data Pipeline
Provide Support and Subject Matter Expertise on Data System
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Supplemental Information
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01
Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant? ANDIs this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? ANDDo you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
02
If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided:1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice2. The department you worked in3. The effective date of your layoff
03
Please describe your interest in this position and how it fits into your current career goals.
04
Describe your experience building and optimizing complex administrative data pipelines, architectures, and data sets. Highlight experience with health or behavioral health data, as applicable.
05
Do you have extensive SQL knowledge and experience working with large relational databases, query authoring (SQL) as well as working familiarity with a variety of databases.
06
Please elaborate on your skills and expertise working with SQL and R, as well as your relevant experience using other applicable software (e.g., Tableau, Python, SAS).
07
Describe your experience documenting or communicating about complex technical topics with/for a diverse range of partners. Please highlight the tools or processes you used to foster partner understanding.
08
King County has transformed its work on equity and social justice from an initiative to an integrated effort that applies the principle of "fair and just" intentionally in all the county does to achieve equitable opportunities for all people and communities. What role do you see data analysts playing in advancing equity and social justice?
Required Question
Location : Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Job Number: 2025SC24142
Department: DCHS - Community & Human Srvcs
Division: Comm & Human Svcs Admin
Opening Date: 04/11/2025
Closing Date: 4/26/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: C23 : PROTEC17-Non-Sups Staff (DCHS)
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours/Week: 40 hours/week
Summary
The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences.
Are you a technical whiz who excels at creating efficient and beautiful scripts, packages, data pipelines and database solutions for use by other data professionals? Do you love helping others understand data systems and how to optimize their design? Are you excited about being the subject matter expert for a large and complex data system, and creating processes and documentation for others to build their knowledge? The Performance Measurement and Evaluation (PME) Unit within the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is seeking a savvy Data Engineer to join our team of analytic experts!
King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, self-reliant, and connected to community. DCHS manages a wide range of programs and services to assist the county's most vulnerable residents. The department maintains a pro-equity focus aimed at developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all county residents, regardless of race or income.
DCHS is committed to leveraging data to inform program and investment decisions. We are investing heavily in data systems to collect robust client-level outcome data as well as in data infrastructure to support workflows that combine data across historically siloed service systems. This opens opportunities for more impactful analytics as well as introducing more complex requirements for data management. We are seeking a skilled and collaborative Data Engineer who is interested in working with a wide range of internal partners to expand and optimize our data and data pipeline architecture, as well as optimize data flow and collection for cross functional teams. This position supports the (BHRD) within DCHS. BHRD provides a wide variety of services including crisis services, mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, and diversion and reentry services.
This position is centrally located within the Performance Measurement and Evaluation (PME) unit of the DCHS Director's Office. PME is composed of a team of dedicated data scientists, engineers and evaluators who work with partners within and outside of DCHS to provide insights for data-informed program and policy decisions and test innovative approaches to tackling a variety of system, policy, and service delivery challenges.
WHO MAY APPLY: The position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit a complete King County application online and respond to the supplemental questions. Please ensure that you respond to these supplemental questions fully and thoughtfully, as they will be evaluated alongside your application during the recruitment process.Interviews will be conducted around May 8 and 9, 2025.
WORK SCHEDULE: This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and not eligible for overtime. Typical hours are Monday - Friday 8am-5pm. Data Engineers are represented by PROTEC17.
MISSION CRITICAL POSITION STATUS: This position has been designated Non Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information, please visit and the
TELEWORKING REQUIREMENT: The work associated with this position will be performed or conducted through a combination of teleworking and onsite work and meetings. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
RECRUITER:
Job Duties
Create and Maintain Optimal Data Pipeline Architecture and Documentation
- Consult with partners to define the requirements for collecting, structuring, and organizing data; translate into technical specifications to meet business needs and communicate effectively.
- Build the infrastructure required for optimal extraction, transformation, and loading of data from a wide variety of data sources using SQL and R.
- Lead data cleaning, management, and validation efforts to ensure the completeness and accuracy of data used to support measurement and evaluation.
- Identify, design, and implement internal process improvements: automating manual processes, optimizing data delivery, re-designing infrastructure for greater scalability, etc.
- Design and build large, complex data sets that meet business requirements.
- Create and maintain architecture diagrams, system documentation, data models, mapping documents, data dictionaries, business rules, data flow diagrams, and other related artifacts.
Build Analytical Tools that Utilize the Data Pipeline
- Build tools that utilize the data pipeline to streamline review and validation processes and provide actionable insights into key performance indicators.
- Develop various metrics and routine reports to support evaluation and measurement, for example those that monitor data submissions; where relevant, coordinate and align products across different reporting streams.
- Develop dashboards, charts, reports, and presentations that visually represent key findings for non-technical audiences and communicate results in a way that is actionable.
- Respond to other data requests and perform other related duties as assigned.
Provide Support and Subject Matter Expertise on Data System
- Provide consultation to internal partners to assist with technical issues and ensure data obtained through system transactions and other means meets the needs of data analysts and evaluators.
- Provide technical subject matter expertise about data structures, concepts, and interpretation via orientation to data systems, code review, participation in data standards discussions, and counseling on considerations for analytic use and interpretation.
- Monitor and communicate relevant data system changes and implications to technical staff.
- Manage team processes and tools for shared learning, improvement, and documentation of data systems.
- Review data use proposals for technical feasibility and compliance in support of cross-divisional or cross-departmental data collaborations.
- As needed, participate in team, work group, division, and department meetings.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Three to five (3-5) years of relevant work experience, and/or an equivalent combination of education and work experience in data analytics, computer science, engineering, applied math, statistics, or a related field.
- Experience building and optimizing complex administrative data pipelines, architectures and data sets, including experience extracting, manipulating, matching, cleaning, and validating data from large, disconnected datasets.
- Experience working with medical or behavioral health administrative claims or encounter data, and ability to develop a strong understanding of the key business processes and programmatic features reflected in the administrative data.
- Extensive SQL knowledge and experience working with large relational databases, query authoring (SQL) as well as working familiarity with a variety of databases.
- Experience with data management, analysis, and visualization tools, such as R, Git, and Tableau.
- Strong knowledge management and organizational skills, with experience creating documentation and processes for team-wide management and awareness of data systems.
- Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate well about technical topics with non-technical audiences.
- Experience supporting and working with cross-functional teams in a dynamic environment.
- Knowledge of equity and social justice principles and practices and/or lived experience or understanding of the effect of place-, race-, and policy & systems inequities on communities and populations.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Understanding of health and behavioral health measurement and management processes, indicators, and tools.
- Expert skills in SQL and R, including experience authoring and maintaining R functions and packages and SQL stored procedures.
Supplemental Information
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
Guided by our , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite activity centers
- Employee Giving Program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01
Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant? ANDIs this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? ANDDo you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
- Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my Career Service role at King County and I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. Additionally, the position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
- No.
02
If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided:1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice2. The department you worked in3. The effective date of your layoff
03
Please describe your interest in this position and how it fits into your current career goals.
04
Describe your experience building and optimizing complex administrative data pipelines, architectures, and data sets. Highlight experience with health or behavioral health data, as applicable.
05
Do you have extensive SQL knowledge and experience working with large relational databases, query authoring (SQL) as well as working familiarity with a variety of databases.
- Yes
- No
06
Please elaborate on your skills and expertise working with SQL and R, as well as your relevant experience using other applicable software (e.g., Tableau, Python, SAS).
07
Describe your experience documenting or communicating about complex technical topics with/for a diverse range of partners. Please highlight the tools or processes you used to foster partner understanding.
08
King County has transformed its work on equity and social justice from an initiative to an integrated effort that applies the principle of "fair and just" intentionally in all the county does to achieve equitable opportunities for all people and communities. What role do you see data analysts playing in advancing equity and social justice?
Required Question