Lead Data engineer (AWS)
Quick facts
- Pay
- 90000 - 120000 USD /YEAR
- Type
- Full-time
- Location
- Richmond, VA
- Skills
- Python, Scala, SQL, AWS
- Industry
- Information Technology — 671 open jobs
- Visa in listing
- H-1B, OPT
- Apply
- Free to apply — never pay anyone for a job offer or visa sponsorship
Job description
Job Title: AWS Data Engineering Lead
Employment Type: W2 (All valid US work visas accepted — H1B, TN, GC, GC-EAD, OPT/CPT, H4-EAD, etc.)
Location: Richmond, VA
Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced AWS Data Engineering Lead to design, build, and scale enterprise data pipelines and cloud-native data platforms. This role combines hands-on engineering with technical leadership, guiding a team of data engineers while partnering with architecture, analytics, and business stakeholders to deliver reliable, high-performance data solutions on AWS.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and implementation of scalable ETL/ELT pipelines using AWS-native services
- Architect data lake and data warehouse solutions leveraging S3, Redshift, Glue, EMR, and Athena
- Build and orchestrate workflows using AWS Glue, Step Functions, Lambda, and Airflow
- Define and enforce data engineering best practices, coding standards, and CI/CD pipelines
- Mentor and technically guide a team of data engineers; conduct code reviews and design reviews
- Collaborate with data architects, analysts, and product owners to translate business requirements into technical data solutions
- Optimize pipeline performance, cost, and reliability across batch and streaming workloads
- Implement data quality, governance, and security controls (IAM, KMS, Lake Formation)
- Support real-time data streaming using Kinesis or Kafka where applicable
- Troubleshoot production issues and drive root-cause resolution
Required Skills & Experience
- 8+ years in data engineering, with 3+ years in a technical lead capacity
- Strong hands-on expertise with AWS data services: S3, Glue, Redshift, EMR, Athena, Lambda, Kinesis, Step Functions
- Advanced SQL and strong programming skills in Python and/or Scala/PySpark
- Experience with big data processing frameworks (Spark, Hadoop)
- Solid understanding of data modeling, data warehousing, and dimensional design
- Experience with orchestration tools (Airflow/MWAA, Step Functions)
- Familiarity with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, CodePipeline, GitLab CI) and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/CloudFormation)
- Strong understanding of data governance, security, and compliance in cloud environments
- Excellent communication skills with proven ability to lead technical teams
Preferred Qualifications
- AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty or AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- Experience with Snowflake, Databricks, or similar modern data platforms
- Exposure to DevOps/DataOps practices and monitoring tools (CloudWatch, Datadog)
- Prior experience in a staff augmentation/consulting environment
Visa sponsorship record: Carbonsoft Inc.
Sponsors actively| Fiscal year | H-1B LCAs | USCIS approvals | USCIS denials | PERM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
| FY2025 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — |
| FY2024 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — |
✔ Carbonsoft Inc. filed 9 H-1B applications for this kind of role (Software Developers) in the period above.
Roles they sponsor most
- java developer5 LCAs · median $125k
- software engineer3 LCAs · median $98k
- big data engineer1 LCA · median $108k
- big data engineer1 LCA · median $86k
- java developer1 LCA · median $78k
Which visas can work for this job
Occupation: Software Developers (SOC 15-1252).
- Mentioned in the listing
H-1B, OPT
- H-1B cap-exempt employer
Regular cap-subject employer — a new H-1B needs to win the lottery in March (unless you already hold cap-counted H-1B status).
- TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico)
This kind of role may fit the USMCA profession “Computer Systems Analyst (or Engineer, for engineering-degree holders)” — it depends on the actual duties. No lottery, no cap; you need the matching degree or license.
- E-3 (Australia) and H-1B1 (Chile, Singapore)
Same degree requirement as H-1B, but no lottery and a separate quota that is rarely filled.
- O-1 (extraordinary ability)
For candidates with awards, publications, press, a high salary or critical roles at distinguished organizations. No cap, no lottery; the employer files a petition.
- STEM OPT extension (F-1 students)
Requires an E-Verify employer. We didn't find this company in the E-Verify list — ask HR.
Salary vs prevailing wage
Software Developers · Richmond, VA. Annual prevailing wages set by the Department of Labor (OFLC).
| Level | Prevailing wage | H-1B lottery odds* |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | $94,162 | ~15% |
| Level II | $116,646 | ~31% |
| Level III | $139,110 | ~46% |
| Level IV | $161,595 | ~61% |
The listing has no salary, so we can't place it on a wage level. Ask the employer which wage level they'd file at: Level III–IV registrations get 3–4 entries in the H-1B lottery.
* Odds are DHS projections for the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery (actual results vary by year and employer). Since the FY2027 cap season the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: Level I = 1 entry, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4. The level is set by the offered wage against the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. Separately, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions for workers outside the US was announced in 2025; as of September 2026 a federal court ruling keeps it unenforceable while appeals continue — check the current status.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data (H-1B/H-1B1/E-3 LCA, PERM), OFLC prevailing wage data, USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, E-Verify participating employers. Data loaded: LCA FY2024–FY2026, PERM, USCIS Data Hub, OFLC wages; updated 2026-10-03. Employers are matched by name, so records of companies with similar names can occasionally be mixed up. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to an immigration attorney about your case.