**About us:** Working at Target means helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. We bring that vision to life through our values and culture. Learn more about Target here (https://corporate.target.com/about) . **About the Role:** As a **Lead Data Engineer** , you will serve as the **technical anchor** for the engineering team, responsible for designing and developing **scalable, high-performance data solutions** . You will **own and drive data architecture** that supports both functional and non-functional business needs, ensuring **reliability, efficiency, and scalability** . Your expertise in **big data technologies, distributed systems, and cloud platforms** will help shape the engineering roadmap and best practices for **data processing, analytics, and real-time data serving** . You will play a key role in **architecting and optimizing data pipelines** using **Hadoop, Spark, Scala/Java, and cloud technologies** to support enterprise-wide data initiatives. Additionally, **experience with API development for serving low-latency data** and **Customer Data Platforms (CDP)** will be a strong plus. **Key Responsibilities:** + Architect and build **scalable, high-performance data pipelines** and **distributed data processing solutions** using **Hadoop, Spark, Scala/Java, and cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure)** . + Design and implement **real-time and batch data processing solutions** , ensuring data is efficiently processed and made available for analytical and operational use. + **Develop APIs and data services** to expose **low-latency, high-throughput** data for downstream applications, enabling real-time decision-making. + Optimize and enhance **data models, workflows, and processing frameworks** to improve performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency. + Drive **data governance, security, and compliance** best practices. + Collaborate with **data scientists, product teams, and business stakeholders** to understand requirements and deliver **data-driven solutions** . + Lead the **design, implementation, and lifecycle management** of data services and solutions. + Stay up to date with **emerging technologies** and drive adoption of best practices in **big data engineering, cloud computing, and API development** . + Provide **technical leadership and mentorship** to engineering teams, promoting best practices in **data engineering and API design** . **About You:** + **7+ years of experience in data engineering, software development, or distributed systems.** + **Expertise in big data technologies** such as **Hadoop, Spark, and distributed processing frameworks.** + **Strong programming skills in Scala and/or Java** (Python is a plus). + **Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)** and their **data ecosystem** (e.g., S3, BigQuery, Databricks, EMR, Snowflake, etc.). + **Proficiency in API development** using **REST, GraphQL, or gRPC** to serve real-time and batch data. + **Experience with real-time and streaming data architectures** (Kafka, Flink, Kinesis, etc.). + Strong knowledge of **data modeling, ETL pipeline design, and performance optimization** . + Understanding of **data governance, security, and compliance** in large-scale data environments. + **Experience with Customer Data Platforms (CDP) or customer-centric data processing** is a strong plus. + Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in **complex, unstructured environments** . + Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience working in **cross-functional teams** . **Why Join Us?** + Work with cutting-edge **big data, API, and cloud technologies** in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. + Influence and shape the **future of data architecture and real-time data services** at Target. + Solve **high-impact business problems** using **scalable, low-latency data solutions** . + Be part of a culture that values **innovation, learning, and growth** .