Associate Data Engineer - Biomass

Job Summary

Location: Detroit, MI

The Associate Data Engineer supports DTE Biomass’s data integration and analytics initiatives, contributing to the development and maintenance of data pipelines, automation systems, and reporting tools. This entry-level role is critical to ensuring accurate, compliant, and efficient handling of production data, particularly in support of EPA and CARB regulatory requirements. The Associate Data Engineer will be responsible for delivering scalable data solutions and automation workflows, while actively developing core competencies in cloud platforms, data engineering practices, and compliance standards under the guidance of senior engineers and analysts.

Key Accountabilities

• Assist in the development and maintenance of data pipelines for extracting, transforming, and loading data from various sources into structured/standard formats.
• Support deployment of machine learning models and real-time data processing systems in cloud and on-premise environments.
• Participate in the design and implementation of backend systems for data processing using containerization tools such as Docker.
• Collaborate with software engineers, analysts, and business stakeholders to understand data requirements and deliver scalable solutions that meet operational needs.
• Build basic reporting and visualizations using available data tools to support business performance tracking.
• Contribute to the testing and validation of data workflows to ensure accuracy, reliability, and performance.
• Document technical processes and participate in Agile development cycles using tools such as Jira, Git, and Bitbucket.  Maintain developed processes for continued reliability of deliverables.
• Analyze and scrub large volumes of production data to ensure compliance with EPA and CARB regulatory requirements.
• Implement automated substitution logic for missing or invalid data based on predefined rules and ensure all changes are logged and traceable through technology-driven audit trails.
• Assist in the development of automated compliance reporting systems that integrate with existing production data sources and regulatory frameworks.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or closely related discipline required at time of hire.
• Internship or project experience in software development, data processing, or analytics.
• Exposure to programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++.
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Firebase) and containerization tools (e.g., Docker).
• Understanding of basic machine learning concepts and data visualization techniques.

Other Qualifications

Preferred: 

• Experience with full-stack development frameworks (e.g., Flask, React, SwiftUI).
• Exposure to Agile development methodologies and version control systems (e.g., GitHub, Bitbucket).
• Familiarity with mobile app development and real-time data interfaces.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

The physical demands characterized here epitomize those that must be met by an employee to properly perform the integral functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. In order to properly perform the integral functions of this job, the employee is required to:

• Occasionally stand or walk and stoop or kneel.
• Frequently sit.
• Talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use wrists, hands and/or fingers in a repetitive motion; and reach with hands and arms extensively.
• Occasionally lift objects of up to 10 pounds in weight.
• Use computers with exposure to video display terminals; and some repetitive motion associated with data entry, the use of a computer mouse, and while using other office equipment.
• Possess the following vision requirements: close, color, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
• Perform job duties primarily in a work from home capacity and periodically from a climate-controlled office environment, with a moderate noise level. However, on an occasional basis the employee may be required to travel to project sites where noise levels and environmental conditions may vary.

Additional Information

Incumbents may engage in all or some combination of the activities and accountabilities, and utilize a variety of the competencies cited in this description depending upon the organization and role to which they are assigned. This description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by incumbents in this job. It is not intended as an all-inclusive list of accountabilities or responsibilities, nor is it intended to limit the rights of supervisors or management representatives to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.