Data Engineering Advisor

Role Overview

This position anchors the International Health Data Engineering group, the function behind Cigna's Data Integration Hub — the pipeline that pulls records out of every policy administration system and fans them out to a wide set of downstream consumers. Day to day, you will act as the technical authority on that pipeline: shaping how integration and ETL solutions are architected, writing and tuning the SQL Server code that moves the data, and stepping in when something breaks in a way that threatens business-critical flows. The work matters because the hub sits underneath web portals and a broad set of internal and external integrations, so the reliability and design quality of what this team builds directly determines whether those services can function.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and technical direction for large, complex data initiatives, serving as principal designer across the full solution lifecycle.
• Build, document, test, and maintain ETL processes and data integration flows that feed the Data Integration Hub and its downstream consumers.
• Diagnose and fix the hardest SQL Server problems — the ones that stall batches, degrade performance, or put critical data delivery at risk.
• Produce data mapping and modelling documentation, working jointly with business stakeholders and technical peers to settle on the right design.
• Participate in regular release cycles and keep scheduled data processing batches under active monitoring, responding quickly when jobs fail or run outside expected parameters.
• Raise the bar on engineering practice by proposing changes to code, tooling, and day-to-day working methods.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to developers, and contribute Data Engineering perspective to initiatives that span the wider business.
• Collaborate with colleagues across multiple technical specialties and geographies, representing the team as a recognised subject matter expert.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Eight or more years delivering data solutions, including at least five years specifically developing and supporting Microsoft SQL Server environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical work and coaching or mentoring other engineers.
• Advanced T-SQL ability: writing, optimizing, and maintaining stored procedures, views, and functions.
• Solid grounding in database design and data modelling, plus query optimization and performance tuning techniques.
• Hands-on development and production support of ETL solutions built with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS).
• Working familiarity with both OLTP and OLAP database environments.
• Track record of gathering business requirements and converting them into technical designs and deliverables.
• Experience using source control and CI/CD pipelines to build and release database changes.
• Strong troubleshooting instincts, with structured root cause analysis and problem resolution skills.
• Comfort operating within Agile delivery methodologies.
• Nice to have: C# and Python; modern data engineering tooling such as PySpark and Databricks; cloud platforms and services; AI-assisted development tools like GitHub Copilot or Cursor AI; and prior exposure to health insurance or healthcare data.

What We Offer / Why Join

• A role at the centre of an international delivery organisation, where your technical decisions shape data availability for portals and integrations used across the business.
• Room to bring your own ideas forward — suggestions on code, tools, and ways of working are actively invited rather than tolerated.
• Support for continued learning and skill development, with encouragement to keep your technical expertise current.
• Regular exposure to teams spanning different technical disciplines and geographies, giving you a broad view of the wider business.
• Recognition as an internal subject matter expert, with the chance to provide thought leadership across Data Engineering and beyond.