Remote Data / Persistence Modernization Engineer

Job Title: Data / Persistence Modernization Engineer

Primary Location: Primarily Remote, Candidates Ideally Reside in Chicagoland Area

Position Type: Contract, 6 months with possible extension

Overview

Looking for a Data / Persistence Modernization Engineer to join our client's cloud modernization initiative. This senior-level consultant will assess stateful application services, data platforms, caching technologies, search solutions, analytics stores, and data-migration patterns associated with both recurring modernization efforts and newly acquired environments.

The engineer will determine whether material data dependencies can be migrated directly, bridged temporarily, retained through a controlled exception, replaced with a target-platform service, or require application data-layer refactoring. This role combines architecture assessment, hands-on technical validation, migration planning, risk analysis, and engineering-effort estimation.

What You Bring to the Role. (Ideal Experience)

Senior-level experience modernizing application data layers and distributed persistence architectures.

Deep experience with NoSQL and document-oriented platforms, including:

Amazon DynamoDB

Amazon DocumentDB

MongoDB and MongoDB Atlas

Working knowledge of:

PostgreSQL and PostgreSQL-based managed services

Amazon RDS

Google AlloyDB

Redis and Amazon ElastiCache

OpenSearch

Snowflake

Amazon Redshift

Strong understanding of data-access patterns, schema design, indexing, and partitioning strategies.

Experience evaluating consistency models, transaction semantics, and data-model coupling.

Knowledge of cache-versus-state classification and the operational implications of each.

Hands-on experience with:

Change Data Capture

Data backfills

Dual-write patterns

Shadow reads

Data reconciliation

Tenant isolation

Data cutover and rollback strategies

Ability to assess application changes required when a managed cloud service cannot be directly reproduced on the target platform.

Strong written communication skills with the ability to produce concise, actionable engineering assessments.

Experience estimating technical complexity, platform dependencies, migration risks, and future engineering effort.

What You'll Do. (Skills Used in this Position)

• Assess recurring and acquisition-specific risks related to stateful application services and data platforms.

• Analyze data models, schemas, indexes, partitions, access patterns, consistency requirements, and transaction behavior.

• Evaluate dependencies involving databases, caches, search platforms, analytics stores, and managed cloud data services.

• Determine whether each dependency is:

• Portable to the target environment

• Suitable for temporary bridging

• Eligible for a controlled exception

• A candidate for replacement

• Likely to require application refactoring

• Evaluate dual-running, reconciliation, backfill, and rollback options.

• Identify required target-platform services, configurations, and technical prerequisites.

• Perform bounded, non-production technical validation when additional evidence is needed.

• Assess tenant isolation, data security, migration sequencing, and service availability risks.

• Estimate the application, platform, data, testing, and operational effort associated with each migration path.

• Produce concise Engineering Assessment Inputs documenting:

• Data-model coupling

• Access-pattern findings

• Migration options

• Platform dependencies

• Cutover and rollback feasibility

• Key risks and constraints

• Likely future engineering effort

• Partner with application teams, cloud platform teams, architects, security stakeholders, and data owners throughout the assessment process.