Senior Data Engineer (Contract / Project-Based) Jobs in Charleston,SC,US

Build the Data Infrastructure Powering High-Growth eCommerce Brands Our client is a leading digital commerce consultancy that partners with innovative, fast-scaling consumer brands to optimize performance, analytics, customer retention, and operational efficiency. Known for delivering sophisticated, enterprise-level eCommerce solutions, they specialize in building scalable systems that drive measurable business growth across marketing, product, and operations. They are seeking a Senior Data Engineer for a project-based / on-demand engagement to help architect and optimize a modern, warehouse-first data ecosystem. This is an opportunity for a highly technical professional who thrives in fast-moving environments and enjoys solving complex data challenges tied directly to business performance. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in BigQuery , dbt , SQL optimization , and Looker , along with hands-on experience supporting modern eCommerce and DTC data environments . What This Role Will Own Designing, building, and optimizing scalable data pipelines using BigQuery and dbt Developing robust warehouse-first data models supporting analytics, marketing, finance, and operations Creating and maintaining Looker dashboards , semantic layers, and reporting frameworks Integrating and transforming data from: eCommerce platforms Marketing automation systems Subscription platforms 3PL / fulfillment providers Building automated workflows for: Data ingestion Validation Monitoring Quality assurance Leveraging AI-powered tools and automation frameworks to: Accelerate transformation workflows Refactor and optimize SQL/dbt models Automate anomaly detection and QA Partnering cross-functionally with analytics, product, marketing, and operations teams Troubleshooting data discrepancies and performing root-cause analysis Recommending architectural improvements that enhance: Scalability Performance Reliability Data governance Required Experience 3+ years of Shopify experience 5+ years of experience in Data Engineering within modern cloud-based environments Advanced expertise with: BigQuery dbt SQL performance optimization Strong experience building and maintaining Looker dashboards and data models Strong understanding of: eCommerce KPIs Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) Retention & churn analytics Marketing attribution Subscription data structures Experience integrating data from platforms such as: Shopify or similar eCommerce platforms Klaviyo or similar marketing systems Subscription management platforms 3PL / fulfillment systems Experience implementing data quality checks , validation pipelines, and monitoring frameworks Excellent communication and stakeholder collaboration skills Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, project-driven environment Preferred Experience Experience supporting DTC / eCommerce brands Experience in agency, consulting, or distributed team environments Exposure to marketing data pipelines including: Google Ads Meta TikTok Experience with: Reverse ETL workflows Fivetran Airbyte Daton Similar ingestion tools Familiarity with: AI-assisted data engineering workflows Experimentation & A/B testing analytics Modern automation frameworks Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate is someone who: Thinks beyond dashboards and understands the business impact of data architecture Can move quickly while maintaining high technical standards Understands systems, scalability, and operational workflows - not just SQL queries Is comfortable leveraging AI and automation tools to improve efficiency and delivery speed Enjoys solving complex data problems across marketing, product, operations, and analytics Thrives in highly collaborative yet autonomous environments Engagement Details Contract / Project-Based Engagement Flexible, on-demand workload based on project needs Fast-moving, highly collaborative environment Opportunity to support high-growth brands operating at scale