Specialist, Data Engineer Test Lead - ETL, Python, Perl

If you’re passionate about being part of a dynamic organization that enables a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales to drive innovation and adopt new technologies that deliver business results, then Nationwide’s Technology team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

The F Band Specialist, Test Lead for the NF Actuarial Datamart is responsible for leading test planning, test execution, and data validation activities that support delivery of high-quality data and application solutions. This role partners closely with developers, analysts, and business partners to define effective testing scenarios, analyze data issues, manage defects, and respond to walk-up support requests.

This position is a strong fit for someone with a solid testing background who also has an interest in development and automation. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience in data-focused testing, enjoys problem solving, and is comfortable working across both quality assurance and technical solution delivery.

It is our intention to fill this role in Columbus, Ohio on a hybrid basis. The team come in for collaboration on Mondays and Tuesdays. However, on occasion, applications from internal candidates working remotely who bring critical industry skills and relevant experience may be considered.

Tools and Technologies Used

• ETL: Informatica, Python
• Scripts: Perl, Python
• Databases: Oracle, SQL Server, Snowflake
• Test Automation: Ruby, Python

Key Responsibilities

• Lead testing efforts for NF Actuarial Datamart initiatives, including test planning, scenario development, execution, and validation
• Assist developers in identifying and refining testing scenarios for new development, enhancements, and defect fixes
• Perform detailed data validation to confirm expected results across source, transformation, and target layers
• Write and execute SQL queries to investigate data conditions, validate results, and support root cause analysis
• Analyze data issues and partner with development teams to determine cause, impact, and resolution approach
• Manage defects through the full lifecycle, including documentation, prioritization, retesting, and closure support
• Handle walk-up requests and provide timely support for testing questions, data concerns, and issue triage
• Support and enhance test automation efforts, including Ruby-based automation where applicable
• Work with Informatica-based processes and data movement workflows as part of validation and issue analysis
• Contribute to continuous improvement of testing practices, automation coverage, and overall quality processes
• Collaborate across teams to ensure quality standards are met and releases are production ready

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in testing or quality assurance, with emphasis on data validation and system/integration testing
• Experience with Ruby automation or automated testing frameworks
• Experience working with Informatica processes in an ETL or data integration environment
• Strong experience with data validation and analysis of upstream and downstream data issues
• Ability to write SQL queries for testing, troubleshooting, and validation purposes
• Exposure to Python and interest in expanding development-oriented technical skills
• Experience managing defects and supporting issue triage through resolution
• Ability to work directly with developers to clarify requirements, define test scenarios, and improve solution quality
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting enterprise data platforms or actuarial data environments
• Experience in ETL, data warehouse, or datamart testing
• Familiarity with release validation, regression testing, and automation-first quality practices
• Interest in growing from a testing-focused role into broader technical or development responsibilities

Candidate Profile

The strongest candidate will have a testing mindset, strong technical curiosity, and a desire to grow deeper into development and automation. They should be comfortable balancing structured quality practices with hands-on technical investigation, while serving as a dependable partner to developers and stakeholders.

This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization.  Nationwide does not participate in the Stem OPT Extension program.

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Job Description Summary

Nationwide’s industry leading workforce is passionate about creating data solutions that are secure, reliable and efficient in support of our mission to provide extraordinary care. Nationwide embraces an agile work environment and collaborative culture through the understanding of business processes, relationship entities and requirements using data analysis, quality, visualization, governance, engineering, robotic process automation, and machine learning to produce targeted data solutions. If you have the drive and desire to be part of a future forward data enabled culture, we want to hear from you.
As a Data Engineer you’ll be responsible for acquiring, curating, and publishing data for analytical or operational uses. Data should be in a ready-to-use form that creates a single version of the truth across all data consumers, including business users, data scientists, and Technology. Ready-to-use data can be for both real time and batch data processes and may include unstructured data. Successful data engineers have the skills typically required for the full lifecycle software engineering development from translating requirements into design, development, testing, deployment, and production maintenance tasks. You’ll have the opportunity to work with various technologies from big data, relational and SQL databases, unstructured data technology, and programming languages.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Provides basic to moderate technical consultation on data product projects by analyzing end to end data product requirements and existing business processes to lead in the design, development and implementation of data products.

• Produces data building blocks, data models, and data flows for varying client demands such as dimensional data, standard and ad hoc reporting, data feeds, dashboard reporting, and data science research & exploration

• Applies secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities.

• Translates business data stories into a technical story breakdown structure and work estimate so value and fit for a schedule or sprint is determined.

• Creates simple to moderate business user access methods to structured and unstructured data by such techniques such as mapping data to a common data model, NLP, transforming data as necessary to satisfy business rules, AI, statistical computations and validation of data content.

• Assists the enterprise DevSecOps team and other internal organizations on CI/CD best practices experience using JIRA, Jenkins, Confluence etc.

• Implements production processes and systems to monitor data quality, ensuring production data is always accurate and available for key stakeholders and business processes that depend on it.

• Develops and maintains scalable data pipelines for both streaming and batch requirements and builds out new API integrations to support continuing increases in data volume and complexity.

• Writes and performs data unit/integration tests for data quality   With input from a business requirements/story, creates and executes testing data and scripts to validate that quality and completeness criteria are satisfied. Can create automated testing programs and data that are re-usable for future code changes.

• Practices code management and integration with engineering Git principle and practice repositories.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Manager/Director Data Leader.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education:  Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, business, statistics, math, a related field or comparable experience and education strongly preferred.  Graduate studies in business, statistics, math, computer science or a related field are a plus.

License/Certification/Designation:  Certifications are not required but encouraged.

Experience:  Three to five years of relevant experience with data quality rules, data management organization/standards, practices and software development.  Experience in data warehousing, statistical analysis, data models, and queries. One to three years’ experience with Cloud technology and infrastructure including security and access management. Insurance/financial services industry knowledge a plus.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills:  Data application and practices knowledge. Moderate to advanced skills with modern programming and scripting languages (e.g., SQL, R, Python, Spark, UNIX Shell scripting, Perl, or Ruby). Good problem solving, oral and written communication skills.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Values:  Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment.

ADA:  The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job.  Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule. The national salary range for Specialist, Data Engineer : $95,500.00-$177,500.00 The expected starting salary range for Specialist, Data Engineer : $95,500.00 - $143,500.00