About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Role Overview

Confidential Client is seeking entry-level candidates for a Junior Software Programmer / Data Engineer role in Columbia, MD. This position is designed for recent grads, career-switchers, or professionals moving from business operations into data-focused or full-stack software roles. You will build practical experience with SQL, Python, Java, and business intelligence tools while supporting real business questions and dashboards.

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What You’ll Do

• Work with spreadsheets, reports and business stakeholders to translate questions into data queries and visualizations.
• Develop and maintain SQL queries, ETL/data-cleaning scripts and simple Python tools to transform data for analysis.
• Assist in building dashboards and visual reports using Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Support backend or full-stack development tasks where required (Java/Python), including small feature work and bug fixes.
• Document analyses and tell data-driven stories to non-technical audiences.
• Learn best practices for version control, testing, and data governance under mentor guidance.

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Qualifications (Required)

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, Statistics, or related field, OR demonstrable coursework/projects in those areas.
• Basic SQL skills and comfort writing SELECT queries, joins, group by, and simple aggregations.
• Familiarity with Python (or Java) for scripting or small application work.
• Experience creating charts, pivot tables, or basic dashboards in Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or similar.
• Analytical mindset with attention to data quality and detail.
• Strong communication skills and willingness to learn from mentors and technical leads.

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Nice to Have

• Coursework or projects using Java, full‑stack frameworks, or basic web development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript).
• Exposure to ETL tools, cloud data services, or version control (Git).
• Interest in data storytelling, visualization best practices, and business-facing reporting.

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Compensation & Work Type

• Salary: $78,000 - $127,000 per year (Confidential Client)
• Employment type: Full time
• Location: Columbia, MD (on-site / hybrid expectations to be confirmed by hiring manager)

This posting complies with applicable U.S. hiring laws. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities during the application or interview process — contact Careertakes for assistance.

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Why This Opportunity

This is an excellent stepping-stone role to accelerate a data or software career. You’ll get hands-on technical experience, exposure to business stakeholders, and mentorship to close gaps between academic skills and employer expectations. Ideal for those who want to demonstrate practical projects and move into higher-paying technical roles.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.