Junior Technical Data Engineer — SQL Developer

Junior Technical Data Engineer — SQL Developer
Braga
Braga, Braga, Portugal

Junior Technical Data Engineer — SQL Developer

Location: Porto (hybrid)

About Apgar

Apgar is a consulting firm specialized in Data Management, Data Governance, and AI , recognized by industry analysts and certified as a Great Place to Work organization. You’ll join a global team that helps enterprises turn data into sustainable business value across strategy, implementation, and support. You’ll join a collaborative, international team with
- on mentors and real impact from day one.

The Opportunity

We’re hiring a Junior Technical Data Engineer (SQL Developer) to implement Data Management solutions (MDM, Data Catalog/Quality, Data Platforms) and data pipelines. This is a junior role: prior professional experience is preferrable but not mandatory —but solid SQL , willingness to work in agile , and comfort with version control & release management are essential.

What you will do

• Design, write, and optimize SQL (joins, CTEs, window functions, aggregates; basic performance tuning & explain plans).
• Build and maintain data transformations and small integration tasks (ingest, cleanse, enrich, match, validate).
• Use Git/similar (feature branches, pull requests, code reviews) and follow release management (tagging, packaging, promoting through environments with checklists).
• Contribute in agile ceremonies (stand-ups, planning, reviews), keep tickets & documentation tidy, deliver incrementally.
• Support testing (unit/functional checks, data validation) and write clear handover notes/runbooks.
• Collaborate with senior consultants and solution architects; ask for help early , escalate risks, and keep stakeholders informed.

What you bring

• Strong SQL foundation (must). You can read/write complex queries and reason about correctness & performance.
• Practical understanding of source control and release concepts (environments, promotion, rollback).
• Exposure to agile (Scrum/Kanban) via university, internships, or projects.
• English proficiency (written & spoken) for daily collaboration in an international setting.
• Team player, clear communicator, ownership mindset , and attention to detail.
• Curiosity and fast learning —comfortable picking up new tools, frameworks, and vendor platforms.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related (or equivalent experience).

Nice to have (not mandatory)

• Basics of data modeling (relational/normalization) and ETL/ELT concepts.
• Exposure to Data Management platforms (MDM, Catalog, Data Quality/Profiling) or cloud data services.

How we’ll measure success (first 6–12 months)

• Reliable delivery of sprint tasks with clean, performant SQL and documented changes.
• Proper use of Git & release workflows with low rework at deployment time.
• Positive feedback from peers/clients on communication, collaboration , and ownership .
• Visible progression in one platform area (e. g. , MDM configuration, data quality rules).

What we offer

• Mentorship and a clear learning path in Data Management, with exposure to leading platforms and a continuous learning mindset with support for training and certifications.
• International environment in the fastest technological area (Data & AI)
• Hybrid work , with ability to work 6 fully remotely from anywhere.
• Competitive package and a Great Place to Work culture focused on growth.