1. What is a Data Engineer at American Heart Association?

Since our founding in 1924, the American Heart Association has cut cardiovascular disease deaths in half, but there is still much more to do. As a Data Engineer (specifically at the Senior level), you are at the forefront of overcoming today’s biggest health challenges. You will directly support researchers and business groups by building the data backbone of the American Heart Association Precision Medicine Platform.

In this role, your impact extends far beyond traditional data pipelines. You will design integration architectures and define clinical data mappings from electronic health records (EHR) and medical imaging. By ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and performance of our service-oriented architecture, you empower data scientists, researchers, and operational leaders to make life-saving discoveries and informed strategic decisions.

Expect a highly collaborative, mission-driven environment. You will work closely with the Chief of Data Science, mentor junior Extract/Transform/Load (ETL) team members, and champion data governance across the organization. This is a role for a passionate technologist who thrives on complex clinical data, values work-life harmonization, and wants their technical expertise to ensure a healthier future for all.

2. Common Interview Questions

While every interview is unique, the questions you face will consistently map back to our core technical requirements and healthcare mission. Use these examples to practice structuring your thoughts.

Architecture & Data Modeling

This category tests your ability to design scalable systems and plan for the future.

• How do you determine when to use an Operational Data Store versus a Star schema for a specific business need?
• Walk us through your process for creating current state and future state architectural diagrams during a system migration.
• How do you assess database performance and identify bottlenecks in a complex reporting environment?
• Describe your experience working with infrastructure teams to define server and data storage requirements.

Clinical Data & ETL Pipelines

These questions focus on your hands-on experience with healthcare data and automation.

• Describe a complex clinical data mapping project you led involving EHR or medical imaging data.
• How do you ensure data quality, integrity, and compliance when building automated ETL pipelines?
• What is your approach to evaluating a new data source for adherence to organizational quality standards?
• Can you share an example of how you built a proof of concept to foster self-service analytics?

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Here, we evaluate your ability to mentor others and drive business value.

• Tell us about a time you had to develop a business case and present ROI to get buy-in from senior management.
• How do you approach providing technical training and mentorship to less experienced ETL team members?
• Describe a situation where you had to work with a Chief Data Scientist or similar executive to prioritize conflicting department objectives.
• How do you balance the need for rigorous data governance with the business's desire for rapid visual discovery?

3. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for an interview at the American Heart Association requires a balance of deep technical readiness and a clear connection to our core values. We evaluate candidates across several key dimensions to ensure they can thrive in our complex data ecosystem.

Architectural & Technical Mastery – You must demonstrate a robust understanding of data modeling, specifically Operational Data Store (ODS) and Star schema models. Interviewers will look for your ability to design scalable integration architectures and build resilient ETL pipelines using modern automation tools.

Clinical Data Acumen – Handling healthcare data requires specific expertise. We evaluate your experience with electronic health records (EHR) and medical imaging data. You can demonstrate strength here by discussing how you navigate data quality, compliance, and complex clinical data mappings.

Leadership & Mentorship – As a senior technical figure, you are expected to elevate the team around you. Interviewers will assess your ability to mentor ETL team members, conduct code reviews, develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), and build business cases that secure senior management buy-in.

Mission & Culture Fit – We live by #TheAHALife, which embodies our commitment to work-life harmonization and core values. We look for candidates who are genuinely passionate about our mission to accelerate progress against cardiovascular disease and who foster a collaborative, self-service analytics culture.

4. Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a Data Engineer at the American Heart Association is designed to be thorough, respectful of your time, and reflective of the collaborative nature of our teams. You will typically begin with a recruiter screen to align on your background, mission fit, and logistical details, including the fixed-term nature of this Dallas-based role.

Following the initial screen, you will progress to a technical interview with a hiring manager or senior engineering lead. This stage focuses heavily on your past experience with ETL design, data modeling, and EHR integration. We value candidates who can clearly articulate their architectural decisions and show a deep understanding of data governance.

The final stages usually involve a panel interview with cross-functional stakeholders, potentially including members from the data science, infrastructure, and business teams. Here, the focus broadens to assess your communication skills, your ability to present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences, and your approach to mentorship and project prioritization.

This visual timeline outlines the typical stages of our evaluation process, from the initial recruiter screen through technical deep dives and the final panel. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you allocate time to practice both hands-on architectural diagramming and behavioral storytelling. Variations may occur depending on team availability, but the core focus on clinical data expertise and mission alignment remains constant.

5. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in your interviews, you need to be prepared to discuss both the granular details of data engineering and the high-level strategic impact of your work.

Data Modeling and Architecture

Your ability to design efficient, scalable data models is critical for delivering insights to the Precision Medicine Platform. Interviewers want to see that you can formulate standards for maximum performance and compliance.

Be ready to go over:

• ODS and Star Schema Design – How you structure data for optimized reporting and analytics.
• Current and Future State Diagramming – Your methodology for planning the retirement of legacy systems and migrating infrastructure.
• Integration Architecture – Designing seamless integrations with infrastructure teams for server and storage services.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Experience with Data Virtualization tools and evaluating new software vendors.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would design a Star schema for a new clinical imaging dataset."
• "Describe a time you had to migrate a legacy database. How did you document the current and future state architectures?"

ETL Design and Clinical Data Mapping

This is the core of your day-to-day technical execution. We evaluate your ability to build reliable data flow models and promote best practices using top-tier automation tools.

Be ready to go over:

• Clinical EHR and Imaging Data – Handling the nuances, quality issues, and integration challenges of healthcare data.
• Data Quality and Integrity – How you ensure data is made available securely and accurately.
• Automation and Best Practices – Promoting efficient software development lifecycles (like Agile) within the ETL team.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Explain your approach to mapping highly unstructured electronic health record data into a structured format."
• "How do you handle data quality anomalies in an automated ETL pipeline?"

Leadership, Mentorship, and Business Value

As a senior engineer, your impact extends to team growth and business strategy. We look for candidates who can translate technical work into tangible ROI and guide others.

Be ready to go over:

• Mentorship and Training – Providing on-the-job training for less experienced ETL developers and creating SOPs.
• Business Case Development – Evaluating impacts and ROI to get buy-in from senior management.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Working with the Chief of Data Science and business groups to prioritize portfolio objectives.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you mentored a junior team member through a complex technical challenge."
• "How have you previously justified the ROI of a new data architecture to senior leadership?"

6. Key Responsibilities

As a Data Engineer at the American Heart Association, your day-to-day work balances hands-on technical development with strategic architectural planning. You will spend a significant portion of your time designing integration architectures and mapping clinical data from complex electronic health records and imaging systems. This data is the lifeblood of our research, and you are responsible for ensuring its accuracy, compliance, and delivery to the American Heart Association Precision Medicine Platform.

Collaboration is a major part of your role. You will consult regularly with the infrastructure team on server and storage needs, and work closely with the Chief of Data Science to align data projects with corporate objectives. You are expected to foster a culture of self-service analytics and visual discovery, gradually reducing the organization's reliance on manual data processes by building proofs of concept and sharing tangible testing data.

Beyond coding and architecture, you will act as a technical leader. You will review issues in our incident management systems, conduct regularly scheduled code reviews, and monitor software performance. A key responsibility is mentoring the ETL team, providing on-the-job training, and developing standard operating procedures that encourage cross-department alignment and operational excellence.

7. Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for this position, candidates must demonstrate a blend of deep technical experience and strong communication skills.

• Must-have skills – A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent experience) and a minimum of three years of Data Mapping and ETL design/development experience. You must have proven experience working specifically with clinical electronic health record data and images. Strong data modeling skills, particularly with ODS and Star schema models, are essential, as is a comprehensive knowledge of Agile software development lifecycles.
• Nice-to-have skills – While three years is the minimum, eight to ten years of experience is highly preferred. Experience with Data Virtualization tools and fluency in statistical programming languages like R or Python will make your profile stand out significantly.
• Soft skills – Strong presentation and collaboration abilities are non-negotiable. You must be able to communicate complex job requirements clearly, create formal documentation, and build compelling business cases for senior management.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the "Fixed Term" nature of this role mean? This position is currently funded through March 31, 2028. However, as noted in the job description, funding is likely to extend. We recommend discussing the long-term vision of the platform with your hiring manager during the interview to understand future opportunities.

Q: How does the American Heart Association support work-life balance? We champion #TheAHALife, which focuses on "work-life harmonization." We provide resources to help you adapt to changing life situations, including access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, for ongoing personal and professional development.

Q: Is this role remote or in-office? This role is based at our National Center in Dallas, TX. Be prepared to discuss your location strategy and expectations for on-site collaboration with your recruiter during the initial screening.

Q: What is the most critical technical skill for this specific role? While general data engineering skills are required, your experience with clinical electronic health record (EHR) data and images is the biggest differentiator. Candidates who understand the complexities of healthcare data mapping will have a strong advantage.

9. Other General Tips

• Connect to the Mission: Never lose sight of why we build these data systems. Whether you are optimizing a database or mapping EHR fields, your work directly supports researchers finding cures for cardiovascular diseases. Mentioning this connection demonstrates strong culture fit.
• Structure Your Technical Answers: When answering architecture questions, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) but add an "A" for Architecture. Clearly explain why you chose a specific technology or model (like Star schema) over alternatives.

• Highlight Your Mentorship: As a senior engineer, your ability to elevate others is crucial. Prepare specific anecdotes about how you have conducted code reviews, led on-the-job training, or guided external team members.

• Show Business Acumen: Be ready to discuss the business impact of your technical work. Practice explaining how you measure ROI for data projects and how you communicate technical limitations or requirements to non-technical senior management.

10. Summary & Next Steps

Joining the American Heart Association as a Data Engineer is a unique opportunity to apply your advanced technical skills to a mission that saves lives. You will be tackling complex data integration challenges, designing robust architectures for the Precision Medicine Platform, and mentoring the next generation of data professionals.

The compensation data above reflects the expected salary range for this highly specialized role. When evaluating the total package, remember to factor in the robust training resources, the impact of the work, and the strong emphasis on work-life harmonization that defines #TheAHALife.

To succeed in your interviews, focus your preparation on your clinical data mapping experience, your mastery of ETL and data modeling (specifically ODS and Star schemas), and your ability to lead and document complex architectural migrations. Be confident in your experience, articulate your technical decisions clearly, and let your passion for impactful data engineering shine through. For more insights, practice scenarios, and peer experiences, continue exploring resources on Dataford. You have the skills to make a real difference—good luck with your preparation!