Lead Data Integration Engineer
Role - Lead Data Integration Engineer– Fivetran HVR & SAP Source Systems Location - Remote (Anywhere in USA) Rate - $80/hr C2C Hire - Contractor Teck Stack to look for Fivetran HVR (6.x / High-Volume Agent), SAP ECC & S/4HANA (HANA, Oracle, SQL Server), SAP NetWeaver, Cloud Data Platforms (Snowflake / Google BigQuery / Databricks / AWS Redshift) Primary Technologies: Fivetran HVR (6.x / High-Volume Agent), SAP ECC & S/4HANA (HANA, Oracle, SQL Server), SAP NetWeaver, Cloud Data Platforms (Snowflake / Google BigQuery / Databricks / AWS Redshift) 1. Role Overview & Objective We are seeking a seasoned Data Integration Specialist / Lead Engineer with deep subject matter expertise in Fivetran HVR (High-Volume Replicator) and SAP source system extraction. In this role, you will lead the architecture, implementation, configuration, and continuous operations of enterprise-grade, high-throughput, near real-time data ingestion pipelines from mission-critical SAP environments (SAP ECC 6.0 and SAP S/4HANA) into modern cloud analytical platforms. The ideal candidate bridges the gap between deep SAP Basis/Security infrastructure and modern Data Engineering, demonstrating end-to-end mastery of database log-based Change Data Capture (CDC), SAP NetWeaver communication protocols, HVR channel design, and operational troubleshooting of near real-time replication latencies. 2.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture & System Configuration Design, implement, and maintain enterprise HVR topology, including HVR Hub Servers, High-Volume Agents (HVA), and repository databases across on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud environments. Configure, test, and tune high-throughput HVR channels connecting SAP ECC / S/4HANA sources to target cloud data warehouses and data lakes (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks Delta Lake, AWS S3/Redshift). Perform SAP application-tier and database-tier setup, establishing secure communication via SAP NetWeaver RFC SDK, SAP SNC, and dedicated agent TCP listener connections (port 4343). Lead the deployment and validation of custom SAP Transports (*.SAR / transport files) required by Fivetran for SAP NetWeaver extraction, ABAP functions, and metadata parsing. Change Data Capture (CDC) & Incremental Replication Configure log-based Change Data Capture (CDC) against SAP backend databases (SAP HANA columnar stores, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server). Configure direct DBMS log reading and archive log fallbacks (including SAP HANA Backint catalog integrations and archive retention validation). Manage end-to-end incremental replication lifecycles: capture process, transaction bundling, agent compression, network encryption, hub routing, and burst integration at destination endpoints. Implement unpacking and transformation mechanisms for complex SAP structures, including transparent conversion of SAP cluster tables, pool tables, and long-text tables (STXH/STXL). Performance Tuning & Operations (L3 Support) Own Level 3 technical escalations: diagnose and resolve replication stalls, long-running active transactions, schema drift, uncommitted lock contention, and log capture latency. Plan and execute initial loads (HVR Refresh) using parallel slicing, row-count partitioning, and direct staging file loaders for terabyte-scale tables without impacting transactional SAP ERP workloads. Implement automated data reconciliation pipelines using HVR Compare (online and direct file compare) to validate continuous data consistency and execute surgical data repairs without pipeline rebuilds. Collaborate closely with SAP Basis, Database Administrators (DBAs), SAP Security, and Infrastructure teams to ensure compliance with isolation policies, backup cycles, and change windows. 3. Required Technical Competencies & Experience A. Fivetran HVR Expertise HVR Architecture & Topology: Mastery of HVR 6.x components—Hub Server, High-Volume Agents, CLI (hvr), REST APIs, and repository catalogs. Channel & Action Definition: Deep working knowledge of actions including /Capture, /Integrate (Burst vs. Continuous), /TableProperties, /ColumnProperties, /Restrict, /Environment, and /CollisionDetect. State Management & Slicing: Expert understanding of HVR state tables, capture bookmarks, sequence numbers (commit SCN / LSN / transaction log offsets), and multi-threaded parallel slicing strategies. Data Unpack: Experience using HVR SAP Unpack to extract and decode SAP ECC cluster and pool structures into columnar target tables. B. SAP Basis & Database Knowledge Database CDC Mechanics: SAP HANA: Deep knowledge of HANA log segments, transaction log backups, Backint API, secondary node replication in HANA System Replication (HSR), scale-out cluster setups, and high-isolation tenant boundaries. Oracle / MS SQL Server: Transaction log mining, supplemental logging, archive redo log retention, and archiver processes. Operating System & Security Layer: Knowledge of Linux OS user permissions for database log access (e.g., membership in sapsys, dba groups). Network security: TLS/mTLS, SSH port forwarding, VPN, Private Link, and SAP SNC (Secure Network Communications). C. SAP Transaction Codes (T-Codes) & Configurations The candidate must demonstrate practical, hands-on familiarity with core SAP Basis administration tools and configuration T-Codes: Functional Area Key SAP Transaction Codes (T-Codes) & Objects Security & User Management SU01 (Create and manage RFC communication users), PFCG (Role definition, authorizations: S_TABU_DIS, S_TABU_SQL, S_RFC, S_BTCH_JOB) Connectivity & Interfaces SM59 (RFC destinations, TCP/IP RFC connections, SAP NetWeaver RFC testing), RZ12 (RFC server group definition) Data & Dictionary Management SE11 / SE16 / SE16N (Data Dictionary, table structures, verifying transparent and cluster/pool tables) Transport Management STMS (Importing Fivetran HVR ABAP transport packages into DEV/QAS/PRD environments) Monitoring & Diagnostics SM21 (System Log), ST22 (ABAP Dump Analysis), ST04 / DB02 (Database performance, space management, log volume tracking), SM37 (Background jobs for initial data extraction), SM12 (Lock entry analysis) Tracing & Profiling ST05 (SQL Trace), ST12 (Single transaction analysis) 4. Deep-Dive Understanding: How Incremental & Near Real-Time CDC Operates The successful candidate must be capable of articulating and managing the end-to-end data processing mechanics: Log-Based Interception: Rather than issuing periodic polling queries (WHERE updated_at > ...) which burden SAP transactional performance, HVR reads directly from the raw database write-ahead / redo logs (e.g., HANA persistence log volumes or Oracle redo logs) or reads through the NetWeaver layer via optimized ABAP push triggers. Transaction Reconstruction: HVR decodes physical byte streams into structured row events (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE). Incomplete or uncommitted transactions are maintained in an internal memory buffer / temporary state until a COMMIT statement is identified. Rolled-back transactions are automatically discarded. Capture Agent & Network Optimization: The capture agent running local to the source database compresses the change stream by 5–10x, encrypts payloads, and ships them asynchronously via TCP/IP (port 4343) to the HVR Hub. Hub Orchestration: The Hub process tracks the exact position in the database log stream using high-water mark sequence tokens (bookmarks). Even in the event of pipeline interruption or target downtime, HVR resumes from the exact committed log coordinate without duplication or data loss. Burst Integration: To maintain near real-time latency with target data warehouses without incurring excessive row-by-row write costs, HVR stages compressed mini-batches into object storage (e.g., S3/GCS/Azure Blob) and executes an atomic merge/burst integration using database native commands (e.g., COPY INTO + merge queries). 5. Candidate Qualifications & Requirements Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline. Experience: 5 to 10 years of progressive experience in Data Engineering, Database Administration, or Enterprise Integration, with at least 3+ years specifically operating Fivetran HVR. Proven Track Record: Proven track record of configuring and deploying HVR against production SAP systems (ECC or S/4HANA). Target Technologies: Strong command of SQL and experience with at least one major cloud data platform (Snowflake, Google BigQuery, Databricks Delta, or AWS Redshift). Scripting & Automation: Proficiency in Shell scripting, Linux OS management, Python, or REST API orchestration for pipeline monitoring and automation. Certifications (Advantageous): Fivetran / HVR Certified Technical Specialist SAP Certified Technology Associate (SAP HANA / SAP NetWeaver Basis) Cloud platform certifications (AWS Solutions Architect, Snowflake Pro, Google Cloud Data Engineer) 6. Interview Evaluation Criteria Round 1 – SAP Basis & Architecture Alignment: Evaluating knowledge of RFC connections (SM59), NetWeaver authorizations (S_TABU_SQL, S_RFC), SAP transport deployment, and OS-level log access requirements. Round 2 – HVR Core Engineering & CDC Deep-Dive: Explaining direct log capture vs. NetWeaver layer extraction, memory management during massive uncommitted transactions, Backint archive recovery, and burst integrate configurations. Round 3 – Real-World Troubleshooting & Scenario Handling: Handling replication lag, schema changes on SAP transparent vs. cluster tables, out-of-sync recovery using hvrcompare / hvrrefresh, and high-availability failovers (e.g., SAP HANA System Replication).