Senior Data Engineer

Description

The role

We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineer to own our source data management strategy. This is a technical, back-end role within the data team that requires strong research, communication, and design skills. You should have sound theoretical knowledge of relational concepts and significant practical experience with RDBMSs, ideally with exposure to both OLTP and OLAP workloads. You should be capable of writing production-grade logic while maintaining a pragmatic approach to tooling and methodology. You’ll lead the evolution of our Redshift environment and data architecture, partnering closely with stakeholders across product, engineering, and growth to ensure data is accessible, reliable, and strategically aligned. Your efforts will ensure others in the data team and the broader organization have access to reliable source data by understanding evolving business needs and taking an intentional approach to your decisions, with emphasis on long-term stability.

Your Support System

You'll report to our Data & Analytics Manager, Liz Bianco-Lane, and collaborate closely with one Lead Analytics Engineer and two Senior Analysts. You’ll have cross functional support from a 40-person engineering, product, and design (EPD) organization.

What you'll do

• First Week: Dive into our Redshift warehouse, dbt models, and workflows. Take part in Get To Know You's (GTKYs) to meet our distributed team.
• First Month: Start building your mental model for the current state by evaluating the CRM data lifecycle. This includes source extraction, warehouse ingestion, transformation, and reverse ETL. Collaborate with data and engineering to understand pain points around source data sprawl, schema constraints, deprecated artifacts, etc. Understand the immediate and higher-order impact of action (or inaction). Provide recommendations and a roadmap for prioritized next steps.
• First Three Months: Refine and start implementing your design for source extraction and warehouse ingestion. Collaborate with the data team to build an audit feedback loop with business to enforce integrity around identity resolution, hierarchies, and entity relationships.
• Six Months and Beyond: Complete the implementation of the CRM source extraction/ingestion project and use the learnings to refine your approach in preparation for other, similar initiatives including, but by no means limited to web traffic events and product usage logs.

What will S.E.T. you up for success

Skills

• Strong command of SQL, including DDL and DML. Understanding of transaction control, concurrency, and access patterns for column vs. row-stores.
• Proficient in Python to understand where and when it should be used, and to apply it accordingly.
• Strong understanding of DBMS internals, including an appreciation for platform-specific nuances.
• A willingness to work with Redshift and deeply understand its nuances.
• Familiarity with our key tools (Redshift, Segment, dbt, github)

Experiences

• 8+ years in data, with at least 3 years specializing in Data Engineering
• Proven track record managing and optimizing OLAP clusters
• Experience refactoring problematic data pipelines without disrupting business operations
• History of implementing data quality frameworks and validation processes

Traits

• Patient and persistent when dealing with complex legacy systems
• Strong communicator able to explain technical concepts clearly
• Detail-oriented, especially regarding data accuracy and consistency
• Collaborative mindset for cross-functional teamwork

What won't set you up for success

• Reluctance to document processes and knowledge
• Difficulty balancing tactical needs with strategic improvements
• A “throw more processing power or a new tool at it” approach, , instead of addressing the root cause like inefficient code, poor system design, or flawed data model.
• Inability to break a large project into achievable and impactful tasks.

Working hours and location

We're 100% remote with team members across the globe. Your working hours align with your local time zone, but team meetings follow U.S. time zones.

Benefits Section 

Kit has standardized salaries based on position, no matter where you live. For this role, we’re hiring at our level 4 ($172,000) . Level is determined based on experience and our interview process. 

Perks + benefits include:

• Profit Sharing
• Kit equity
• 401k with a 5% match
• We cover up to $1,950 per month toward medical premiums, with dental and vision premiums fully covered. We offer Health Insurance plans through Aetna.
• $4,000 equipment allowance for your first two years, $3,000 budget every following two years
• Individual learning + development budget ($3,500/year)
• Gender affirming benefits
• Childcare benefit up to $3,000 annually
• Twenty (20) days of paid time off during each year of employment
• Paid paid vacation: An after-tax bonus of $1,000 for taking five consecutive days of vacation where you’re fully unplugged from work
• Ten (10) paid holidays a year
• Two weeks of paid sick time each year, including mental health + well being days
• Twelve (12) weeks paid parental leave and flexible scheduling in your child’s first year
• Up to six weeks of paid bereavement leave, medical leave, and disaster after six months of employment, two weeks of each paid leave in your first six months
• Winter Break Closure: Kit closes for a week at the end of December, giving everyone a collective break to enjoy the holiday season. Essential support services remain available, with teams coordinating to ensure coverage during this period
• Four-week, paid sabbatical after five years with the team
• Fantastic in-person or virtual retreats with the team twice a year

How to apply

We usually receive a large number of applications, and our goal is to follow up with you within two weeks. You’ll hear from us either way. Here’s what you can expect from the rest of our hiring process:

1. A phone screen with our recruiter
2. Hiring manager screen 
3. Work sample
4. A cross functional interview

We’ll keep you informed through every step. To get started, complete this application, including a cover letter and answers to the questions on the next page. We read every single application, and your cover letter and responses help put your experience into context.

Kit is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in all of its forms, and we hire the best person we can for each role, no matter your personal background. Research tells us that applicants who are female or non-binary, as well as applicants who are people of color, are less likely to apply for roles they do not feel 100% qualified for. If you think you meet more than 50% of our requirements but fewer than 100% of them, please apply. We’re imperfect communicators, so think of our job postings as the starting point for discussion rather than proof that you shouldn’t apply.

Kit does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.