Director of Data Engineering

Role Description

In this position you will:

• Partner hand in hand with the Director of Data to translate platform and data strategy into engineering execution, operating as peers across the data organization.
• Take an already high-performing data engineering team and keep it aligned with best practices — establishing, championing, and continuously reinforcing standards for modeling, transformation, testing, and documentation as the platform evolves.
• Provide strategic direction and technical leadership to the data engineering team, defining and executing the data engineering roadmap in alignment with the broader business and data strategy.
• Operate as a hands-on leader in a role split roughly 50% management / 50% individual contribution.
• Define and maintain data architecture standards and best practices that ensure the consistency, reliability, and maintainability of data pipelines and systems.
• Lead the design and implementation of data models and schemas that enable integration and analysis across the platform.
• Architect and build complex data systems, including large-scale data migration projects.
• Design, implement, and manage data pipelines, ETL processes, and data warehousing solutions for efficient ingestion, transformation, and storage.
• Partner with the DevOps team to deploy new data prototypes and R&D initiatives.
• Debug and optimize long-running queries, tuning pipelines for performance, scalability, and reliability across data volume, velocity, and variety.
• Recruit, hire, onboard, and mentor a high-performing data engineering team — setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and conducting performance evaluations.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team environment that promotes professional growth and skill development.
• Evaluate and select technologies, tools, and platforms that enhance data engineering capability and scale.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, software engineers, and other stakeholders to translate data requirements into solutions that meet business needs.
• Partner with IT, security, and compliance teams to maintain data privacy, security, and compliance standards.
• Monitor and troubleshoot data engineering processes, resolving issues quickly.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies, driving innovation and continuous improvement across processes, tools, and methodologies.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering or a related field, including 3+ years in a leadership/management role.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Technology, or a related field. A master's degree is a plus.
• Deep expertise in data pipeline design, ETL processes, data warehousing, and data integration.
• Advanced proficiency in SQL and Python; familiarity with R is a plus.
• Experience with cloud data platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and modern data warehouses (Redshift, BigQuery, Snowflake).
• Solid command of database systems, data modeling, and schema design.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects and deliver high-quality results on time.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate technical decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Salary: $140,000-175,000
• Premier health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• 401K matching
• Unlimited paid time off
• Paid personal and volunteer leave
• 13 paid holidays
• 15 weeks paid parental leave
• Professional development stipend & tuition reimbursement
• Macbook Pro laptop & tech accessories
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) stipend for mobile device
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Supportive & collaborative culture
• Flexible working hours
• Remote friendly (within the U.S.)
• Pre-tax transportation options for commuting to our office in Washington, DC
• Lunches and snacks
• And more!