Technical Solutions Engineer

Role Description

DataKind is looking for a hands-on Technical Solutions Engineer to drive data integration, solution design, and cross-team technical partnership from discovery through deployment.

Reporting to the Director, Product, the Technical Solutions Engineer owns the full technical arc of onboarding and implementing our platform for new higher education institutions, from the first discovery call through go-live. You'll run discovery to understand each institution's data landscape, design how their systems connect to ours, and personally write and ship the code and configuration that makes that connection work. You’ll be the first technical point of contact for our customers whenever they need help, helping to ensure the platform works for each institution's specific data environment. Over time you'll also turn what you learn from each engagement into reference architectures and playbooks, so every new institution onboards faster than the last.

Core Responsibilities

• Implementation and Delivery
  • Directly build and ship the technical work each institution's onboarding requires – writing and modifying code, pipelines, and configuration to connect their systems to ours.
  • Configure, validate, and troubleshoot data mappings, schema alignment, and data flows specific to each institution's environment.
  • Anticipate integration risks and unblock issues independently before they stall a deployment.
  • Build reusable technical assets: reference architectures, integration playbooks, mapping templates so that each institution onboards faster than the last.
• Technical Partner Engagement
  • Serve as the primary technical point of contact for higher education institutions participating in the UDTS, partnering closely with the account/success manager on each relationship.
  • Lead technical discovery: understand each institution's data landscape and translate it into integration and governance requirements and a recommended solution design.
  • Run solution design and architecture conversations with institutional IT, data, and IR teams, scoping integrations, defining data flows, and setting realistic technical expectations.
  • Produce integration specs, and technical implementation plans tailored to each institution's environment, governance needs, and constraints.
  • Translate our platform's capabilities and roadmap accurately back to institutions, and translate institutional technical feedback into clear requirements for internal Technology and Product teams.
• Cross-Functional Alignment
  • Partner with Engineering and Product to confirm proposed integration solutions are feasible and align with platform direction.
  • Surface recurring technical patterns and gaps across institutions to inform product priorities.
  • Maintain a clear, shared view of each engagement's technical status, open issues, and dependencies.

What Success Looks Like in your first 90 days

• Ramp up on platform architecture, data model, and integration patterns.
• Take ownership of the technical relationship for at least one lighthouse institution and complete a technical discovery of its data landscape.
• Deliver a first end-to-end data mapping/integration for that institution.
• Begin building reusable assets from current engagements.
• Establish a working cadence with Product and Engineering, including a documented, shared view of engagement status.

Qualifications

• Deep alignment with DataKind's mission and values, and demonstrated commitment to educational equity and data-driven social impact.
• 5+ years in hands-on technical implementation, or solutions architecture, including direct client- or partner-facing delivery.
• Must have personally written and shipped production code, data pipelines, and system integrations, not just directed others.
• Able to independently configure and troubleshoot data mappings, schema alignment, and data flows; proficient in SQL and a scripting language, Python preferred.
• Comfortable running technical discovery directly with institutional IT/data teams and unblocking issues without routing to Engineering.

Preferred

• Experience in higher education, either as a client-side technical stakeholder or at a data integration vendor serving higher ed.
• Understanding of data privacy, security, and accessibility requirements in education contexts.
• Background as a software engineer, data scientist, or similar technical role.

Benefits

• Flexibility and time off: Enjoy genuine flexibility that goes beyond adjustable hours, including shared time off, organization-wide recharge days, bi-weekly meeting-free days, and flexible PTO (with a minimum of 20 vacation days encouraged annually).
• Comprehensive Wellness Support: 100% employer-paid medical, vision, and dental benefits for employees (72% for dependents), a wellness reimbursement program, and 12 weeks paid parental leave.
• A Culture of Growth: Professional development funding each year, mentorship, and advancement opportunities, along with a 401(k) plan with 5% employer matching.
• Meaningful Connection: Opportunities to come together in person for conferences, strategic planning, and at our annual staff retreat.
• Living our Values: Commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.

Company Description

DataKind believes in the transformative power of data science and AI to create a more promising future. Since our founding in 2012, we've been at the forefront of designing scalable, data-driven tools that address some of the world's toughest challenges.

As both a product innovator and a movement catalyst, we set new standards in the social sector, empowering organizations to harness the full potential of data science and AI while putting communities first.