Staff Data Engineer

About the Staff Data Engineer at Headspace The Staff Data Engineer at Headspace will play a foundational role in building the data platform that powers personalized, ethical, and scalable mental health support. This person will lead the evolution of our privacy-first data infrastructure, enabling better experimentation, AI-ready capabilities, and smarter decision-making across the company. It’s a high-impact staff-level role for someone who wants to shape technical strategy, mentor others, and help drive how Headspace delivers more personalized care to millions of members. Responsibilities Lead the implementation of a resilient, privacy-first data platform architecture that powers personalization, ethical AI, and accelerates data-driven decisions Lead the design, infrastructure, and tooling decisions for platform optimization and consolidation efforts, including the deprecation of legacy and redundant tooling such as Appflow, Prefect, Stitch, Redshift, and Looker Develop AI-ready architecture by creating semantic layers that define and standardize business logic, enabling data for Agentic AI, and spearheading new support for ML, experimentation, and onboarding to experimentation pipelines like Statsig Mentor other members of the DE and broader data team, particularly around dbt architecture and query performance Foster a data-first culture that prioritizes excellence, innovation, and collaboration across teams Act as a technical thought leader, shaping the company’s data strategy and influencing cross-functional roadmaps with data-centric solutions Required Skills 6+ years in data engineering, with extensive experience in data platform development, complex data model designing, and data compliance implementation Production experience writing performant Python and PySpark code on distributed compute (Spark 3+, Delta Lake) Existing experience with Databricks is preferred or experience with Redshift and/or Snowflake Demonstrated expertise in architectural patterns for building high-volume ETL pipelines Experience with data modeling, Medallion architecture, pipeline design, metrics calculation and technical documentation Exceptional oral and written communication abilities, facilitating effective cross‑functional collaboration BA/BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience Preferred Skills Experience in developing AI-ready architecture, such as creating semantic layers that standardize business logic for Agentic AI enablement Exposure to event streaming (Kafka, EventHub) and CDC tools. Experience in deployment and infrastructure management using Terraform is a plus Prior experience implementing governance, privacy, and security frameworks across a data platform Familiarity with the complexities of PII/PHI data, HIPAA, and biometrics data Experience migrating or working with DBT for transformations, documentation, and lineage tracking Location This role is open to candidates across the US, with preferred locations in San Francisco, CA (hybrid), New York City, NY (remote), and Seattle, WA (remote). Candidates must permanently reside in the US full‑time. Pay & Benefits The anticipated new hire base salary range for this full‑time position is $140,400-$195,000 + equity + benefits. For candidates based in San Francisco, New York City, or Seattle, a separate salary range of $179,400-$224,250 applies, consistent with our location‑based compensation philosophy. Our salary ranges are based on the job, level, and location, and reflect the lowest to highest geographic markets where we are hiring for this role within the United States. Within this range, individual compensation is determined by a candidate’s location as well as a range of factors including but not limited to unique relevant experience, job‑related skills, and education or training. At Headspace, base salary is but one component of our Total Rewards package. We’re proud of our robust package inclusive of: base salary, stock awards, comprehensive healthcare coverage, monthly wellness stipend, retirement savings match, lifetime Headspace membership, generous parental leave, and more. Additional details about our Total Rewards package will be provided during the recruitment process. Equal Opportunity Statement As an equal opportunity employer, we prohibit any unlawful discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, family or parental status, disability, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated to going above and beyond in fostering diversity across our workplace. Accommodations Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Headspace. To request accommodation, please inform our Talent team by filling out this form if you need any assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application or interview process. Privacy and Compliance All member records are protected according to our Privacy Policy. Further, while employees of Headspace (formerly Ginger) cannot access Headspace products/services, they will be offered benefits according to the company's benefit plan. To ensure we are adhering to best practice and ethical guidelines in the field of mental health, we take care to avoid dual relationships. A dual relationship occurs when a mental health care provider has a second, significantly different relationship with their client in addition to the traditional client‑therapist relationship—including, for example, a managerial relationship. As such, Headspace requests that individuals who have received coaching or clinical services at Headspace wait until their care with Headspace is complete before applying for a position. If someone with a Headspace account is hired for a position, please note their account will be deactivated and they will not be able to use Headspace services for the duration of their employment. Headspace participates in the E‑Verify Program. #J-18808-Ljbffr