Data Engineering Lead

About the Team

The Data Engineering Lead will guide a lean and focused data engineering team. The team’s mission is to build and scale an AI-ready data foundation that enables reliable analytics, operational reporting, governance, and future AI initiatives across the company.

About the Role

This role owns the Data Governance & Accessibility program and serves as the technical leader responsible for designing scalable data architecture, improving pipeline reliability, mentoring data engineers, and enabling analysts through robust, specialized data solutions. Success in this role requires balancing hands-on technical leadership with strategic planning, cross-functional influence, and operational excellence.

Performance Objectives

• 30 Days:

  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of OpenSesame’s current data ecosystem, governance practices, reporting dependencies, and analyst workflows.
  • Conduct a full assessment of existing pipelines, warehouse architecture, data quality gaps, lineage visibility, and AI-readiness constraints.
  • Establish working relationships with analytics stakeholders across departments and create a prioritized roadmap for improving governance, accessibility, and platform scalability while aligning the two-person engineering team around delivery standards and operating rhythms.

• 60 Days:

  • Design and begin implementing the foundational architecture for an AI-ready data platform, including standardized ingestion patterns, governance controls, metadata management, and scalable transformation frameworks.
  • Introduce monitoring, alerting, and documentation standards that improve reliability and analyst trust in shared datasets.
  • Mentor the Data Engineers through structured technical reviews, backlog prioritization, and development planning while improving delivery velocity and reducing operational bottlenecks for analyst requests.

• 90 Days:

  • Launch the first phase of the Data Governance & Accessibility program by delivering production-ready, well-documented pipelines and certified datasets that support multiple business functions.
  • Establish company-wide standards for data ownership, quality monitoring, lineage tracking, and access management.
  • Demonstrate measurable improvements in analyst efficiency, data reliability, and pipeline performance while creating a sustainable technical mentorship model that elevates engineering quality, promotes knowledge sharing, and prepares the organization for future AI and advanced analytics initiatives.

• 6 Months:

  • Deliver a scalable and extensible data platform capable of supporting advanced analytics, machine learning experimentation, and AI-powered business initiatives.
  • Establish governance processes that enable self-service analytics while maintaining strong security and data quality standards.
  • Create a high-performing engineering culture centered on technical excellence, operational discipline, and continuous improvement, with clear ownership models and repeatable delivery practices across the data organization.

• Success in the Role Looks Like:

  • Analysts across the company can reliably access trusted, well-documented datasets with minimal engineering intervention.
  • Data pipelines operate with strong observability, measurable SLAs, and reduced operational failures.
  • Governance standards are consistently applied across core business domains.
  • The data platform is structured to support future AI and machine learning initiatives without major architectural redesign.
  • The engineering team demonstrates improved delivery consistency, technical maturity, and collaborative execution.
  • Stakeholders view the data organization as a strategic enabler rather than a reactive support function.

Location

This position can be based anywhere in the US. We operate as a remote-first company and invest in all-company in-person meetings several times a year.

Performance Driven

We're looking for self-starters with a track record of delivering excellent results, but we're highly selective about who we hire. We don't focus on typical job requirements; instead, we're interested in specific examples from your past experiences. All positions can be based anywhere in the US, and require up to 15 days of travel per year, with senior management and leadership teams requiring up to 35 days.

Compensation

The salary for this role range between $150,000 - $170,000 per year, depending on experience. At OpenSesame, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to employees upon hire, including professional development, ISOs, health insurance, 401(k) matching, and paid time off. We carefully consider a wide range of compensation factors, relying on market data to determine compensation and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience. We prioritize pay transparency, fairness, and equity to create a positive and inclusive work environment, regularly reviewing our compensation practices to align with our values and goals.

Benefits

• Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible PTO, 401(k) matching, incentive stock options, volunteer time off, Employee Resource Groups, and a generous professional development program with dedicated annual time off for learning and growth.

We Care About Your Security

We’ve been made aware of a phishing scam involving individuals impersonating OpenSesame recruiters. All legitimate communication from our team will come from @opensesame.com email addresses. If you receive a suspicious message, please contact us directly at careers@opensesame.com. Your security matters to us — thank you for staying vigilant