Staff Data Engineer at Code for America
United States
$128.945k - $157.85k
<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America believes government can work for the people, by the people, in the new digital age, and that government at all levels can and should work well for all people. For more than a decade, we’ve worked to show that with the mindful use of technology, we can break down barriers, meet community needs, and find real solutions.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Our employees build and transform government and community tools and services, making them so good they inspire change. We merge the best parts of technology, nonprofit, and government to help support the people who need it most.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">With a focus on transparency and fairness, and deep empathy for partners in government and community organizations and the people that our partners serve, we’re building a movement of motivated change agents driven by meaningful results and lasting impact.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At Code for America, you contribute to exciting work while learning and developing in a supportive and flexible environment. Our compensation and benefits are holistic and thoughtfully curated to represent our employees and our mission. Help us drive real generational change that lasts.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America is looking for a talented <strong>Staff Data Engineer </strong>who will lead the technical execution of our data infrastructure behind high-impact government services. In this role you will make data reliable and usable at scale — improving how our teams collect, move, model, and analyze the data that tells us whether the services we build actually work for the people who need them most. </span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The pace of change in the policy and government landscape is accelerating at the same time that technology possibilities are shifting rapidly. Together, these shifts create new windows of opportunity to develop technical solutions that make critical public services more effective for the people who need them. Staff data engineers keep delivery moving through those moments, supporting staff and holding high delivery standards so that data are trustworthy, and reachable by the people who need it.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><br></strong><strong>About the role: </strong></span></h1> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America’s Staff Data Engineers build and operate the infrastructure that moves data through the products we ship, between our systems and our partners’ systems, and into the analysis that drives meaningful improvements in outcomes across the tax, criminal justice, and safety net delivery areas. Staff Data Engineers lead the technical execution of data infrastructure projects and solutions while guiding their teams’ technical direction, setting a high standard for technical judgment, and enabling other data scientists and engineers through collaboration and mentorship.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This role will report to a Data Science Manager and is expected to travel no more than 10<strong>%</strong> of the time. </span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America is based in California and can employ those who reside full-time within the United States. This is a remote position.</span><br><br></p> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>In this position you will:</strong></span></h1> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Data Infrastructure & Pipeline Engineering</strong></span></li> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lead cross-functional technical planning with Data Scientists, Software Engineers, and Product Managers to translate data architecture requirements into scalable technical solutions for your team's projects</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Create new data pipelines, data transfers, and compliance-oriented infrastructure to facilitate seamless data utilization within cloud environments</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Contribute to best practices for dataset management and optimization, ensuring data consistency and performance</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Implement data transformation, integration, and validation processes to support analytics and reporting needs</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Partner with our DevOps team to apply deployment standards, monitoring frameworks, and operational best practices for data infrastructure</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lead technical investigations into data issues within the systems you own, resolving them with thorough communication and recommending process changes where necessary.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Optimize and fine-tune data pipelines for improved speed, reliability, and efficiency</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lead generation and optimization of data architecture recommendations and demonstrate the ability to implement them</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Champion privacy, security, and data governance practices throughout the entire data lifecycle</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Support Engineering's culture of writing by producing quality documentation and learning materials.</span></li> </ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Technical Leadership & Enablement</strong></span></li> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Contribute to the development of data engineering best practices and standards, and reinforce them across the team.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Collaborate with Product Managers and other cross-functional peers; adapt your approach as priorities, technology, and team needs shift; and actively help others do the same when facing major changes in direction or tooling.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Mentor engineers and data scientists on data engineering best practices, pipeline design, and sound architectural thinking, and create conditions for them to grow into unfamiliar problem spaces through pairing, documentation, or direct coaching.</span></li> </ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Other duties as assigned</strong></span></li> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Engage in ad hoc projects and initiatives as required by the organization's evolving needs.<strong><br></strong></span></li> </ul> </ul> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>About you:</strong></span></h1> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">7+ years of experience in data engineering or related technical fields</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Expert-level SQL and experience with python, R</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Experience with Postgres and cloud-based data warehousing (e.g. BigQuery, Snowflake)</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Expert at data orchestration tools (e.g. Dagster) for building and managing data pipelines</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Expert at using dbt for data transformation and modeling within data warehouses</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Demonstrated experience with Metabase or similar business intelligence tools (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI, Looker)</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Experience in ensuring that data pipelines are accessible to Data Scientists through notebook tools (e.g. Hex)</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Experience with cloud infrastructure and infrastructure as code.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Excellent collaboration skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional relationships, respond to stakeholder needs, and facilitate effective decision-making conversations</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Demonstrated ability to use AI coding tools judiciously, validating and refining generated code for quality, and modeling that discipline for teammates is needed for this specific role; organizationally, a curiosity about emerging AI tools and a commitment to using them responsibly and effectively</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A deep commitment to Code for America's mission of making government services work well for the people who need them most.</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>It’s a bonus if you have:</strong></span></h1> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Experience with making government services better for people who need them most</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Personal or professional experience with the social safety net or other mission-relevant government services.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Experience building and integrating AI-powered features in production systems, with evaluation and monitoring.</span></li> </ul> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><br></strong><strong>What you’ll get -</strong></span></h1> <h2><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Salary: </strong></span></h2> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America’s salary bands are transparent as a part of our commitment to transparency and fairness. As part of our hiring practices, we aim to target the midpoint of the 2nd quartile of the range for all new hires.</span></p> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Offer targets vary based on market / geographic location. The offer targets for this role range from <strong>$128,945 to $157,850</strong>,<strong> </strong>annually. Your Recruiter will discuss compensation in more detail & answer any related questions, during the initial Recruiter phone screen.</span></p> <h2><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><br></strong><strong>Benefits and perks: </strong></span></h2> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This role includes a comprehensive benefits package including the following:</span></p> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Values:</strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Leadership and teammates who share a strong work ethic and values, and who respect and care for one another</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A collaborative, cross-functional, hardworking, and joyful environment</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Employee Enablement Support: </strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Laptop provided</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A <strong>one-time</strong> $700 payment for remote environment setup; $200 stipend (in first paycheck) and up to $500 reimbursement, in accordance with our equipment policy</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Cell phone and/or internet reimbursement of $50 per month </span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Professional Development:</strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">$500 annual (per calendar year) stipend towards professional development; prorated at time of hire</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Up to $500 of professional development funds can be rolled over each year, up to a maximum of $1000</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Training / guidance for staff required to utilize AI as part of their role, plus opportunities for employees to gain AI-related skills to support job and career growth</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Retirement & 401k Plans:</strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Employees receive a 100% employer match on the first 3% of contributions.</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Employees with 3+ years of service receive an additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5%, for a maximum employer contribution of 5%</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Medical:</strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At least one no cost health insurance option for full-time employees for employee-only coverage</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A minimum of 80% of the cost of dependent coverage</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Remote Work:</strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America employees may work remotely across the US</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America employees main residence must be within the US</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Full-time employees work 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Collaborative working hours:</strong> we aim to hold all <strong>internal</strong> meetings between 10 AM - 3 PM PT. We expect all Code for America staff to be available during these set working hours</span></li> </ul> </li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Time Off: </strong></span> <ul> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Open personal time off (<em>subject to manager approval</em>), a minimum of 14 paid holidays, and an org-wide closure from Christmas Day through New Year's Day</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Paid sick time; up to 96 hours annually</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">17 weeks of paid parental and family leave</span></li> <li style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3 weeks of paid sabbatical after 5 years of service</span></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>Timeline:</strong></span></h1> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">From the time you are contacted by a Recruiter, you can expect a 1-2 month, or longer, hiring process. The specific hiring process and timeline goals for this role will be covered during the initial Recruiter phone screen. Code for America's standard interview process details are also available on our <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="https://codeforamerica.org/jobs/#current-openings">careers page.</a></span></p> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><br>Equal Employment Opportunity: </strong></span></h1> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Code for America is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.</span></p> <h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong><br></strong><strong>Code for America Workers United:</strong></span></h1> <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This position is covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement between Code for America and Code for America Workers United, affiliated with OPEIU, Local 1010. The agreement was ratified on January 13, 2026, and is currently in effect.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>#LI-MD1</strong></p> <p><strong>#LI-Remote</strong></p>
Apply Now
