Lead Data Engineer

Compunnel, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology firm in Los Angeles is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to design and implement the Medallion 2.0 architecture. This role requires strong data engineering skills, a solid understanding of domain-driven design, and proficiency in SQL. You will work closely with cross-functional teams and external vendors to ensure data quality and alignment with business objectives. Ideal candidates have 4+ years of experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to work independently in dynamic environments.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of data engineering experience, with 1-2 years focused on data platform architecture.
• Proficient in SQL and familiar with transformation frameworks like dbt.
• Strong written communication skills for clear documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of the Medallion 2.0 architecture.
• Apply domain-driven design principles to model data domains.
• Collaborate with analytics to ensure the gold layer reflects business needs.

Skills

Data engineering experience

Domain-driven design

SQL

Data platform architecture

Communication skills

Tools

BigQuery

Pub/Sub

Dataflow

Dataplex

dbt

Job description

The Lead Data Engineer will play a central role in the buildout of Client's next-generation data platform — Medallion 2.0. This is a high-ownership role on a small, senior team, working directly with the SVP of Data & AI to design and implement a scalable medallion architecture across bronze, silver, and gold layers. The role emphasizes domain-driven design, data contracts, and proactive communication with both internal stakeholders and external vendors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical design and implementation of Client Medallion 2.0 architecture — bronze ingestion, silver transformation, and gold domain layers — with clear data contracts at each boundary
• Apply domain-driven design principles to partition and model data domains (e.g., royalty, asset, artist, distribution)
• Collaborate with the analytics team to ensure the gold layer reflects real business needs — reducing workarounds
• Coordinate with external vendors (e.g., DataArt) and internal stakeholders across DevOps, product, and analytics
• Proactively identify architectural risks, data quality issues, and dependency blockers with proposed resolutions
• Maintain clear, impact-first documentation and status updates for both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• 4+ years of data engineering experience, with at least 1–2 years focused on data platform or Lakehouse architecture
• Hands-on experience with domain-driven design applied to data modeling
• Strong command of SQL and at least one transformation framework (dbt preferred)
• Experience with medallion or Lakehouse architectures (bronze/silver/gold or equivalent)
• Familiarity with GCP-native tooling — BigQuery, Pub/Sub, Dataflow, or Dataplex a plus
• Excellent written communication — able to write design docs non-engineers can understand and status updates executives can act on
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in ambiguous environments
• Track record of flagging risks early with proposed solutions
• Nice to have: Experience in music/media/entertainment data; familiarity with data contracts or schema validation (Dataplex, Great Expectations, dbt tests); experience with external dev vendors