Senior Data Engineer

Harnham; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A high-growth financial services company in Chicago is seeking a Principal Data Engineer for a hybrid role. You will drive architectural decisions in a modern cloud data platform and oversee the development of scalable data pipelines. The ideal candidate has 5–8+ years in Data Engineering, strong SQL and Python skills, and experience with Snowflake and AWS. This position offers the chance to influence business strategy significantly within a collaborative and high-performing team.

Qualifications

• 5–8+ years of experience in Data Engineering.
• Hands-on experience with Snowflake and AWS.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Architect and evolve a modern cloud data platform.
• Design, build, and optimize scalable data pipelines.
• Lead data modeling strategy and oversee warehouse architecture.

Skills

Advanced expertise in SQL

Strong proficiency in Python

Data modeling

Cloud data platforms (AWS, Snowflake)

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

dbt

Airflow

Job description

Principal Data Engineer | Chicago (Hybrid)

$130,000 – $160,000 base + 15% bonus

Harnham is partnered with a high-growth, well-capitalized financial services company to hire a Principal Data Engineer into a highly visible, business-critical role.

This is an opportunity to step into a senior technical leadership position where you will shape the direction of the data platform while remaining hands‑on. Data sits at the core of the business, directly influencing credit strategy, underwriting, and revenue‑driving decisions.

The Opportunity

You will operate as a senior individual contributor within a lean, high‑performing team, owning key architectural decisions and driving best practices across the data environment. This role offers significant exposure to business leadership and the ability to influence how data is leveraged across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and evolve a modern cloud data platform (AWS, Snowflake)
• Design, build, and optimize scalable, production‑grade data pipelines
• Lead data modeling strategy and oversee warehouse architecture, including modernization efforts
• Partner closely with credit, analytics, and business teams to deliver high‑impact data solutions
• Drive standards around data quality, performance, governance, and reliability
• Provide technical leadership and guidance across the team

Core Requirements

• 5–8+ years of experience in Data Engineering
• Advanced expertise in SQL and strong proficiency in Python
• Hands‑on experience with Snowflake and AWS (or similar cloud platforms)
• Strong background in data modeling, warehousing, and pipeline architecture
• Proven ability to work cross‑functionally and influence stakeholders

Preferred Experience

• Experience with dbt, Airflow, or similar modern data tools
• Background in financial services, fintech, lending, or payments
• Experience working with credit or transaction‑level data

Why This Role

• Principal‑level ownership with meaningful influence on technical direction
• Direct impact on core business strategy and credit decisioning
• Modern data stack with continued investment
• High visibility across senior stakeholders
• Collaborative, low‑ego, high‑performing team
• Hybrid model based in Chicago

If you’re looking for a role that combines technical ownership with real business impact, this is a strong opportunity to step into a Principal‑level position within a growing organization.

Apply directly or reach out for a confidential conversation.