Senior Data Engineer

The Trade Desk; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 124,900 - 228,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive healthcare benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Parental leave

Vacation time up to 160 hours

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

The Trade Desk is searching for a Senior Software Engineer - Data Engineer to work within Technology Operations. This role involves owning complex data pipelines, designing ETL/ELT pipelines using Snowflake and Databricks, and collaborating with product managers and data scientists.

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and 6-8+ years of experience in data engineering, with a strong grasp of SQL, data modeling, and ETL/ELT tools. The position is based in Denver, Colorado, offering competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 6-8+ years of professional experience in software or data engineering.
• Hands-on experience with modern data warehouse concepts.
• Experience with data quality, observability, and operational support.

Responsibilities

• Own complex data pipelines and design scalable ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Drive data modeling and warehouse design.
• Implement data quality checks and monitoring.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business needs.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship.
• Improve performance and scalability of data systems.

Skills

SQL

Data modeling

Python

Spark

ETL/ELT pipelines

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Snowflake

Databricks

Airflow

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role sits within the Technology Operations group in Engineering at The Trade Desk and focuses on building reliable, scalable, and well-governed enterprise data solutions. As a Senior Software Engineer‑Data Engineer, you will be an end‑to‑end owner for complex data pipelines, models, and integrations that power analytics, reporting, and internal products.

This is a hands‑on senior role with growing technical leadership expectations. You will work independently on ambiguous problems, influence design decisions, and mentor others, while still operating within an established architecture and technical direction.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own complex data pipelines end to end. Design, build, and operate scalable batch and near‑real‑time ETL/ELT pipelines using Snowflake, Databricks, Spark, and cloud storage.
• Drive data modeling and warehouse design. Define and implement dimensional models, data marts, and curated datasets that balance performance, usability, and governance.
• Raise data quality and reliability. Implement robust data quality checks, validations, monitoring, and alerting to ensure data accuracy, freshness, and trust.
• Collaborate deeply with stakeholders. Partner with product managers, BI teams, data scientists, and internal business teams to translate business needs into well‑designed data solutions.
• Lead design without owning architecture. Proactively propose technical improvements, review designs, and influence standards while aligning with broader platform and architectural direction.
• Mentor and raise the bar. Provide technical guidance through code reviews, pairing, and documentation; help mid‑level and junior engineers grow in ownership and quality.
• Operational excellence. Improve performance, scalability, cost efficiency, and observability of data systems; participate in on‑call and incident response as needed.

WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information security, or a related field, or equivalent work experience. Master’s degree preferred and 6‑8+ years of professional experience in software or data engineering.
• Strong expertise in SQL and data modeling for analytics and reporting.
• Hands‑on experience with Snowflake and/or Databricks modern data warehouse concepts.
• Experience building and operating ETL/ELT pipelines using tools such as Airflow, Dagster, Glue, or similar.
• Proficiency in Python, Scala, Java, or similar languages.
• Familiarity with Spark‑based data processing.
• Solid understanding of version control (Git) and CI/CD practices.
• Experience with data quality, observability, and operational support.
• Strong senior‑level engineer. You can independently deliver complex data solutions and make sound technical trade‑offs, even when requirements are incomplete.
• Pragmatic and detail‑oriented. You care deeply about correctness, reliability, and maintainability—not just shipping code.
• Collaborative and influential. You communicate clearly, build trust across teams, and influence outcomes without requiring formal authority.
• Continuously learning. You stay current on data engineering patterns, tooling, and best practices and apply them thoughtfully.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working at petabyte‑scale or high‑growth data environments.
• Familiarity with governance, security, and compliance (e.g., PII handling, access controls).
• Exposure to containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) or cloud infrastructure patterns.
• Experience in AdTech or analytics‑heavy domains.
• Comfort working with BI and reporting tools and understanding downstream consumption needs.

The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

[LA JOBS ONLY] The Trade Desk will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Ordinance No. 184652.

[SF JOBS ONLY] Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

In accordance with various US state laws, the range provided is The Trade Desk's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non‑discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. All employees may be eligible to become The Trade Desk shareholders through eligibility for stock‑based compensation grants, which are awarded to employees based on company and individual performance. The Trade Desk also offers other compensation depending on the role such as variable compensation‑based incentives and commissions. Plus, expected benefits for this role include comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents, retirement benefits such as a 401(k) plan and company match, short and long‑term disability coverage, basic life insurance, well‑being benefits, reimbursement for certain tuition expenses, parental leave, sick time of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, vacation time for full‑time employees up to 120 hours thru the first year and 160 hours thereafter, and around 13 paid holidays per year. Employees can also purchase The Trade Desk stock at a discount through The Trade Desk's Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

The Trade Desk also offers a competitive benefits package.

Base Salary range for this role is $124,900 – $228,900 USD.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The Trade Desk is committed to creating an inclusive hiring experience where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.