Staff Data Engineer

Upside; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 215,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) program

Unlimited PTO

Learning and Development stipend

Job summary

Upside in Washington, D.C. is seeking a Staff Data Engineer to lead the design and implementation of data products for analytics. In this position, you will work across teams to deliver high-impact solutions and elevate data quality. The ideal candidate will have over 6 years of experience, strong skills in SQL and Python, and familiarity with platforms like AWS and Snowflake. The role features a base salary of $215,000 - $250,000 plus equity and benefits.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in data or analytics engineering, owning complex data systems end to end.
• Deep expertise in SQL and Python for transforming, testing, and orchestrating large datasets.
• Experience with CI/CD for data and data governance.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver complex data products used by analysts and data scientists.
• Architect scalable patterns for modeling and data transformation.
• Lead project delivery and technical planning across teams.

Skills

SQL

Python

Data engineering

Analytics engineering

Machine learning workflows

DevOps practices

Tools

AWS

Snowflake

dbt

Dagster

Job description

Meet Upside:

We created Upside to transform brick-and-mortar commerce. Our technology uses the sophistication of online retail—profit measurement, attribution, and incrementality—to provide users with more value on their everyday purchases and brick‑and‑mortar businesses with new, profitable customers. We’ve helped millions of users earn 2 to 3 times more cashback than any other product, and hundreds of thousands of brick‑and‑mortar businesses earn measurable profit. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform every year, and that value goes directly back to our retailer partners, the consumers they serve, and important sustainability initiatives.

About the role:

We’re looking for a Staff Data Engineer to serve as a technical leader on the Analytics Engineering team. In this role, you’ll drive the design and implementation of foundational data products and analytics platform capabilities that power Upside’s most critical product and business use cases. You’ll lead cross‑functional workstreams, shape patterns and architecture across teams, and elevate the overall quality and impact of data work at Upside.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys deep technical problem‑solving, cares about quality and long‑term maintainability, and is motivated by helping others work more effectively with data.

How Analytics Engineers Drive Impact at Upside:

• Design and deliver highly complex, domain‑critical data products used by analysts, data scientists, and product teams to unlock new product features, ML models, and strategic decisions.
• Architect scalable, extensible patterns for modeling, orchestration, and data transformation—balancing flexibility, reusability, and cost‑efficiency.
• Own platform evolution projects such as migrating the data platform to Snowflake Semantic Views, extending Cortex, or improving orchestration tooling for analytics workflows.
• Lead technical planning and delivery across cross‑functional teams, breaking down complex data initiatives into scoped, sequenced workstreams implemented by you and others.
• Drive platform adoption and best practices, mentoring other engineers, building internal documentation and tooling, and raising the overall bar for analytics engineering across the company.
• Influence upstream and downstream teams, partnering with engineering, product, data science, and business stakeholders to align on requirements and deliver end‑to‑end solutions.
• Represent Analytics Engineering in technical design forums and contribute to roadmap discussions that shape the future of data at Upside.

Why You Should Apply

This role is a good fit for you if:

• You aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo when it makes the team and business better. You learn from those around you while utilizing data to advocate for informed change.
• You thrive at the intersection of systems and storytelling, not only building robust solutions but also communicating their purpose, impact and rationale, so teams can experiment, iterate, and act confidently.
• You care about building resilient systems that scale. You bring a mindset of continuous improvement, and know when to invest in observability, automation, or new infrastructure to reduce toil and improve outcomes for the team and end users.
• You believe that pulling quality upstream starts with engineering. You champion best practices, encourage early testing and validation, and work closely with peers to build a culture of quality from the ground up.

Ideal Qualifications

• Have 6+ years of experience in data or analytics engineering, with a track record of owning complex, business‑critical data systems end to end.
• Have deep expertise in SQL and Python, particularly for transforming, testing, and orchestrating very large datasets.
• Are fluent with platforms like AWS, Snowflake, dbt, and Dagster, and can design extensible patterns to be used across teams.
• Experience with DevOps practices (e.g., CI/CD for data), data governance, or FinOps (cost‑conscious design).
• Can break down ambiguous, cross‑functional data problems and lead the implementation from design to deployment, collaborating across technical and non‑technical teams.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve the analytics platform and are comfortable designing and implementing impactful, reusable solutions.
• Communicate clearly across audiences, from engineers and analysts to product managers and business leaders.
• Understand how to balance business value, maintainability, and platform standards in your design decisions.
• Are excited about the opportunity to mentor others, set standards, and leave systems better than you found them.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting machine learning workflows, such as building features or monitoring model inputs and outputs.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices (e.g., CI/CD for data), data governance, or FinOps (cost‑conscious design).
• Experience working in a fast‑growing startup environment or on platform‑style teams that serve internal customers.

Engineering Culture

We want our engineers to have the time and support to grow in their craft and contribute meaningfully to impactful technical decisions. Engineers are encouraged to focus deeply on their work, collaborate effectively with team members, and continuously develop their skills. Teams are thoughtfully staffed to create a dynamic and diverse environment that enhances learning and innovation.

Location

This role offers location flexibility, however, if you’re based in the Washington, D.C., Austin, Chicago, or NYC metropolitan regions, in‑office attendance is required on a hybrid basis.

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full‑time position is $215,000 - $250,000 + equity + benefits. The final starting pay will be determined based on job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage starting on Day 1
• Equity (ISOs)
• 401(k) program
• Family planning programs + paid parental leave
• Physical fitness and wellness memberships
• Emotional and mental health support programs
• Unlimited PTO + 10 paid federal holidays + our annual, week‑long Winter Break
• Flexible work environment
• Lunch reimbursement for in‑office employees
• Employee Resource Groups
• Learning and Development stipend
• Transparent culture
• Amazing mission!

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity drives innovation, and our differences make us stronger. We’re passionate about building a workplace that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills, and perspectives, and we do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Everyone is welcome here!