Tech Lead, Data Foundations

LinkedIn; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

LinkedIn, based in San Francisco, is seeking a Data Foundations Lead to architect scalable data foundations for trusted Finance reporting, automation, and decisioning. This senior IC role combines data architecture, governance, and cross-functional leadership to define data operating models, semantic layers, and master data alignment.

Expect collaboration with Finance Tech and Engineering to deliver durable platforms that scale with the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or technical field or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years in data foundations, analytics engineering, data governance, or related roles supporting business-critical stakeholders.
• 6 years of SQL and advanced data modeling with semantic layers.
• Experience with data quality, lineage, documentation, and production controls.
• Proven ability to align stakeholders across Finance, Engineering, and Finance Technology to deliver durable platforms.

Responsibilities

• Own the data foundations strategy for Finance: architecture, standards, and roadmap for data models and governance.
• Design and evolve governed metric and semantic layers for consistency across dashboards, automations, and data products.
• Build and maintain curated datasets, lineage, and documentation in collaboration with Finance Tech and Engineering.
• Embed quality, controls, and observability with quality checks, reconciliation routines, monitoring, and escalation paths.
• Drive master data rigor across domains (cost centers, chart of accounts, suppliers, products).
• Enable automation on trusted data by powering workflows with governed data assets and clear access controls.
• Lead cross-functional execution: manage dependencies and set measurable success metrics and operating rhythms.
• Elevate decision-making by turning data foundations into executive-ready insights with clear narrative.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

SQL proficiency

Data modeling

Data governance

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in quantitative or technical field

Tools

Oracle

SAP

Job description

Company Description

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network, built to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. Our products help people make powerful connections, discover exciting opportunities, build necessary skills, and gain valuable insights every day. We're also committed to providing transformational opportunities for our own employees by investing in their growth. We aspire to create a culture that's built on trust, care, inclusion, and fun -- where everyone can succeed.

Join us to transform the way the world works.

Job Description

This role will be based in San Francisco.

At LinkedIn, our approach to flexible work is centered on trust and optimized for culture, connection, clarity, and the evolving needs of our business. The work location of this role is hybrid, meaning it will be performed both from home and from a LinkedIn office on select days, as determined by the business needs of the team.

We're hiring a Data Foundations Lead to architect and scale the core data foundations that enable trusted Finance reporting, automation, and operational decisioning. This is a senior individual contributor role that combines deep data architecture and governance expertise with cross-functional leadership. You will define the data operating model, build durable semantic and master data layers, and ensure quality, lineage, and controls are embedded end-to-end. This is not a dashboard-only role. You will build the foundations that make all downstream reporting and automation reliable, auditable, and scalable.

Responsibilities:

• Own the data foundations strategy for Finance: Define the architecture, standards, and roadmap for data models, semantic layers, and governance that power reporting and automation.


• Design and evolve governed metric and semantic layers: Standardize definitions, implement reusable logic, and ensure consistency across dashboards, automations, and data products.


• Build and maintain high-trust data foundations: Partner with Finance Technology and Engineering to develop curated datasets, lineage, and documentation that scale with the business.


• Embed quality, controls, and observability: Define quality checks, reconciliation routines, monitoring, and escalation paths to prevent and catch data issues early.


• Drive master data rigor: Align master data domains (cost centers, chart of accounts, suppliers, products) to governance standards that support finance workflows and analytics.


• Enable automation on trusted data: Collaborate with automation teams to ensure workflows and RPA are powered by governed data assets with clear access and controls.


• Lead cross-functional execution: Drive multi-team initiatives, manage dependencies, and set measurable success metrics and operating rhythms.


• Elevate decision-making: Turn data foundations into executive-ready insights through clear narrative, transparency, and adoption enablement.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or technical field (or equivalent practical experience).


• Experience: 6 years in data foundations, analytics engineering, data governance, or related roles supporting business-critical stakeholders.


• SQL and data modeling: 6 years with advanced SQL and designing scalable data models and semantic layers.


• Data governance: Demonstrated experience with data quality, lineage, documentation, and controls in production environments.


• Cross-functional leadership: Proven ability to align stakeholders across Finance, Engineering, and Finance Technology and deliver durable platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Finance domain fluency: Experience building finance data platforms (GL, planning, close, cost centers, revenue, headcount).


• Master data governance: Experience with MDM domains and workflows; ERP/EPM familiarity (Oracle, SAP, etc.).


• Platform tooling: Experience with modern data stack tools (e.g., warehouse/lakehouse, transformation frameworks, catalog/lineage, CI/CD for data).


• Automation enablement: Experience providing governed data assets for automation and RPA programs.


• Executive communication: Ability to translate platform strategy into clear decisions, tradeoffs, and adoption plans.

Suggested Skills

• Project Management


• Data Analysis


• Stakeholder Management


• Problem Solving


• Strategic Thinking

LinkedIn is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices.

The pay range for this role is $138,000 - $225,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor.

The total compensation package for this position may also include annual performance bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable incentive compensation plans. For more information, visit https://careers.linkedin.com/benefits.

Additional Information

Equal Opportunity Statement

We seek candidates with a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. LinkedIn considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.

LinkedIn is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. Our goal is foster an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone has the opportunity to be successful.

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Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to the application or hiring process that would enable you to fully participate in that process. Examples of reasonable accommodations include but are not limited to:

• Documents in alternate formats or read aloud to you


• Having interviews in an accessible location


• Being accompanied by a service dog


• Having a sign language interpreter present for the interview

A request for an accommodation will be responded to within three business days. However, non-disability related requests, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

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Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, LinkedIn will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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As a federal contractor, LinkedIn follows the Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions described at this link: https://lnkd.in/paytransparency.

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