Staff Data Platform Engineer

Octane is unlocking the power of financial products for merchants and consumers. Our cutting-edge technology and innovative financial products empower businesses with more control and flexibility, enabling them to deliver seamless digital experiences, drive customer loyalty, and build long-term value.  

Octane supports merchants throughout the sales cycle: connecting dealerships with high-intent buyers, driving transparent, fast, and easy closings with award-winning technology, and providing on-going customer care with superior loan servicing.

Founded in 2014, Octane supports over 60 OEM partner brands and over 4,000 dealer partners, and has a team of over 600. Visit www.octane.co.

We are seeking an experienced Staff Data Platform Engineer to play a critical role in shaping the future of our AWS-based data platform. As both an architect and builder, you’ll design scalable self-service solutions and help define the third generation of our data lake, setting the standard for performance, reliability, and security. This is a true player/coach opportunity which combines hands-on engineering with leadership responsibilities. You’ll not only dive into building data pipelines and infrastructure but also mentor teammates, influence long-term strategy, and ensure the platform is aligned with the company’s evolving needs.

In this role, you’ll spend most of your time designing and implementing data solutions, with a balance between heads-down coding, strategic planning, and collaboration with cross-functional partners. Working closely with analytics, data science, and executive stakeholders, you’ll ensure our data systems fuel insights and innovation while meeting compliance and governance requirements. With skilled engineers already in place, this role is a chance to set the strategic direction for 2026 and beyond. We expect you to bring technical mastery, vision, and leadership to a team that is ready to take our data platform to the next level. 

Responsibilities:

• Architect: Design and evolve the third generation of our AWS-based data lake, building scalable self-service platforms that empower teams across the business. Provide architectural guidance and set the technical vision for the next phase of our data infrastructure.
• Build: Develop and enhance data pipelines and platform capabilities that ensure best-in-class performance, reliability, and scalability. Champion modern data practices and help establish standards the entire engineering organization can build on.
• Lead: Serve as a player/coach by combining hands-on engineering with leadership responsibilities. Act as a Technical Lead, Program Manager, and mentor. You’ll guide the team to deliver on a clear roadmap while contributing directly to key projects.
• Collaborate: Partner closely with analytics and data science teams to deliver high-impact data solutions. Translate business needs into engineering initiatives and foster strong cross-functional relationships to ensure success.
• Strategic Planning: Work alongside executive stakeholders to define a long-term vision for the data platform. Align technical initiatives with company-wide strategic objectives and ensure investments in data infrastructure drive measurable business value.

Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of professional experience in data engineering with a proven track record of delivering large-scale, production-grade data solutions.
• Deep knowledge of ETL/ELT design patterns, large-scale batch data processing, and modern data lake architectures, with the ability to shape how these components fit into an evolving data ecosystem.
• Advanced proficiency with core tools and technologies including Python, SQL, Apache Spark, Apache Iceberg, and Airflow, as well as AWS-native data services such as Glue, Lake Formation, and Athena.
• Passion for treating data as a first-class product by prioritizing usability, scalability, and performance all while applying the most effective tools as the technology landscape evolves.
• Demonstrated strength in solving complex technical challenges with innovative solutions, combined with the ability to work collaboratively across engineering, analytics, and business teams.
• Solid experience designing and supporting secure, reliable data systems that meet stringent privacy, compliance, and regulatory standards in highly controlled environments.
• Executive Communication: Proven ability to quantify business impact, translate technical initiatives into ROI, and communicate effectively with both technical and executive-level stakeholders.

Preferred Skills: 

• Past experience in a staff engineering role or role with comparable scope.
• Past experience acting as a technical lead for one or more teams.

Compensation: In addition to salary, Total Rewards include bonus eligibility, a stock option package, and benefits as outlined below. The role described above offers a base salary of $150,000 to $205,000 + bonus incentive eligibility. Your offer will be based on location, the alignment of your qualifications with the requirements of the job and internal equity.

Benefits:

• Robust Health Care Plans (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Generous Parental Leave
• Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy - Time Off When You Need It
• Retirement Plan (401k) with company match!
• Educational Assistance/Tuition Reimbursement up to $3K/year 
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Short Term / Long Term Disability
• Robust Ancillary benefits including accident insurance, hospital insurance, etc
• Wellhub (Gympass) Wellness Benefit
• Powersports Safety Benefit

Disclaimer:  The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by associates assigned to this classification.  They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.  All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

Octane Lending is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion and other terms and conditions of employment.

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