Senior Data Engineer

Description Whisker is redefining what it means to live with cats—designing intelligent systems that remove friction, elevate the everyday, and celebrate the quiet brilliance of feline companionship. Today, Litter-Robot leads the category. Tomorrow, an entire ecosystem that expands what’s possible for cats and the people who love them. We believe the future is feline. And we’re imagining that future today. We work onsite 4+ days a week, with our team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and Juneau, Wisconsin. Our team of 700+ passionate pet people thrives on collaboration, innovation, and the occasional office cameo from a four-legged friend. What You’ll Do: We are seeking a Senior Data Engineer / Data Engineer with strong hands-on Databricks experience to design, build, and optimize scalable data pipelines and platforms that power analytics and decision-making across the organization. This role partners closely with data science, analytics, and engineering teams to deliver reliable, high-performance data solutions in a modern cloud lakehouse environment. Summary: The Senior Data Engineer / Data Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining scalable data pipelines and infrastructure using Databricks and related cloud technologies. This role ensures data is reliable, secure, and readily accessible to support analytics, reporting, and machine learning initiatives. Essential Duties And Responsibilities Designs, builds and maintains scalable ETL/ELT pipelines using Databricks, Apache Spark, and Delta LakeDevelops and optimizes data workflows for batch and streaming data processingArchitects and implements data lakehouse solutions following medallion architecture (bronze/silver/gold layers using DBT)Collaborates with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to understand data requirements and deliver solutionsWrites efficient, well-documented PySpark/SQL code for data transformation and processingDevelops and supports MLOps workflows, including model tracking, versioning, and lifecycle management using MLflowBuilds and maintains CI/CD pipelines for both data engineering and machine learning model deploymentImplements monitoring and alerting for data pipelines and ML models to proactively identify and troubleshoot performance issues, data drift, and failuresMonitors, troubleshoots, and optimizes pipeline and model performance, resource utilization, and cost efficiency within DatabricksEnsures data quality, integrity, and governance across all pipelines and datasetsManages and optimizes Databricks clusters, jobs, and workflowsIntegrates Databricks with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP) and other enterprise systemsImplements data security best practices, including access controls and data maskingMentors junior data engineers and provide technical guidance on best practices, including MLOps standardsParticipates in architecture reviews and contribute to the evolution of the data and ML platform strategyDocuments technical designs, data models, pipeline processes, and ML deployment workflowsStays current with emerging tools, technologies, and best practices in data engineering and MLOpsPerforms additional responsibilities when required Requirements What You’ll Bring: BA/BS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, and/or equivalent years of experience8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including 3+ years directly managing engineers with ownership of hiring, performance, and career developmentDemonstrated success leading backend service teams at consumer scale with distributed services and APIs supporting a large installed base of application users or devicesExpertise in API design and service architecture, including versioning and backward compatibility for clients that cannot all be upgraded at onceExperience with high-volume data ingestion and event-driven architecture (Kafka, Kinesis, or equivalent), including the pipelines that feed analytics and machine learningA track record of driving measurable reliability improvement — fewer or less severe incidents, improved uptime, a healthier on-call practice, or materially more stable deploymentsExperience leading distributed teams across multiple time zones, including blended teams of full-time employees and contractors or outsourced partnersExperience inheriting an existing team and improving retention, role clarity, and delivery predictabilityProven ability to recruit, level, and develop engineers, including promoting individual contributors into senior and lead rolesCurrent technical credibility: able to review code, lead architecture discussions, and prototype solutions independently.Working experience with AWS infrastructure and the ability to own cloud architecture, cost, and capacity decisions for the services their team runs.Familiarity with platform engineering practice such as infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines, containerization or serverless deployment models, and observability tooling sufficient to set direction and hold quality standardsAbility to work a hybrid schedule based out of Whisker's Auburn Hills, Michigan headquartersMaintains confidentiality of proprietary informationAbility to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptionsA high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate othersAbility to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with Team Members and colleaguesComfortable with office pets (cats, dogs) Not Required but Nice to Have! Strongly preferred experience with IoT or connected-device platforms, device telemetry, fleet management, over-the-air updates, MQTT or similar protocolsBackground at a consumer hardware or connected-product company where software ships alongside physical productExperience managing the firmware-to-cloud boundary and hardware-dependent release trains, including field failure analysisDeeper platform or SRE background such as Kubernetes, ECS, Terraform, or equivalent at production scaleExperience with GraphQL and API gateway patternsExperience with time-series or purpose-built IoT data storesExperience transitioning a contractor-heavy team toward a stronger full-time core without disrupting deliveryExperience in a direct-to-consumer or subscription businessPrior Director of Engineering experience is welcome — this role owns a broad scope across several service domains Benefits & Purrks: Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the “why”, and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to new perspectives. Be a part of exciting growth, work with incredible people, and create tomorrow’s pet products—plus a whole lot of extras. You will also be provided with: Premium Medical/Dental/Vision insurancePaid parental leaveWhisker Parents Program1 day "pawternity" leave for new pet adoptionPet Insurance Discount401K matchFlexible spending accountsCompany-paid short-term disability and life insuranceEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)Generous paid time off14 Paid HolidaysTop of the line equipmentPet-friendly officeWhisker products and swagContinuing education SupportOn-site gym with PelotonReferral program Statement of Inclusivity: We believe different perspectives make Whisker better and strive to create a place where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive. Please ensure to regularly check your email spam folder for any communication from Whisker to avoid missing important updates regarding your application status.