Member of the Technical Staff - Data Platform

Vercel

15h • $232,000 - $348,000 • Remote

About The Position

Vercel is seeking a Staff level Engineer to lead the design and development of a next-generation Data Platform. This role involves architecting a foundational system to support data across Vercel's products and business, including real-time analytics and AI/ML initiatives. The position reports to the Senior Director of Data Engineering, and the successful candidate will define the technical vision for the data ecosystem, align engineering strategy with product goals, and build scalable systems using technologies like Kafka, ClickHouse, Tinybird, and Snowflake. The role requires leading from the front by writing production-grade code, setting high standards for design and data governance, and mentoring engineers.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in data engineering, data architecture, or related roles.
• At least 5 years of experience at the Principal Engineer level.
• Proven track record designing and operating large-scale data infrastructures at high scale in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Experience across Kafka and its ecosystem (e.g., Kafka Streams, Confluent Platform), ClickHouse, Tinybird, Snowflake, and broader big data frameworks.
• Proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and associated big data services.
• Strong background in data governance and security, and adept at ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and protecting sensitive information.
• Outstanding communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders across varying organizational levels.
• A leadership mindset, with demonstrated ability to mentor teams, drive consensus, and advocate for best practices across the organization.

Nice To Haves

• A Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is preferred.
• Industry recognition or notable contributions in data engineering (e.g., published works, open-source contributions) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a next-generation data platform supporting diverse requirements, including batch and real-time integrations, advanced analytics, and multiple data types, leveraging Kafka, Kafka-based tooling, and streaming technologies.
• Work with engineering, product, and senior leadership teams to architect solutions that address business needs, aligning technical strategies with product goals.
• Define and maintain guidelines for data ingestion, creation, enrichment, and storage, overseeing data modeling, ETL processes, and data warehousing (ClickHouse, Tinybird, Snowflake).
• Develop end-to-end solutions across the tech stack, setting the example for engineering excellence, and provide mentorship and direction to the team.
• Partner with Security, Compliance, and Legal teams to ensure adherence to data protection standards.
• Champion high availability and fault tolerance through comprehensive monitoring, alerting, and incident response practices.
• Drive architectural decisions and roadmap planning for efficiency, scalability, and high performance, evaluating build-vs-buy trade-offs.
• Collaborate with data scientists and machine learning teams to evolve infrastructure supporting advanced analytics and AI initiatives.
• Act as a key decision-maker for discovering, vetting, and selecting data architectures and technologies.
• Establish multi-phase strategic roadmaps that align with overall business objectives and drive data platform maturity.

Benefits

• Total compensation package may include benefits, equity-based compensation, and eligibility for a company bonus or variable pay program depending on the role.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior