Response Data Engineer, 6mo Contract

World Central Kitchen

2h•Remote

About The Position

The Response Data Engineer provides hands-on engineering support for WCK's frontline data tools and systems. This role is responsible for maintaining and improving the data infrastructure that powers response operations — ensuring field teams have reliable, connected tools that minimize manual data entry and adapt to the fast-changing needs of disaster response. Working closely with the broader Response Technology team, this engineer will refine WCK's response data model, develop sustainable improvements to Airtable and offline data tools, and build integrations that connect workstreams across response business units. The goal: a flexible, low-maintenance data ecosystem that lets field teams focus on feeding impacted communities, and having the right, real-time data to make optimized operational decisions.

Requirements

4+ years of experience in software development, data engineering, or technical operations
Strong understanding of relational data modeling principles — normalization, entity-relationship design, and schema evolution
Experience designing data structures that balance flexibility with maintainability
Proficiency in JavaScript and Python
Strong experience with SQL and relational data concepts
Hands-on experience with Airtable (scripting, automations and Interfaces)
Experience building and consuming REST APIs
Ability to safely and effectively leverage AI development tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Proven ability to translate technical requirements from non-technical users
Comfort working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with shifting priorities
Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends during response activations

Nice To Haves

DBT data modeling experience
Experience supporting field operations or frontline teams in humanitarian, logistics, or crisis response contexts
Exposure to managing schema changes in production systems (versioning, migration, backwards compatibility)
Ability to facilitate workshops with operational teams to validate data models against real workflows
Familiarity with offline-capable data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK, Fulcrum)
Experience with data visualization or reporting tools
Background working in distributed, remote-first teams

Responsibilities

Maintain and troubleshoot frontline data tools, primarily Airtable-based systems supporting Response Operations
Build and maintain integrations between response systems using REST APIs, ensuring data flows reliably across platforms
Provide responsive technical support during activations, including outside standard business hours when needed
Monitor system health and proactively address issues before they impact field operations
Refine and evolve the response data model to better reflect operational realities and reduce complexity in cooperation with key stakeholders
Develop and improve Airtable templates and offline data tools that standardize processes while remaining flexible for diverse response contexts
Reduce redundant data entry by connecting response unit processes and automating data flows where possible
Build automated data QA processes to support data integrity and enable reliable real-time reporting
Document data structures, integrations, and templates to enable knowledge transfer and long-term maintainability
Partner with Enterprise Technology to ensure engineering work follows organizational standards and best practices
Collaborate closely with Response Technology team members to understand operational needs and translate those into technical solutions
Work with field teams to gather feedback and iterate on tools based on real-world usage
Participate in code reviews and maintain clean, well-documented codejectives.