Senior Software Engineering Manager, Data Platform

Summary

Join Instacart's Data Platform team as a Senior Engineering Manager to lead a team of 10+ engineers. You will drive Instacart's data infrastructure strategy, collaborating with various teams to build scalable solutions. Responsibilities include mentoring engineers, shaping data infrastructure, working cross-functionally, championing engineering excellence, overseeing projects end-to-end, and driving organization-wide initiatives. The ideal candidate possesses 10+ years of software engineering experience, including significant data infrastructure experience and 3+ years in a leadership role. Strong technical expertise in various technologies and databases is required. Instacart offers highly competitive compensation and benefits, including equity grants, and this remote role's base pay varies by location.

Requirements

• Experience: 10+ years in software engineering, with significant experience in data infrastructure and at least 3+ years in a leadership or management role
• Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of data infrastructure technologies such as Python, Scala, Kafka, Airflow, Spark, Iceberg, Delta Lake
• Datastores and Warehouses: Proficiency with industry-standard databases and warehouses like Postgres, Elasticsearch, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Snowflake
• SQL Skills: Strong command of SQL and experience with large codebases
• Leadership Abilities: Proven track record of mentoring team members and fostering an environment of engineering excellence
• Ownership and Drive: A strong sense of ownership with self-motivation and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment
• Collaboration: Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams
• Problem-Solving: Ability to balance urgency with delivering high-quality, pragmatic solutions

Responsibilities

• Lead and Mentor: Manage a team of 10+ talented engineers, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning
• Drive Data Strategy: Shape the direction of Instacart's data infrastructure, ensuring it meets the needs of various stakeholders and supports our rapidly growing data lake
• Collaborate Cross-functionally: Work closely with other teams (Product, Infrastructure, Data Science, ML, etc.) to identify pain points and translate them into self-service, reliable solutions
• Champion Engineering Excellence: Promote best practices in engineering and data processing, ensuring high-quality and scalable solutions
• Own Projects End-to-End: Oversee projects from design and technical decisions to execution and delivery, managing timelines and resources effectively
• Innovate and Influence: Suggest and drive organization-wide initiatives that improve our data platform and overall engineering processes

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent work experience
• Large-Scale Data Handling: Experience working with petabyte-scale data and optimizing data processing pipelines
• Machine Learning and Data Science: Familiarity with data science and machine learning workflows and requirements
• Strategic Influence: Experience driving organization-wide initiatives and influencing technical strategies

Benefits

• Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work
• This role is remote
• The base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location
• This role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants