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Datavant

Senior Engineer - Ingestion & Streaming Frameworks

Datavant · United States

  • Hybrid
  • Full-time
  • $170,000 / year
  • United States
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Job highlights

  • Design and build data ingestion frameworks.
  • Own and evolve the data ingestion stack.
  • Develop self-service tooling for engineers.
  • Write and review production Terraform code.
  • Mentor junior engineers and improve quality.

About the role

About Datavant

Datavant is the data collaboration platform trusted for healthcare. Guided by our mission to make the world’s health data secure, accessible and actionable, we provide critical data solutions for organizations across the healthcare ecosystem - including providers, health plans, researchers, and life sciences companies. From fulfilling a single patient’s request for their medical records to powering the AI revolution in healthcare, Datavanters are building the future of how data is connected and used to improve health. By joining Datavant today, you’re stepping onto a driven and highly collaborative team that is passionate about creating transformative change in healthcare.

About the Ingestion & Streaming Team

The Ingestion & Streaming team sits on our Data & Machine Learning Platform organization and owns the movement layer of Datavant’s data platform: batch and streaming pipelines, change data capture, document intake, and the self-service frameworks product teams use to land new sources into Snowflake, our Iceberg-backed lakehouse, and Databricks. Most data moves into the platform; some moves back out. Our job is to make both safe, fast, observable, and boring.

About the Senior Engineer Role

We are looking for a Senior Engineer who thinks like a platform builder first. We are shifting from a service-oriented posture (“we’ll build the pipeline for you”) to a platform-oriented one (“here is the paved path to build it yourself, safely”), though the team still builds pipelines directly when the situation calls for it. You will be central to that shift, designing the frameworks, tooling, and guardrails that scale how Datavant onboards new sources, and rolling up your sleeves for hands-on ingestion work when there isn’t yet a paved path. AI fluency is a baseline expectation here. You should already be using Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or equivalent tools as a core part of your daily engineering workflow, have opinions about how they make a team faster, and know how to apply them responsibly when PHI and other sensitive data are in scope.

What You Will Do

  • Design, build, and operate the ingestion frameworks that pull data from operational databases, vendor APIs, document streams, and third-party feeds into Snowflake, Iceberg, and Databricks
  • Own and evolve the ingestion stack (AWS DMS, MWAA / Airflow, Fivetran, and the homegrown tooling on top) and design new patterns for API sources that don’t fit a managed connector
  • Build self-service tooling so product engineers can onboard new sources without becoming experts in our infrastructure
  • Write and review the Terraform behind our ingestion infrastructure: AWS networking, IAM, compute, and data services
  • Partner with product, data, and analytics teams to pick the right ingestion pattern for each source (CDC, batch, API, streaming) and stand it up end-to-end
  • Lead production troubleshooting and incident response, and turn each incident into a durable platform fix
  • Raise the bar on engineering quality, observability, cost discipline, and security in everything the team ships
  • Mentor mid-career engineers and pull peers along through code review, pairing, and design feedback

What We’re Looking For

  • 6+ years in data engineering, platform engineering, or data-focused software engineering
  • 3+ years of hands-on AWS with real strength in networking (VPC, subnets, routing, PrivateLink, security groups), IAM (roles, policies, permission boundaries), and the data services this role touches, plus the judgment to know when to reach for what
  • 2+ years writing production Terraform or equivalent IaC, with experience owning modules, reasoning about state and blast radius, and shipping infrastructure changes safely
  • 1+ years building self-service tooling, internal platforms, or paved-path frameworks consumed by other engineers
  • Strong SQL skills and the ability to reason about how data physically lives in a warehouse or lake
  • Production experience with Snowflake (or an equivalent cloud data warehouse) and a workflow orchestrator (Airflow / MWAA preferred)
  • Hands-on experience with at least one ingestion approach: CDC tooling (e.g., DMS, Debezium), managed connectors (e.g., Fivetran, Airbyte), or rolling your own pipelines for API sources
  • Solid CI/CD discipline in GitHub or equivalent: branching, code review, automated checks, repeatable deployment
  • AI-native working style: daily use of Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or equivalent, with views on how they make a team faster
  • Working knowledge of Python is expected; mastery isn’t the bar
  • Clear written and verbal communication, especially in async, remote settings

What Helps You Stand Out

  • Direct production experience with Iceberg or another open table format, especially bridging Snowflake and Databricks
  • Hands-on Databricks or Spark
  • Kubernetes experience
  • Snowflake certification(s)
  • Azure experience (we’re primarily AWS, but our customers and acquisitions aren’t always)
  • In-depth experience integrating data systems with managed identity platforms, particularly via SCIM (SailPoint a plus)
  • Prior experience in healthcare or another highly regulated industry like Finance
  • Prior DBA, SRE, or DRE work operating production data systems under pressure

Key skills/competency

  • Data Engineering
  • Platform Engineering
  • Cloud Data Warehousing
  • AWS
  • Terraform
  • SQL
  • Python
  • AI Tools
  • CI/CD
  • Data Ingestion

Skills & topics

  • Senior Engineer
  • Data Engineering
  • Ingestion
  • Streaming
  • Frameworks
  • AWS
  • Terraform
  • Snowflake
  • Python
  • Healthcare Data

How to get hired

  • Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with AWS, Terraform, data warehousing, and Python. Emphasize your AI-native working style.
  • Showcase platform thinking: Detail your experience building self-service tools and paved-path frameworks for other engineers.
  • Demonstrate AWS expertise: Specifically mention your proficiency in networking, IAM, and data services relevant to ingestion.
  • Prepare for technical deep-dives: Be ready to discuss your approach to SQL, Snowflake, Airflow, and CI/CD practices.
  • Highlight AI proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your experience and opinions on using AI tools like Copilot in engineering workflows.

Technical preparation

Master Python and SQL for data manipulation.,Deepen AWS knowledge: networking, IAM, data services.,Practice writing production-ready Terraform code.,Familiarize with Snowflake and Airflow/MWAA.

Behavioral questions

Describe a platform you built for engineers.,How do you mentor junior engineers?,Share an incident and its durable fix.,Discuss your AI tool usage and benefits.

Frequently asked questions

What are the key technologies used by the Ingestion & Streaming team at Datavant?
The Ingestion & Streaming team at Datavant primarily utilizes AWS services, including AWS DMS and MWAA (for Airflow). They work with data platforms like Snowflake, Iceberg, and Databricks. Proficiency in Terraform for Infrastructure as Code is also essential, alongside Python for pipeline development. Experience with Fivetran and other ingestion tools is beneficial.
What does Datavant look for in a Senior Engineer for this role?
Datavant seeks Senior Engineers with a platform-building mindset, strong AWS and Terraform skills, and experience with data warehousing and orchestration tools. A solid understanding of SQL, Python, and CI/CD practices is crucial. They also value candidates with an AI-native working style, who actively use AI coding assistants in their daily workflow.
How important is AI experience for the Senior Engineer role at Datavant?
AI fluency is a baseline expectation for this role. Datavant expects candidates to be daily users of AI coding tools like Claude Code, Cursor, or Copilot, and to have informed opinions on how these tools enhance engineering speed and efficiency, especially when handling sensitive data.
What is the typical career progression for a Senior Engineer at Datavant?
While specific paths vary, a Senior Engineer at Datavant is expected to lead complex projects, mentor other engineers, and contribute to the platform's architectural direction. Opportunities for growth often involve taking on more ownership of critical systems, driving technical strategy, and potentially moving into specialized or leadership roles within the Data & Machine Learning Platform organization.
What kind of data sources does the Ingestion & Streaming team handle?
The team handles a diverse range of data sources, including operational databases, vendor APIs, document streams, and third-party feeds. They manage both batch and streaming data pipelines, as well as change data capture (CDC) processes, ensuring data is safely and efficiently moved into Datavant's data lakehouse and warehouses.
Does Datavant offer remote work for this Senior Engineer position?
While the job description emphasizes clear communication in async, remote settings, it does not explicitly state if the role is fully remote, hybrid, or on-site. Candidates should look for specific location details or inquire during the application process for clarification on the work arrangement.
What is the salary range for a Senior Engineer at Datavant?
The estimated total cash compensation range for this Senior Engineer role at Datavant is $150,000 to $190,000 USD per year. This range can vary based on the candidate's level, responsibilities, skills, and experience.