About the Staff Data Engineer at Headspace:
At Headspace, our mission is to transform mental healthcare to improve the health and happiness of the world. Core to this mission is our ability to responsibly and ethically leverage data to provide personalized care to each of our members, meeting them where they are on the mental health continuum. We’re looking for an experienced Data Architect who can also operate hands-on as a Staff Data Engineer. You will design and evolve our domain-based Enterprise Data Model (EDM), lead Master Data Management (MDM) initiatives, and build production-grade data pipelines in Python / PySpark. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable whiteboarding conceptual models, building and reviewing ETL jobs, and coaching engineering teams on data architecture best practices.
Location: This is a hybrid role located in our San Francisco office, working 3 days per week from the office.
What you will do:
- Lead the Development of Scalable Data Infrastructure: Drive the architecture and implementation of cutting-edge pySpark data pipelines to ingest and transform diverse datasets into the organization’s data lake in a fault-tolerant, robust system.
- Set Design Patterns: Drive the creation and enforcement of standard conventions in code, architecture, schema design, and table design.
- Architect World-Class Data Platforms: Design and lead the evolution of secure, compliant, and privacy-forward data warehousing platforms to support the unique demands of the healthcare industry.
- Strategic Collaboration for Business Insights: Partner with analytics, product, and engineering leaders to ensure the data ecosystem provides actionable and reliable insights into critical business metrics.
- Champion Data-Driven Leadership: Mentor other members of the DE and broader data team, particularly around dbt architecture and query performance., Foster a data-first culture that prioritizes excellence, innovation, and collaboration across teams.
- Influence Organizational Strategy: Act as a technical thought leader, shaping the company’s data strategy and influencing cross-functional roadmaps with data-centric solutions.
What you will bring:
- 7+ years in data engineering / architecture, with 2+ years leading EDM/MDM programs and a proven track record of leading high-impact initiatives at scale.
- Proven ability to create and maintain domain-based enterprise data models (canonical, hub-and-spoke, data-product-oriented).
- Deep expertise with data-modeling tools (erwin, ER/Studio, PowerDesigner, or equivalent) and modeling techniques (3NF, Dimensional, Data Vault, Anchor).
- Production experience writing performant Python and PySpark code on distributed compute (Spark 3+, Delta Lake).
- Strong SQL skills across columnar and relational engines (e.g., Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks SQL, Postgres).
- Solid grasp of data-governance practices: lineage, glossaries, PII/PHI controls, and data- quality frameworks.
- Ability to articulate architecture choices to both executive stakeholders and hands-on engineers.
- Deep experience designing and optimizing real-time and batch ETL pipelines (preferably within dbt), employing best practices for scalability and reliability.
- Systems thinker who can balance near-term delivery with long-term architecture vision.
- Comfortable in highly collaborative, agile environments; able to mentor cross-functional teams.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; able to translate complex data topics into plain language.
- Bias for automation, documentation, and continuous improvement.
Nice-To-Haves:
- Hands-on with Databricks platform (Unity Catalog, Delta Live Tables, MLflow).
- dbt Core for transformation, tests, and metadata; dbt Semantic Layer experience is a plus.
- Exposure to event streaming (Kafka, EventHub) and CDC tools.
- Experience integrating with commercial MDM suites or building custom match-merge solutions.
- Familiarity with cloud data-platform services on AWS (Terraform).
- Background in data-privacy standards (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA) and differential-privacy or tokenization techniques.
Pay & Benefits:
The anticipated new hire base salary range for this full-time position is $140,400-$224,250 + equity + benefits.
Our salary ranges are based on the job, level, and location, and reflect the lowest to highest geographic markets where we are hiring for this role within the United States. Within this range, individual compensation is determined by a candidate’s location as well as a range of factors including but not limited to: unique relevant experience, job-related skills, and education or training.
Your recruiter will provide more details on the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
At Headspace, base salary is but one component of our Total Rewards package. We’re proud of our robust package inclusive of: base salary, stock awards, comprehensive healthcare coverage, monthly wellness stipend, retirement savings match, lifetime Headspace membership, generous parental leave, and more. Additional details about our Total Rewards package will be provided during the recruitment process.
About Headspace
Headspace exists to provide every person access to lifelong mental health support. We combine evidence-based content, clinical care, and innovative technology to help millions of members around the world get support that’s effective, personalized, and truly accessible whenever and wherever they need it.
At Headspace, our values aren’t just what we believe, they’re how we work, grow, and make an impact together. We live them daily: Make the Mission Matter, Iterate to Great, Own the Outcome, and Connect with Courage. These values shape our decisions, guide our collaborations, and define our culture. They’re our shared commitment to building a more connected, human-centered team—one that’s redefining how mental health care supports people today and for generations to come.
Why You’ll Love Working Here:
- A mission that matters—with impact you can see and feel
- A culture that’s collaborative, inclusive, and grounded in our values
- The chance to shape what mental health care looks like next
- Competitive pay and benefits that support your whole self
