Who we are:

Join Embark on our mission to improve the life and longevity of dogs everywhere. Our canine DNA test — the highest-rated, most accurate on the market — enables us to make scientific advances in personalized pet care. Recently named one of the fastest-growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine, Embark is the only canine genetics company using research-grade technology, which allows us to make new scientific discoveries.

Designed by world leaders in dog genetics in partnership with Cornell University, the Embark Dog DNA Test provides information on genetic health risks and breed make-up, allowing dog owners, breeders, and veterinarians to make personalized care plans based on a dog's unique genetic profile. Embark is also home to the world’s only canine DNA relative finder. No wonder The New York Times recently called Embark’s Breed and Health Kit the best dog DNA test available!

Interested in joining our pack? We are looking for highly motivated and mission-driven employees who will join us as Embark leads the cutting edge of creativity and innovation in the fast-growing consumer genetics space.

About the role:

Embark’s Breed+Health and Breed Identification DNA test consumer offerings, and our DNA Test for Dog Breeders are the central pillars of our value proposition and as the Senior Director of Data Engineering you will be leading the engineering teams responsible for the health, traits, breed mix, relatives, and other results. You will work hand in hand with Science and Product teams to develop technical roadmaps to continue our very rapid scaling. You will be responsible for building and scaling a diverse team of engineers and engineering managers, and managing hybrid teams of engineers and scientists. You will partner with our CTO to support innovation. This position demands a strong technical understanding coupled with strong leadership and planning abilities.

What you’ll do:

You will make the Engineering organization execute effectively and ensure we meet our business goals.

• Build, recruit and lead a world class team of software engineers and managers
• Lead a multi-talented team of software engineers to deliver against our roadmap
• Introduce and develop a strong management layer to the Data Engineering team
• Help your managers and engineers grow their skills and experience
• Measure and improve the happiness of the Data Engineering team
• Build and maintain a culture of execution, quality, collaboration, mentorship, and open feedback in engineering
• Manage competing priorities for scalability, security, and cost efficiency
• Ensure projects and teams are well designed, well staffed and well run
• Define clear and appropriate processes within and across teams
• Monitor and report on metrics and KPIs
• Work closely with senior leaders of Science and Product
• Drive quarterly OKRs around company goals

This is a management position and you will not be expected to write or review code yourself. However you will need to be able to identify and hire strong engineers and managers, and coach and mentor engineers and managers on software development and architecture.

We will define success by accomplishing these things in your first year:

• Double the size of the Data Engineering team
• Create Engineering career tracks for relevant specializations, e.g Data Engineer and Site Reliability Engineer, that enable the growth of the existing team
• Put in place a robust planning, prioritization and resource allocation process
• Build a software platform to unlock our ability to make genetic discoveries at scale

What experience we’re looking for:

• You are excellent at recruiting software engineers and managers. You led the growth of a software engineering team from 15 or fewer people to 50 or more people
• You are an inspiring manager and mentor who excels at building teams.
• You have demonstrated a strong executive presence including the ability to create and implement technical strategies with budgets and timeframes that align with business needs
• You have a proven track record of successfully delivering complex data platforms
  • Experience with AWS, S3, Postgres, Spark, EMR is preferred
  • Experience with complex genetic pipelines and tooling is a bonus
• You have hands-on experience with architecture, development, program + product management, QA, performance and operations, and the ability to lead the team through technical challenges in implementation
• You have strong interpersonal and leadership skills
• You excel at bringing order to chaos.
• You know how to use data to influence decision-making.
• You have strong technical experience and can actively engage in technical discussions.
• You have experience with matrix orgs, cross-functional teams, and dotted-line reporting structures.

What we can offer:

At Embark, we might be dog lovers, but we’re passionate about people too. We’re committed to building an inclusive culture where all employees can belong and flourish. Here are some of our benefits and perks:

• A flexible vacation policy so you can take off the time you need when you need it 
• Paid maternal and paternal leave (plus paw-ternity leave for new pets)
• Every other Friday off each summer
• Dog-friendly office near South Station, Boston (when we get back to the office), with some flexibility (eg work from home at least 2 days a week, flexibility around child care needs, etc)
• Perks tailored for dog lovers including subsidized pet insurance and dog-walking services
• Startup perks with big-company benefits (401k match, a generous bonus structure, commuter benefits, top-of-the-line healthcare, HSA/FSA)
• Competitive salaries and equity participation — every employee gets stock options
• Fully-stocked office snack bar and regular office events
• New iMacs and MacBook Pros, or laptops running Linux
• Continuing education, including attending conferences and company-provided resources to help with individual growth and development

Embark is an equal opportunity workplace and values diversity at our company. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, age, disability status, marital status, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws. See also EEO is the Law.