We’re Spark, a mission-driven company helping independent Medicare brokers build the insurance business of their dreams. The vast majority of beneficiaries select benefits with the help of an independent broker, but technology and support for brokers is woefully antiquated. We provide workflows and services to help brokers achieve transformative growth.
In just five years, we’ve partnered with over 6,000 brokers and enrolled over 140,000 beneficiaries, making us the fastest-growing Medicare brokerage in the country. Brokers love us: during this period of intense growth, we’ve maintained an NPS of 91 and a client retention rate of 93%, and we’ve helped brokers grow on average >100% since partnering with us.
It’s an exciting time to be at Spark. Our diverse, remote-first team comes from leading technology, healthcare, and insurance companies, and has grown from 70 to 90 in the last year. Most recently, we’ve raised a Series B from leading investors who share our ambition.
Join us: we’re always on the lookout for sharp, talented, empathetic teammates.
Summary
Spark is seeking a Senior Data Engineer to join our data team. Historically, the medicare distribution industry has had a lack of transparency, but Spark is on a mission to change that. You can be a key part of the change by helping Spark build robust data infrastructure that powers our platforms and insights. In this role, you will be responsible for architecting, implementing, and maintaining the core data infrastructure that enables our business operations and analytics capabilities.
As a Senior Data Engineer, you'll focus on building scalable backend systems, implementing modern data tools, and improving the data pipelines that serve as the foundation of our data ecosystem. You'll work closely with product, engineering, and the broader data team to ensure our data infrastructure meets both current needs and future growth.
What you’ll do- Build and maintain critical data infrastructure components including (but not limited to) SFTP servers, cloud-based data warehouses, transformation and orchestration tools, and data visualization tools
- Establish monitoring, alerting, and logging systems to ensure data pipeline reliability and performance
- Develop and enforce data governance policies, including data quality checks and access controls
- Build and maintain data pipelines in dbt with analytics engineers
- Collaborate with analysts and analytics engineers to understand their data requirements and build appropriate backend solutions
- Mentor and upskill junior engineers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment.
- Design, implement, and optimize scalable data pipelines using modern ETL/ELT frameworks (Airflow, GCP tools)
- 5+ years of experience in data engineering roles with focus on infrastructure and backend systems
- Strong Python programming skills for building data processing applications and automation
- Experience designing, implementing, and troubleshooting workflows using orchestration tools like Airflow or Prefect, including custom operators and scheduling optimization
- Advanced proficiency in SQL and experience implementing dbt/Dataform in production environments
- Proven experience designing and implementing cloud-based data infrastructure on GCP/AWS
- Experience setting up secure data transfer protocols (SFTP, API integrations)
- Strong understanding of version control, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code principles
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to debug complex data pipeline issues
- Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and technical documentation
- Knowledge of container technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with data governance tools and practices
- Background in healthcare or insurance data processing, specifically in HIPAA complaint environments
- Familiarity with data security and compliance requirements
Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our company’s size and industry, and are one part of the total compensation package that also includes equity, benefits, and other opportunities at Spark. In accordance with New York City, Colorado, California, and other applicable laws, Spark is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. Individual pay decisions are ultimately based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, geography, and balancing internal equity. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is listed below. We expect most candidates to fall in the middle of the range. We also believe that your personal needs and preferences should be taken into consideration, so we allow some choice between equity and cash.
Why you should join our team
By joining Spark, you will get in on the ground floor of a fast-moving, well-funded, and mission-driven startup where you will have a profound impact on the brokers and beneficiaries we serve. And you'll learn, grow, be challenged, and have fun with your team while doing it.
We strive to help you and your family thrive. We're committed to supporting your happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing a comprehensive benefits program. In addition to your base salary, we also offer:
- Equity compensation
- Health care, including dental and vision through our PEO Sequoia
- Flexible work location; co-working available
- 401k
- Paid Time Off
- Monthly Remote Work Stipend (help cover costs of home-office needs)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Up to 12 weeks for birthing parents
- Up to 8 weeks for non-birth parents
- 11 paid holidays
- 2 week sabbatical at 5 years of employment
- Wellbeing Perks through SpringHealth, OneMedical, PerkSpot, and SoFi
Compliance
Spark is a proud participant in E-Verify. As part of our commitment to compliance, we use the E-Verify program to confirm the employment eligibility of all employees working in the United States. For more information about E-Verify, please visit www.e-verify.gov.
Furthermore, for security and compliance requirements, we’re unable to accommodate international remote work. While we fully support travel and time off, all work must be conducted from an approved location within the U.S.
At Spark, we are committed to hiring the best team to serve our clients regardless of their background. We need diverse perspectives to reflect the diversity of our problems and the population we serve. We look to hire people from a variety of backgrounds, including, but not limited to, race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, disability, and veteran status.
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