Senior Data Engineer

Build Kin’s next-generation lakehouse architecture, design scalable pipelines, and ensure trusted, secure data for enterprise reporting in a fast-growing insurtech.

Kin makes life simpler, more affordable, and better for homeowners — especially in the places where climate risks, rising costs, and outdated systems make it harder. We start with smarter homeowners insurance and expand to everything homeowners need to thrive.

Using data, technology, and thoughtful human support, we’re building products that are clear, fair, and help homeowners feel confident — so homeowners aren’t left behind when they need help most.

Founded in 2016, Kin is a remote-first employer with Kinfolk across more than 35 states. We serve customers in 13 states (and counting). Our disciplined growth, strong customer satisfaction, and focus on long-term sustainability fosters outstanding growth, attracts marquee investors, and earns recognition and accolades, including:

• Built In Chicago's Best Places to Work, Midsize Companies (2021-2026)

• Forbes' America's Best Startup Employers (2021-2024)

• Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies

• Forbes’ Fintech 50 (2025-2026)

• Great Places to Work Certified (2024-2026)

Most importantly, we’re building Kin to be a place where people do meaningful work with real impact — for our customers, our communities, and each other. We're excited to tell you more about how you can contribute to our rapid growth, strong unit economics, profitability, and excellent customer ratings. To learn more about how we work and what we’re building, visit kin.com and see how we work.

We’re looking for a Senior Data Engineer to join us in building a modern, scalable lakehouse foundation that powers trusted, enterprise-grade reporting across Kin. As we continue to grow, the quality, integrity, and accessibility of our data are critical to how we price intelligently, serve customers seamlessly, and operate efficiently in a regulated industry.

In this role, you’ll design and implement production-ready data pipelines, modeling raw data for downstream reporting, and quality assurance of the data warehouse. You’ll partner closely with App Engineering, Product Management, and Analytics Engineering stakeholders to translate complex, ambiguous requirements into scalable technical solutions that drive measurable business impact.

• Design and build scalable, production-grade data pipelines and data models to power downstream analytics and enterprise reporting

• Lead the migration from a Redshift/DBT warehouse architecture to a modern lakehouse architecture (e.g., S3, Glue, Databricks, Unity Catalog)

• Implement and enforce data validation standards, QA standards, and effective data lifecycle management

• Optimize pipeline performance, cost, and data quality in a large-scale cloud data environment

• Ensure compliance with data security and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, GLBA) through robust pipeline design, access controls, and monitoring

• Collaborate cross-functionally with App Engineering, BI, and business teams to translate ambiguous requirements into scalable, well-modeled datasets

• Mentor data engineers and promote best practices in software engineering, documentation, and distributed data processing

• Leverage AI-assisted development tools where appropriate to improve engineering efficiency, code quality, and observability

In your first 6–12 months at Kin, success is less about checking boxes and more about the impact you create. You’ll use your skills and judgment to take ownership of meaningful work, improve how we operate, and help move Kin’s mission forward. Along the way, you’ll deliver outcomes that make a real difference for both Kinfolk and the homeowners we serve.

By the end of your first year, you should feel confident in your role, trusted as an owner, and proud of the progress you’ve helped make.

• A scalable lakehouse architecture is live, supporting reliable enterprise reporting with improved performance and cost efficiency

• Data validation and QA standards are consistently applied, resulting in measurable improvements in data quality and stakeholder trust

• Cross-functional partners rely on well-modeled, production-ready datasets to make faster, better-informed decisions

• 4+ years of hands-on data engineering experience building and maintaining production ETL/ELT pipelines

• Experience designing data architectures in cloud environments (AWS strongly preferred; Azure or GCP acceptable)

• Expertise in distributed data processing frameworks (e.g., Apache Spark, Kafka, Hadoop, or similar)

• Proficiency in Python (Pandas, NumPy, etc.) and advanced SQL for large-scale data transformation and querying

• Experience with lake and lakehouse patterns, including open table formats (e.g., Iceberg, Hudi, Delta)

• Experience tuning ETL performance and optimizing infrastructure costs in large-scale environments handling terabytes of data

• Proven ability to model raw data into well-structured, analytics-ready datasets

• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

We believe a great hiring experience should be clear, respectful, and human. We’ll accept applications for this position until March 13, 2026. While our recruiting team uses AI tools for efficiency, resumes are still screened by Kin’s in-house recruiters, and candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are made by recruiters and hiring teams. Rest assured, real people make real decisions.

The hiring process and timeline for each role will vary, depending on the position. However, here are some things you can expect from us:

• Prompt updates and feedback following interviews

• Interviews with recruiters, hiring managers, and members of teams

• Skills assessment relevant to the position, if applicable

• Genuine, thoughtful human interaction at every step

We offer a comprehensive, competitive benefits program, allowing you to choose the benefits that are best for you and your family, starting on the first day of the month following your start date.

Core Benefits

• Competitive salary and company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), granted as part of our standard compensation package and based on role and level

• 401(k) with company match up to 4% of eligible earnings

• Multiple medical plan options, plus dental and vision coverage

• Company-funded HSA contributions (based on medical plan selection)

• Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability

Health & Wellbeing

• A variety of supplemental benefit options, including long-term disability, critical illness, accident, legal, and pet insurance

• Access to mental health support and confidential counseling resources

• Flexible PTO for exempt employees (most employees take 15–20 days per year), plus 8 company-observed holidays

• Paid parental leave, including up to 14 weeks at 100% pay for birthing parents and 8 weeks at 100% pay for non-birthing parents

Growth & Development

• Career mobility and internal growth opportunities across the organization

• Professional development budgets for certifications, conferences, and learning available, subject to management approval

We don’t just hire for skills. We hire for alignment. Kinfolk bring diverse perspectives, but we’re united by a shared set of values that shape how we work and how we show up for each other and our customers.
Run through walls, together - Our industry is stuck in the status quo. But Kin is different. We are challengers. Innovators unwavering in our mission to fix insurance for those who need it most. We are changing insurance for good. We roll up our sleeves, take action, and get “impossible” things done every day with grit and teamwork.

Raise the bar. Drop the ego - Attitudes are contagious. Every one of us is responsible for creating the culture we want to work in. High performance. Low drama. Always respectful. Like professional sports teams, we win by working in sync. We show up, work hard, and play to each other’s strengths.

Act like an owner - We are owners, fully accountable for achieving Kin’s mission. That requires positive, proactive, big-picture thinking well beyond our job descriptions. Ask questions, Take ownership. Do the right thing, even when it‘s hard. Because when Kin thrives, so do you. And so do our customers.

Operate lean. Deliver more - We build efficiency into everything we do. Each dollar we save gets reinvested to deliver more to our customers: better pricing, more products, and new innovations. We work smarter by relentlessly prioritizing and using technology, including AI, to multiply our impact. Lean is about focus, not deprivation. Lean isn't a limitation – it's our competitive advantage.

Keep asking ‘What if?’ - We value curiosity. To make insurance better for our customers, we experiment. We embrace insights. And we base decisions on data rather than assumptions. We see setbacks as opportunities for growth and are always learning and improving. Both individually and as a company.

We are a remote-first company with offices in Chicago, IL and St. Petersburg, FL where teams can come together for collaboration.

For Sales Agents and Customer Service Agents: These roles sit in any of the following 30 states: AL, AZ, CO, FL, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, MT, NC, NE, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, and WI.

For all other positions, these roles can sit in any of the following 40 states: AL, AR, AZ, CA (exempt only), CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, and WI. Please only apply if you are able to live and work full-time in one of the states listed above.

For remote technical positions located in Canada, we are only able to hire individuals who reside in Ontario. Applicants must be able to live and work full-time in Ontario to be considered.

State locations and specifics are subject to change as our hiring requirements shift.

Kin is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We don't just accept difference – we honor it, nurture it, and celebrate it. We don’t discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Kin welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require accommodation, please contact us by sending an email to [email protected]