Manager, Data Engineering

About Niche
Niche is the leader in school search. Our mission is to make researching and enrolling in schools easy, transparent, and free. With in-depth profiles on every school and college in America, 140 million reviews and ratings, and powerful search tools, we help millions of people find the right school for them. We also help thousands of schools recruit more best-fit students, by highlighting what makes them great and making it easier to visit and apply.
Niche is all about finding where you belong, and that mission inspires how we operate every day. We want Niche to be a place where people truly enjoy working and can thrive professionally.
About The Role
We are looking for a Manager, Data Engineering to lead a team of highly skilled data engineers in building and scaling our modern data platform. You’ll drive execution of our data product roadmap, mentor engineers across levels, and foster a strong engineering culture grounded in best practices. This is a people and project leadership role that requires both technical depth and the ability to enable others. You’ll report to the Head of Data Engineering.
What You Will Do
Lead and manage a team of 3-5 data/software engineers to execute on the data product roadmap
Oversee the design, development, and maintenance of scalable, secure, and observable data pipelines and warehouse layers using Python, SQL, Snowflake, DBT, Airflow, and Kafka to support content delivery, analytics, reporting, and operational systems
Drive a strong execution culture by managing sprint planning, work estimation, standups, and retrospectives
Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners in Analytics, Product, and Engineering to understand data requirements and deliver solutions aligned with business priorities
Ensure operational excellence by guiding the team on monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolving production issues
Implement and uphold engineering best practices including testing, CI/CD, code reviews, and documentation
Coach and mentor team members on technical execution, communication, and career development
Identify and remove process bottlenecks to improve development velocity, delivery quality, system performance, and overall cost efficiency across the data platform
Participate in hiring efforts and help onboard new team members
During the First Month:
Learn about Niche by meeting with various team members to learn more about our company through our Onboarding meetings
Build trust with team members and cross-functional stakeholders
Review current data systems, pipelines, and platform architecture
Within 3 Months:
Lead team rituals (standups, planning, retros) with consistency and clarity
Oversee day-to-day execution of data platform and pipeline projects
Partner with stakeholders across Analytics, Product, and Engineering to align priorities
Begin coaching team members on execution, communication, and growth areas
Within 6 Months:
Drive accountability and delivery for key roadmap initiatives
Identify and resolve process bottlenecks; promote technical best practices
Guide the team on data quality, pipeline reliability, and operational excellence
Participate in hiring and onboarding new engineers
Within 12 Months:
Demonstrate measurable impact on platform scalability, data availability, and team performance
Evolve team structure, goals, and operating model to meet growing business needs
Serve as a strategic partner across Niche to improve how data is acquired, transformed, governed, and delivered
What We Are Looking For
Required
6+ years of experience in data engineering, with 1–2 years of team leadership experience
Proven experience in managing and mentoring data engineers
Deep knowledge of modern data platforms (Snowflake, DBT, Airflow, Airbyte, RudderStack, Kafka, etc.)
Strong skills in Python, SQL, and data modeling (3NF, dimensional, data vault)
Experience delivering robust, observable, secure, and scalable data pipelines
Familiarity with Agile product delivery and cross-functional collaboration
Strong communication skills and a bias for clarity and action
Preferred
Experience of the ingestion and processing of third-party data sources (e.g., CRMs, Google Analytics, ad platforms, social media), lead delivery pipelines, marketing attribution, customer segmentation, and personalized user experiences
Exposure to data monetization / licensing, or external data product delivery
Background in working with external datasets or geospatial data
Demonstrated success in fostering a high-performing, inclusive team culture
Compensation
Our national target base salary range is $122,000-$153,000, plus participation in our Annual Bonus and Stock Option Program. Base compensation will be commensurate with experience and skills.
At Niche, our Total Rewards Philosophy is centered around creating a workplace environment that attracts, motivates, and retains top talent by providing a comprehensive and competitive rewards package. This philosophy is built on the principles of performance-based compensation, best-in-class benefits and work-life balance, and employee well-being.
Interview Process
Candidate experience is a top priority for our talent and hiring teams. We believe in providing a transparent, authentic and comprehensive interview process where you have the opportunity to learn about us while we get to know you and your experience. The interview process is outlined here:
Phone Screen with Talent Acquisition Partner - 30 Minutes
Video Interview with Hiring Manager - 45 Minutes
Team Interview - 45-60 Minutes
Why Niche?
We are a fully flexible workforce empowering our employees to choose to work remotely, in our Pittsburgh office or whatever combination suits you
Full time, salaried position with competitive compensation in a fast-growing company
Best-in-class 100% paid employee health plan, including vision and dental and supplemental coverage
Flexible Paid Time Off Policy
Stipend that allows you to build your work from home office in a style and function that suits your personal preferences
Parental leave for all employees (12 weeks fully paid) in addition to short term disability for birthing parents
Meaningful 401(k) with employer match
Your ideas and work will make an immediate impact on our company and millions of users
You will join a team that cares about you, our mission, our work - and celebrates our wins together!
Niche will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future for this opening.
We are currently hiring in states where we currently have employees: AZ, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, DC, WV.
Candidates only. No recruiters or agencies, please. Sorry, we do not offer relocation assistance.
Niche is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. Therefore, we provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
All interviews are being held remotely. If there are preparations we can make to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please let us know.