Director, Data Engineering

Engine is the all-in-one travel and spend management platform trusted by 38K+ businesses and groups and 1.2M+ travelers. We're the retailer and the rails of business travel, the fastest-growing company in travel tech, built on a decade of proprietary technology, supply, and pricing no one else can replicate. Other travel and AI companies run on our infrastructure to book real trips, hold rates, and move payments, without building any of it themselves. We built it, AI-forward at every layer, from how travelers book to how the rails run.

That work has earned recognition as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators (2025), TravelTech's Reservation Platform of the Year (2026), and one of Built In's Best Places to Work (2020–2026).

We're looking for bold, ambitious people to help redefine how businesses manage and experience travel. Working here, you can expect exponential growth, an ambitious pace, full ownership, and high-caliber colleagues who push you to do the best work of your career. Every hire raises the bar.

Come outpace the ordinary and build the future of travel with us.

About the Role

We're seeking a Director of Data Engineering to define the vision and execute the long-term strategy for our global data ecosystem. This is a foundational leadership role responsible for the re-architecture of our data warehouse into a world-class platform. You will not only oversee the migration to modern infrastructure but will also be the primary architect of our data governance framework and cross-functional data democratization strategy. We are looking for a visionary leader who can balance technical depth in the modern data stack (Snowflake, Airflow, dbt) with the executive presence to influence our product and business roadmaps.

Your Mission

As a key leader within the Engine team, you will move beyond project management to organizational leadership. Your core responsibilities include:

• Strategic Vision & Roadmap: Define the 2–3 year vision for the data platform. Align data engineering initiatives with overarching company goals to ensure data is a primary driver of business growth.
• Organizational Leadership: Build and scale a multi-tiered engineering organization. Foster a culture of technical excellence, mentorship, and high accountability, ensuring a robust leadership pipeline within your team.
• Data Governance & Compliance: Establish and enforce global standards for data quality, security, and privacy (GDPR/CCPA). Own the framework for data cataloging and lineage to ensure "one source of truth" across the enterprise.
• Operational Excellence & ROI: Optimize the total cost of ownership (TCO) for our data infrastructure. Manage vendor relationships (Snowflake, etc.) and budgets while ensuring the stack scales efficiently with company growth.
• Executive Stakeholder Management: Serve as the primary liaison between Engineering and the C-suite. Translate technical debt and infrastructure needs into business value, and turn business requirements into scalable technical architectures.
• Innovation & Architecture: Drive the adoption of cutting-edge technologies (AI/ML integration, real-time streaming) to keep Engine at the forefront of the industry.

We are looking for an executive-minded leader who thrives at the intersection of deep technical "know-how" and high-level business strategy:

• Experience: 10+ years in Data Engineering/Software Engineering, with at least 5+ years in senior leadership roles (managing managers or leading large-scale departments).
• Strategic Technical Expertise: Deep architectural knowledge of the modern data stack (Snowflake, Airflow, dbt, Airbyte). Experience leading large-scale cloud migrations and designing systems that support both BI and Machine Learning workflows.
• Change Management: Proven ability to lead organizations through significant technical shifts and cultural changes, specifically moving from legacy systems to agile, modern architectures.
• Business Acumen: Exceptional ability to communicate the "Why" behind technical investments to non-technical partners. You should have a track record of using data to solve complex business problems.
• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• Mindset: A high-level thinker who isn't afraid to dive into the weeds when necessary, but consistently operates with an eye toward scalability, sustainability, and competitive advantage.

Our compensation packages are based on several factors, including your experience, expertise, and location. In addition to a competitive base salary, total compensation may include equity and/or variable pay (OTE). Your recruiter will share your complete compensation package as you move through the process.

Base Pay Range

$223,975—$310,000 USD

The Engine Edge: Perks & Compensation

We believe in rewarding great work with great benefits:

• Compensation: Competitive base pay tied to role and experience, with opportunities for bonuses, commissions, and equity.
• Benefits: Check out our full list at engine.com/culture.
• Environments for Success: Different roles have different needs in terms of the environments that drive success which is why we have a hybrid-hub model. Whether you are in one of our amazing offices or fully remote, we'll make sure you have what you need to succeed.

Ready to Build the Future of Work Travel?

Join us on our mission to transform how work travel works—for businesses, for travelers, and for the industry. Apply now and let's make travel simpler, smarter, and more enjoyable—together.