Guild Education
Principal AI & Data Platforms Engineer
🇺🇸 Remote - US
🕑 Full-Time
💰 $181K - $250K
💻 Data Science
🗓️ July 22nd, 2025
Airflow
CI/CD
DBT
Edtech.com's Summary
Guild is hiring a Principal AI & Data Platforms Engineer to lead the technical strategy and execution of their scalable data ecosystem. The role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to architect advanced data solutions, driving data system maturity, and aligning data engineering practices with long-term business goals.
Highlights
- Lead architecture, design, and development of scalable data pipelines using Fivetran, dbt, AWS Glue, Airflow, Python, Snowflake, Databricks, and S3.
- Integrate and transform complex data from AuroraDB, Postgres, MySQL, DynamoDB, and Snowflake.
- Drive collaboration with analytics, engineering, and commercial stakeholders to build impactful data models.
- Implement strong data quality, validation, observability, and reliability standards.
- Mentor and develop team members to enhance data engineering practices.
- Provide enterprise-wide data strategy guidance and prototype key data initiatives.
- Expert-level SQL and advanced Python skills for pipeline development and automation.
- Experience with Change Data Capture (CDC) at scale, Databricks (Unity Catalog, Medallion Architecture, MLFlow), Snowflake, dbt, and Fivetran.
- Proficient in infrastructure as code (Terraform), Unix/Linux, version control (Git), relational and NoSQL databases.
- Competitive total compensation including base salary range $180,600 - $250,000, variable pay, and stock options.
Principal AI & Data Platforms Engineer Full Description
At Guild, we believe talent is everywhere and that opportunity should be too. We continue to have our home and headquarters in Denver, but we have embraced a distributed model of working to reach the best talent in the United States. While some roles may require proximity to our Denver office, roles based outside of our Denver office can sit in any of the following 32 states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI and Washington D.C. Please only apply if you are able to live and work full-time in one of the states listed above. State locations and specifics are subject to change as our hiring requirements shift. We typically keep job postings active for 3–5 weeks, though this may vary depending on applicant volume and other factors.
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If you are an Internal Candidate, please apply via our Internal Job Board.
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At Guild, we uphold our Core Values in everything we do. Our team emphasizes our Core Values in the following ways:
- Nurture A Learner’s Mindset - using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and development areas
- Build Shared Success - building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
- Be an Owner - holding self and others accountable to meet commitments
- Create Belonging - recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to our company
As a Principal Data Engineer, you will lead technical strategy and execution for our robust, scalable, and modern data ecosystem. You'll collaborate cross-functionally with data analysts, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to architect sophisticated data solutions powering analytics, operational insights, and innovative products.
This high-impact role is designed for an experienced technical leader who excels in strategic thinking, long-term planning, and driving the maturity of data systems and practices. Your deep understanding of data infrastructure, business context, and modern data tooling will help position Guild's data engineering capabilities for future growth and innovation.
What You Bring
- 12+ years of data engineering or relevant experience, with demonstrated leadership in complex technical environments.
- Expert-level SQL skills, including advanced performance optimization, query tuning, complex CTEs, window functions, and data orchestration.
- Advanced proficiency in Python for sophisticated pipeline development, automation, API integrations, and scalable, maintainable code design.
- Data Trust is important to us, so significant experience implementing Change Data Capture (CDC) at scale is a must
- Extensive hands-on expertise with Databricks architecture and optimization, specifically around Unity Catalog, Medallion Architecture, MLFlow, and the Databricks MCP Platform
- Extensive hands-on expertise with Snowflake architecture and optimization, advanced dbt modeling strategies, and comprehensive integration using Fivetran.
- Strong command of infrastructure as code (Terraform), Unix/Linux environments, and version control (Git).
- Deep expertise in relational databases (Postgres, MySQL, AuroraDB) and substantial experience with NoSQL databases like DynamoDB.
- Advanced understanding of data modeling, warehousing methodologies, and modern ETL/ELT frameworks.
- Proven track record aligning technical designs to strategic business objectives and commercial outcomes.
- Experience leading technical initiatives within agile, high-growth environments utilizing modern data stack tools.
- In-depth knowledge of data governance, privacy, compliance standards, and regulatory frameworks.
- Expert understanding of CI/CD, continuous delivery, automated testing, and change management best practices.
Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture, design, and development of sophisticated, highly scalable data pipelines leveraging tools such as Fivetran, dbt, AWS Glue, Airflow, custom Python applications, Snowflake, Databricks, and cloud storage solutions (e.g., S3)
- Provide technical leadership in integrating and transforming complex data sets from diverse sources including AuroraDB, Snowflake, Postgres, MySQL, and DynamoDB.
- Drive collaboration with analytics, engineering, and commercial stakeholders to design and refine data models and marts that empower high-impact decision-making.
- Champion and implement rigorous data quality, validation, observability, and reliability standards across data workflows.
- Mentor and upskill team members, influencing the development of Guild’s data engineering practices and standards.
- Serve as a trusted advisor, guiding enterprise-wide data strategy, prototyping key data initiatives, and ensuring alignment of data engineering practices with long-term business and technical objectives.
We are committed to equal pay for equal work and believe in compensation transparency. This role offers a competitive total compensation package, including a base salary of $180,600 - $250,000, variable compensation and stock options. Compensation offered will be based on a combination of factors such as experience, competencies, and internal equity.
At Guild, we unlock the talent and economic potential of America’s workforce for employees and their companies. We partner with the nation’s largest employers—including Walmart, Chipotle, Discover, Hilton, Macy’s, Target, and The Walt Disney Company—to create cultures of opportunity that help them attract and retain top talent, while building the workforce of the future from within. By using our proprietary Career Opportunity Platform to develop education and learning programs that work in the real-world, thousands of employees at those companies have gained the skills, knowledge, and guidance they need to build a brighter future for themselves and their families—all without paying for tuition or career services on their own.
Guild is female-founded and a certified B Corp. The company has been named to the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2022 list, CNBC Disruptor50 list three years in a row, Inc. Best Led Companies list, Fast Co. World Changing Ideas list and the B Lab Best for the World list among many others.
Guild is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let your recruiter know. We currently offer the following benefits:
- Access to low-cost, high-quality health care options through Cigna and Kaiser (due to coverage limitations, Kaiser is currently only available in CA & CO)
- Access to a 401k to help save for the future
- Open vacation policy for employees to rest and recharge
- 8 days of fully-paid sick leave, to take the time to heal and or recover
- Family-friendly benefits, including 12 weeks of parental leave for non-birthing parents and 18-20 weeks for birthing parents; 4-week ramp-up period for when employees return from a leave of 6 weeks or more; as well as employer-paid short-term and long-term disability, employer-sponsored life insurance, fertility and caregiving benefits.
- Well-rounded wellness benefits including free and low cost mental health resources and financial wellbeing support services
- Education benefits and tuition assistance to help your future development and growth
PRIVACY NOTICE
I understand that I am applying for employment with Guild and am being asked to provide information in connection with my application. I further understand that Guild gathers this information through a third-party service provider and that Guild may use other service providers to assist in the application process. Guild may share my information with such third-party service providers in connection with my application and for the start of employment.
I understand and agree to Guild's use of my information in accordance with Guild's Privacy Policy and, for applicants that are residents of the State of California, Guild's Applicant Privacy Notice and California Notice at Collection.
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