Director of Data Engineering

Kin is on a mission to change home insurance from what it is to what it should be. Whether we’re leveraging data to create customizable coverage or providing claims service that goes above and beyond expectations, our members are at the heart of everything we do. In the face of ever-growing climate risk, they deserve an insurance company that cares about them. We aim to stick with our members through thick and thin.

We use efficient technology that lets homeowners buy directly from us to keep costs down. This is the essence of Kin. Our approach has fostered amazing growth, attracted marquee investors, and earned us accolades, including being named to:

• Built In Chicago's Best Places to Work, Midsize Companies (2021-2024).
• Forbes' America's Best Startup Employers (2021- 2023).
• Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
• Forbes’ Fintech 50.

Simply put, our people are what make us great – we need forward-thinking, inspired game-changers like you to join us in our mission.

So, what’s the role?

We welcome people from all backgrounds who are driven by a passion of creating great engineering teams and awesome products that users love. As the head of Data Engineering at Kin, you will lead the data tools and engineering organization. You will be responsible for scoping out, designing and building infrastructure across multiple data domains. You will be making key technical decisions, specifically taking into account trade-offs between short- and long-term data tradeoffs and business impacts. As the leader of the data team, we’ll rely on you to push Kin to leveraging data effectively and widely. We hope you bring out audacious vision along with the execution chops to work in a data-centric environment.

A day in the life could include: 

• Creating a vision for how we ingest and manage data for transactional uses, BI and data science use cases.
• Driving execution and outcomes. Working with cross-functional stakeholders to drive value.
• Leading distributed Data Engineering teams and collaborating with domain teams on how best to leverage data to improve outcomes.
• Zooming in and out of the weeds. Being comfortable talking about funnel conversion and then how ingestion, storage, pipelines, mastering, and governance get us the desired results.
• Being a thought leader on best practices in data engineering and having a nuanced understanding of data science and AI applications.
• Hiring, nurturing and mentoring top engineering talent. This is probably the most important part of being an engineering leader at Kin!
• Be a steward of the platform. Own code quality, availability, scalability, resiliency, performance, observability and maintainability as part of ongoing development.
• Collaborating with various stakeholders in multiple technical disciplines: including developers, business intelligence, data engineers, devops, quality assurance, and architects to support existing and implement new data, and predictive analytics solutions
• Serving as a technical advisor to management concerning the planning, development, design, procurement, maintenance and implementation of data integration for enterprise-level systems
• Communicating with the executive team and company leadership about tech strategy, vision, programs, investment plans, and production issues.
• Monitoring and evaluating audit and compliance industry trends and third-party tools

I’ve got the skills… but do I have the necessary ones?

• Has high EQ. Has worked with executives and has managed multi-stakeholders. Fluent communication both written and verbal.
• Has grown up with a data engineering background. Has been a developer, architect and worked hands on in their career.
• Has worked on a modern data stack. Understands the continuum from ingestion to operational data stores and BI to real time data science ecosystems.
• Overall 12+ years of experience in software development & strong computer science fundamentals with 5+ years managing a team of 25+ data engineers.
• Strong design and architecture exposure in building large scale enterprise SaaS solutions using cloud technologies.
• Deep understanding of cultivating teams, motivating people and creating high performance cultures.
• Comfortable with working at the 50,000ft level shaping product and business strategy. Driving technology vision/roadmaps and OKRs. Also equally comfortable getting into the weeds working with teams on architecture, planning, resourcing, delivery or quarterbacking production issues when needed.  Adept at “seeing around corners” and building with an eye to the future.
• Experience with creating data ecosystems with high availability, quality, reliability of data. Can drive data operations and expense management.
• Experience and understanding of immutable-infrastructure with Terraform, git-ops, automation, CI/CD pipelines

Oh, and don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! 

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability and Life Insurance
• Flexible PTO policy 
• Remote work
• Generous equity package
• 401K with company match
• Parental leave
• Continuing education and professional development
• The excitement of joining a high-growth Insurtech company and seeing your work make an impact

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.

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

About Kin

Kin is the only pure-play, direct-to-consumer digital insurer focused on the growing home insurance market. We make policies convenient and affordable through a technology platform that delivers a seamless user experience, customized options for coverage, and fast, high-quality claims service. Kin is a fully licensed carrier that offers coverage through its reciprocal exchanges which are owned by its policyholders. To learn more, visit www.kin.com.

EEOC Statement

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