Director, Data Engineering

Chime
San Francisco, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have experience leading data engineering teams in fintech and shaping multi-year data architecture roadmaps.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with leadership experience in data engineering and a background in regulated industries like fintech
    — “experience building data foundations for AI and LLM-powered tools, or working in fintech or another regulated industry”
  • Individuals who have set technical strategy and secured executive buy-in for long-term infrastructure investments
    — “Experience setting technical strategy and a multi-year roadmap, and making the case for investment to executives”
  • Candidates who have managed engineering managers and staff engineers while emphasizing ownership and reliability
    — “Lead and grow an organization of engineering managers and staff engineers, setting a high bar for quality, reliability and ownership”

Things to consider

  • The role requires in-office presence for most of the week, which may limit remote flexibility
    — “four days a week in the office and Fridays from home for those near one of our offices”
  • The position demands strong cross-functional alignment and stakeholder management
    — “Build strong partnerships with product, analytics, ML, risk and business leaders, and keep them confident in what your org delivers”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your experience in defining data architecture for AI and ML use cases
    — “Shape the data architecture that underpins Chime's AI transformation, making the right foundational calls early”
  • Showcase your ability to align technical investments with business outcomes
    — “Set the multi-year technical vision and roadmap for Chime's data foundations, and tie each investment to business and member outcomes”
  • Emphasize your track record in managing engineering managers and fostering team culture
    — “Hire, coach and develop leaders, and build a team culture of trust, candor and inclusion”
  • Demonstrate your ability to balance competing priorities and clearly communicate trade-offs
    — “Balance competing priorities across many partner teams, making clear trade-offs and explaining them well”
  • Position yourself as a leader who ensures data integrity and trust for analytical and AI systems
    — “Make sure our data reflects the true end state of the business, so analysts and AI tools can trust it and act on it”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Company

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • high-quality data foundations
  • AI transformation success
  • aligned cross-functional teams
Typical background
Director of Engineering in data engineering

Skills & requirements

Required

Data Engineering LeadershipCross-functional Partnership BuildingMulti-year Technical VisionData ArchitectureAI Transformation

Preferred

Llm-powered Tools

Stack & domain

Data EngineeringData FoundationsInsightsEngineering ManagementProduct, Analytics, ML, Risk, And Business Leadership PartnershipsData ArchitectureAI TransformationData QualityReliabilityOwnershipTechnical VisionRoadmap SettingData ReflectionAI ToolsData TrustData ActionData Foundations For AI And Llm-powered ToolsFintechRegulated IndustryTechnical CommunicationLeadership DevelopmentTeam Culture BuildingLeadershipCommunicationProblem-solvingTeamworkStrategic ThinkingDecision-makingInnovationAttention To DetailTechnical ExpertiseCollaborationInclusionTrustCandorFinanceTechnologyAIMachine LearningData ScienceEngineering

About the role

Original posting from Chime via Greenhouse

About the role

Data Engineering sits at the heart of Chime: nearly every product, analytics and AI initiative runs through the data our teams build. As a Director of Engineering, you'll lead Data Foundations and Insights, managing engineering managers and staff engineers who build the foundations the rest of Chime depends on. You'll partner closely with product, analytics, ML and business leaders to make sure our data reflects the true end state of the business for analysts and AI tools alike. And you'll play a core role in Chime's AI transformation, making sure the foundations are built right from day one.

In this role, you can expect to

Lead and grow an organization of engineering managers and staff engineers, setting a high bar for quality, reliability and ownership.

Build strong partnerships with product, analytics, ML, risk and business leaders, and keep them confident in what your org delivers.

Set the multi-year technical vision and roadmap for Chime's data foundations, and tie each investment to business and member outcomes.

Make sure our data reflects the true end state of the business, so analysts and AI tools can trust it and act on it.

Shape the data architecture that underpins Chime's AI transformation, making the right foundational calls early.

Balance competing priorities across many partner teams, making clear trade-offs and explaining them well.

Hire, coach and develop leaders, and build a team culture of trust, candor and inclusion.

To thrive in this role, you have

Experience leading engineering organizations through managers, including managing managers and staff-level engineers.

A track record of building trusted partnerships with cross-functional partners and senior stakeholders, and keeping them aligned through competing priorities.

Deep understanding of modern data architecture: ingestion, transformation, storage, governance, and serving data for analytics and ML/AI use cases.

Experience setting technical strategy and a multi-year roadmap, and making the case for investment to executives.

Sound judgment on architecture trade-offs at scale (batch vs. real-time, build vs. buy, cost vs. reliability), with the technical depth to earn credibility with staff engineers.

Clear, concise written and verbal communication with both technical and non-technical audiences.

Bonus: experience building data foundations for AI and LLM-powered tools, or working in fintech or another regulated industry.

#LI-Onsite #LI-DA1

Below is the base salary offered for this role and level of experience. Full-time employees may also be eligible for bonus(es), competitive equity, and benefits. For commissioned roles, the base salary listed in this job description does not include incentive/variable pay. The actual base salary offered may be higher, depending on your location, skills, qualifications, and experience.

Wage Notice$269,000—$373,000 USDA little about us

At Chime, we believe that everyone can achieve financial progress. We created Chime—a financial technology company, not a bank*—on the premise that core banking services should be helpful, easy, and free. Through our user-friendly tools and intuitive platforms, we empower our members to take control of their finances and work towards their goals. Whether it's starting a savings account, purchasing a first car or home, launching a business, or pursuing higher education, we're proud to have helped millions unlock their financial potential.

We're a team of problem solvers, dreamers, and builders with one shared obsession: our members. From day one, Chimers have worked tirelessly to out-hustle and out-execute competitors to bring our mission to life. Their grit and determination inspire us to work harder every day to deliver the very best experience possible. We each bring an owner's mindset to our work, refusing to be outdone and holding ourselves accountable to meet and exceed the highest bars for our teams, our company, and our members.

We believe in being bold, dreaming big, and taking risks, while also working together, embracing our diverse perspectives, and giving each other honest feedback. Our culture remains deeply entrepreneurial, encouraging every Chimer to see themselves as stewards of our mission to help everyday Americans unlock their financial progress. 

We know that to achieve our mission, we must earn and keep people's trust—so we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity in everything we do. These aren't just words on a wall—our values are embedded in every aspect of our business, serving as a north star that guides us as we work to help millions achieve their financial potential.

Because if we don't—who will?

*Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.

What we offer for our full-time, regular employees

🏢 Our in-office work policy is designed to keep you connected - with four days a week in the office and Fridays from home for those near one of our offices, plus team and company-wide events depending on location.

💻 Benefits that support your work and life, including backup child, elder, and pet care and subsidized commuter benefits for eligible employees.

✨ Comprehensive health, financial, and wellbeing benefits designed to support you at every stage of life.

🏝 Generous vacation policy and company-wide paid days off

🫂 1% of your time off to support local community organizations of your choice

👟 Annual wellness stipend to use towards eligible wellness related expenses

👶 Up to 22 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing parents and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birthing parents

👪 Access to family planning reimbursement

💚 A challenging and fulfilling opportunity to join one of the most experienced teams in FinTech and help millions unlock financial progress

We know that great work can’t be done without a diverse team and inclusive environment. That’s why we specifically look for individuals of varying strengths, skills, backgrounds, and ideas to join our team. We believe this gives us a competitive advantage to better serve our members and helps us all grow as Chimers and individuals.

Chime is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis under provincial, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of state and local laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Cook County Ordinance, NYC Fair Chance Act, and the LA City Fair Chance Ordinance, and consistent with Canadian provincial and federal laws. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during any stage of the application process, please contact: accommodations@chime.com.

To learn more about how Chime collects and uses your personal information during the application process, please see the Chime Applicant Privacy Notice.

Source: Chime careers (Greenhouse)

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