8+ years of professional software engineering, including technical leadership at the senior or staff level A software engineer first: deep expertise in at least one modern backend language (e.g., Python, Ruby, Go, TypeScript or Java), and a record of building and shipping application systems, not only data pipelines Strong data engineering: SQL, data modeling, warehouses (e.g., Snowflake or BigQuery), transformation (e.g., dbt) and orchestration (e.g., Prefect or Airflow) Experience designing and scaling APIs, distributed systems and relational databases Hands-on experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS or GCP) and CI/CD Product sense: you care about why something gets built and whether it worked, not just how its built Fluency with AI coding tools, and the judgment to know when their output isnt good enough A track record of leading ambiguous, high-impact projects to completion Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical partners. Experience in fintech, insurtech, payments or proptech Familiarity with regulated environments (e.g., SOC 2, PCI, consumer-finance rules) Experience building 0-to-1 products or data platforms at a startup or growth-stage company Experience managing engineers, or a wish to grow into it.