ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Founding Data Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Shaped

Data Engineer

Brooklyn, NY · Remote

$130K - $200K/yr

You will be a founding engineer working to reliably ingest customer data (both with batch and real-time processing) into our our state-of-the-art AI discovery engine. As one of Shaped's early ...

Cognition

Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $162K/yr

Among our founding team, we have world-class competitive programmers, former founders, and leaders ... About the Role We're hiring a technical Data Engineer to own our full data stack - from database ...

Career Renew

Data Engineer

Boston, MA · Hybrid

$150K - $250K/yr

Revenue's doubling quarter over quarter and you'll work directly with Jim O'Neill (Founding CTO of HubSpot) and a tight leadership team. * This Data Engineer role is a great fit for someone who loves ...

Impact Bridge Consulting

Data Engineer - AI

Dallas, TX

$113K - $136K/yr

Data Engineer - AI Dallas, TX (preferred) | Hybrid (Bishop Arts preferred) | Full-time Reports to ... The companys founding engineering team is currently focused on building higher-level AI systems ...

ROLLER

Data Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$113K - $136K/yr

Most importantly, you are excited to act as a founding technical force for a high-growth SaaS ... Operates as a full-stack Data Engineer with the technical authority to architect and build entire ...

Salt River Project

Principal Data Engineer

Tempe, AZ · On-site

Since its founding in 1903, SRP has fostered a culture of stewardship and customer service ... In addition, the Principal Data Engineer has the added responsibility of defining and guiding the ...

Vori, Inc

Forward Deployed Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $162K/yr

As one of the Founding Forward Deployed Data Engineers , you won't just be implementing processes-you'll be defining them from the ground up . You'll create the playbooks, data pipelines, and ...

NxT Level

Founding Backend Engineer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

Founding Senior Backend Engineer (Data Platform / Integrations) Location: New York City - In-Person The Opportunity Our client is hiring a Founding Senior Backend Engineer to own the data platform ...

Evio

Data Engineer (Remote)

Denver, CO · Remote

$117K - $141K/yr

In 2025, Wellmark joined as Evio's first non-founding investor and sixth owner health plan. Each ... Provide technical guidance and mentorship within the data engineering team and foster a ...

NxT Level

Founding Backend Engineer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

Founding Senior Backend Engineer (Data Platform / Integrations) Location: New York City -- In-Person The Opportunity Our client is hiring a Founding Senior Backend Engineer to own the data platform ...

NxT Level

Founding Backend Engineer

Manhattan, NY

Founding Senior Backend Engineer (Data Platform / Integrations) Location: New York City -- In-Person The Opportunity Our client is hiring a Founding Senior Backend Engineer to own the data platform ...

Evio

Data Engineer (Remote)

$117K - $140K/yr

In 2025, Wellmark joined as Evio's first non-founding investor and sixth owner health plan. Each ... We are seeking an experienced Data Engineer who wants to build reliable, scalable systems to bring ...

GlobalGiving Foundation

Head of Data & Analytics

$135K - $150K/yr

... engineering, or data science roles, with at least 3 years in a senior or lead capacity * Proven experience operating as a one-person or founding data team - someone who has owned the full stack from ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsFounding Data Engineer Jobs

Founding Data Engineer information

See salary details

$44.5K

$129.7K

$177.5K

How much do founding data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding data engineer in the United States is $129,716.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,500.00 and $137,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the unique challenges and opportunities of being a Founding Data Engineer at an early-stage startup?

As a Founding Data Engineer, you'll face the challenge of building data infrastructure from scratch, often with limited resources and evolving requirements. You’ll work closely with founders and cross-functional teams to define data strategies, implement pipelines, and ensure data quality. This role offers significant influence over technical decisions and architecture, and you'll likely wear multiple hats, contributing to both backend engineering and data analytics. The fast-paced environment fosters rapid skill development and provides substantial opportunities for career growth as the company scales.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Founding Data Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founding Data Engineer, you need strong expertise in data architecture, database design, and software engineering, often backed by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with cloud platforms (like AWS or GCP), ETL frameworks, programming languages (such as Python or Scala), and data warehousing tools is typically required. Exceptional problem-solving, adaptability, and collaboration skills set standout candidates apart in this role. These abilities are crucial for building scalable data systems and shaping the technical foundation of an early-stage company.

What is the difference between Founding Data Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectFounding Data EngineerData Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS, experience in startup environmentsBachelor's or higher in CS, relevant data tools experience
Work EnvironmentEarly-stage startups, high flexibility, broad responsibilitiesEstablished companies, specialized roles, structured teams
Employer & Industry UsageFounding teams, startups, tech companiesTech firms, finance, healthcare, large organizations
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding startup data roles, early-stage responsibilitiesStandard data engineering roles, career progression

The main difference between a Founding Data Engineer and a Data Engineer lies in their work environment and responsibilities. Founding Data Engineers typically work in startups, handling broad tasks and building data infrastructure from scratch, while Data Engineers in established companies focus on specific data pipelines within structured teams. Both roles require similar technical skills and educational backgrounds, but their scope and context differ significantly.

What are Founding Data Engineers?

Founding Data Engineers are among the first technical hires at a startup, responsible for designing, building, and scaling the company's data infrastructure from the ground up. They work closely with founders and early team members to define data architecture, set up data pipelines, and ensure data quality and accessibility for product development and business insights. This role often requires a blend of software engineering, data modeling, and strategic decision-making skills, as well as the flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing priorities in a startup environment.
More about Founding Data Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Founding Data Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Founding Data Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Founding Data Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Founding Data Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Founding Data Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Founding Data Engineer jobs are:
Founding Data Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Founding Data Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 12% Full Time, 83% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,716 per year, or $62.4 per hour.
Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Shaped

Brooklyn, NY • Remote

$130K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

Company Description

Shaped is an API for developers to seamlessly add personalized ranking and recommendation into their products. These frictionless discovery experiences help end-users find what they want faster, and, consequently, grow conversion and engagement business metrics.

We're a seed stage start-up backed by top-tier investors (e.g. Y-Combinator, Susa Ventures, Tribe Capital etc...) and executives (e.g. Google, Amazon, Uber, Dropbox etc...). Our team comes from Meta, Google, Apple and Uber. We're a remote team but have a small office in Brooklyn, New York.

Job Description

We are looking for a data engineer to design, build and optimize Shaped's real-time and batch streaming infrastructure. You will be a founding engineer working to reliably ingest customer data (both with batch and real-time processing) into our our state-of-the-art AI discovery engine. As one of Shaped's early employees you will help shape our product, culture and vision.

We're excited to work with you. Come build the future of AI with us!

Qualifications
  • 6+ years experience
  • Skills should include Python, Data Warehouses (such as Clickhouse, Snowflake, or BigQuery)
  • Nice-to-have skills should include DBT, Meltano, Airflow, and Apache Flink (or other stream processing frameworks)
Additional Information
  • Salary $130K - $200K 
  • Equity 0.10% - 0.50%

Apply