Freelance Data Platform Engineer Jobs in Kentucky

Data Platform Engineer I

Location: Louisville, KY

About El Toro

At El Toro, everything we do starts with one purpose: turning data into results brands can see, measure, and trust. As the leader in accurate, measurable, and trusted IP Targeting technology, we help brands reach exactly the right audiences and prove every dollar spent. From our Louisville, Kentucky headquarters, our patented (25 and counting) technology delivers privacy‑compliant, high‑precision campaigns with unprecedented transparency and attribution. We’re scaling quickly, pushing the boundaries of what digital advertising can be, and we’re looking for exceptional people who want to build the future with us.

Position Summary

As a Data Platform Engineer I, you'll help build the pipelines, workflows, and tooling that turn raw, messy data into something the rest of El Toro can trust and act on; the backbone of our patented IP Targeting technology. You'll write production Python from day one, orchestrate real workflows with tools like Airflow and Temporal, and get hands-on with the query engines and data platform stack that power privacy-compliant, high-precision ad campaigns at scale. If you want an engineering job that means shipping code that reaches real customers, not just tickets that disappear into a backlog, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering amp; Delivery

• Feature Development: Implement features and bug fixes in Go within your team's domain, collaborating with and learning from senior engineers as you ramp up.
• Code Quality: Write readable, maintainable Python code that aligns with established team standards and conventions.
• Testing amp; Reliability: Write comprehensive unit and integration tests as a core part of your development process to ensure high-quality production code.
• Code Reviews: Participate in the code review process to share your work, incorporate constructive feedback, and adopt shared engineering patterns.
• Workflow Orchestration: Build and support workflow orchestration processes (for example, using tools such as Airflow, Temporal, or similar) to help automate and coordinate service pipelines.

Learning amp; Collaboration

• Architecture amp; Design: Develop a foundational understanding of the team's data platform tool stack, its data access and pipeline patterns, and distributed query engine best practices.
• Growth amp; Documentation: Proactively ask questions, document new processes or findings, and steadily work toward taking independent ownership of tasks.
• Agile Teamwork: Participate actively in team agile processes, including sprint planning, estimation, stand-ups, and retrospectives.
• Problem Solving: Assist in identifying, reproducing, and triaging technical issues, communicating clearly with the team when you run into blockers.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• Foundational Programming: Practical software development experience gained through a degree, bootcamp, internships, personal projects, or self-directed study.
• Core Fundamentals: Understanding of core software concepts, including basic data structures, API communication, version control (such as Git), and writing tests.
• Data Systems: Familiarity with relational databases and writing basic SQL queries. Any exposure to querying large or partitioned datasets is a bonus, not a requirement.
• Growth amp; Collaboration: A desire to learn how modern data platforms work - pipelines, query engines, and data catalogs - and an openness to collaborating, exchanging feedback, and growing with a team.
• Communication: Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Workflow Orchestration: Workflow orchestration experience (for example, with tools such as Airflow, Temporal, or similar) is required.

Preferred:

• Exposure to Python for scripting or data manipulation, or SQL beyond basic coursework.
• Exposure to containerization tools (such as Docker) or cloud platforms (AWS).
• Experience or coursework involving data pipelines, ETL/ELT, data modeling, or analytical query engines.
• Interest in ad tech, data, or turning messy real-world data into something reliable.

What You’ll Get Working at El Toro

• A fast-paced, fun, and open culture with an entrepreneurial spirit
• A work environment headquartered in the heart of Louisville’s NuLu District, with friendly office dogs and leadership that is available and listens
• Competitive medical and health benefits plans
• 100% Company-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• 401k plan with company contribution of 3%, once qualified