About this Data Engineer role at Lightning AI
Who We Are
Lightning AI is the company behind PyTorch Lightning. Founded in 2019, we build an end-to-end platform for developing, training, and deploying AI systems—designed to take ideas from research to production with less friction.
Through our merger with Voltage Park, a neocloud and AI Factory, Lightning AI combines developer-first software with cost-efficient, large-scale compute. Teams get the tools they need for experimentation, training, and production inference, with security, observability, and control built in.
We serve solo researchers, startups, and large enterprises. Lightning AI operates globally with offices in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and London, and is backed by Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.
The Way We Work
The people who thrive here are builders who move fast, communicate openly, take ownership, and continuously improve themselves, their teams, and our company. Here's what that looks like in practice:
- Move with Urgency: We move quickly, make thoughtful decisions, and keep momentum. We value action over perfection and learn by shipping.
- Take Ownership: We own outcomes, not just our individual work. We make decisions that move the company forward and follow through.
- Communicate Openly: We communicate directly, seek to understand, and create clarity for others. Honest conversations help us move faster together.
- Build Great Teams: We lead by example, empower others, and create healthy teams where people can do their best work.
- Raise the Bar: We're always improving ourselves. We learn from feedback, consistently challenge ourselves to grow, and focus on the work that matters most.
- Think Long-Term: We design for what's next. We create scalable systems, simplify complexity, and use AI and automation to amplify our impact.
About the Role
We're moving fast, and our data infrastructure needs to keep up. GPU telemetry, product usage, and operational signals are accumulating faster than our pipelines can surface them. We're at the stage where the right data foundation unlocks everything: better product decisions, faster model iteration, and cleaner ops. As our first Data Engineer, you will help us get there.
This is an early, high-scope role reporting to our VP of Product. You'll own data reliability across the company: clean tables, documented lineage, and signal flowing to where it's needed. You drive projects from conception to production without waiting to be told what to do next.
What You’ll Do
- Design and own ETL/ELT pipelines that move GPU telemetry, product usage, operational data, and customer data from where it lives to where it's useful
- Build and maintain the clean, documented tables that analysts and data scientists actually work from — not raw dumps
- Own data quality end-to-end: schema management, freshness monitoring, lineage tracking, and alerting when something breaks
- Partner with engineering and GTM teams to instrument what isn't already tracked
- Work closely with product, infra, and ML teams, primarily unblocking them
What You’ll Need
- 10+ years of total experience in analytics engineering, data engineering, or similar data-focused roles
- Deep expertise in data modeling, ETL pipelines, and data warehouse architecture
- Strong technical foundation with expertise in SQL, Python, and modern data stack tools (dbt, SQLMesh, etc)
- Experience partnering with Data Science, Product, and Engineering leaders to deliver key product metrics and user behavior insights
- Demonstrated ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on technical leadership
- Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
- Experience scaling analytics functions from early stage to maturity in rapidly changing environments
- Track record of establishing data governance, quality standards, and best practices
- A bias for action and urgency, not letting perfect be the enemy of the effective
- A “full-stack mindset”, not hesitating to do what it takes to solve a problem end-to-end
Location
We work in-person from our NYC office 2 days a week—we've found it accelerates how fast we ship.
We are committed to offering competitive compensation that reflects the value each team member brings to our mission. Final offers are based on factors such as experience, skills, geographic location, and role expectations. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package for eligible roles includes a discretionary bonus, a meaningful equity component, and comprehensive benefits.
Benefits and Perks
We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support our employees’ health, well-being, and long-term success:
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents.
- Meaningful Equity: RSUs that give employees a stake in the company's long-term success.
- Retirement Savings: 401(k) matching (U.S.) and pension contributions (U.K.).
- Flexible Time Off: Unlimited PTO, company holidays, and floating holidays to support work-life balance.
- Company-Wide Winter Break: Two weeks of company closure each winter to disconnect and recharge.
- Paid Parental & Family Leave: Paid leave to support you and your family through life's important moments.
- Professional Development: Annual learning and development allowance to support your professional growth.
- Wellness Benefits: Wellness and work-from-home stipends to support your physical and mental well-being.
- Sabbatical Program: Four weeks of paid sabbatical leave after four years of service.
- Flexible Work: Flexible schedules and a hybrid work model for our office-based teams.
- In-Office Meals: Complimentary meals at our office hubs.
Benefits may vary by location, team, and role.
At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and create better products. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.
