Principal Data Engineer, CarOffer

Who we are

At CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG), our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. We started as a small team of developers determined to bring trust and transparency to car shopping. Since then, our history of innovation and go-to-market acceleration has driven industry-leading growth. In fact, we’re the largest and fastest-growing automotive marketplace, and we’ve been profitable for over 15 years.

What we do

The market is evolving, and we are too, moving the entire automotive journey online and guiding our customers through every step. That includes everything from the sale of an old car to the financing, purchase, and delivery of a new one. Today, tens of millions of consumers visit CarGurus.com each month, and ~30,000 dealerships use our products. But they’re not the only ones who love CarGurus—our employees do, too. We have a people-first culture that fosters kindness, collaboration, and innovation, and empowers our Gurus with tools to fuel their career growth. Disrupting a trillion-dollar industry requires fresh and diverse perspectives. Come join us for the ride!

CarOffer fully became part of the CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG) family in 2023, and  is an industry leader in the digital wholesale marketplace. We are automating a dealer’s ability to buy, sell, and trade cars. By bringing these two companies together, we are giving consumers and dealers alike the power to reach their destination through a full suite of digital transaction platforms. With ~14,000 dealerships in the CarOffer network, we make it easy for our dealer customers to automate inventory, connect with the right buyers, and ultimately grow their profitability.

Role overview

We are seeking a visionary and seasoned Principal Data Engineer to spearhead our data warehousing initiative and lead our growing data engineering team. As a key architect of our data infrastructure, you will wield your expertise to design and implement cutting-edge solutions, transforming raw data into actionable insights that drive business success. Your leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of our data engineering department, setting strategic direction, and mentoring a team of talented engineers to achieve excellence. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact, not only on our current project but also on the long-term success of our data-driven organization.

What you’ll do

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable data pipelines, leveraging cloud technologies such as Snowflake and DBT to ingest, process, and transform vast amounts of raw data into valuable business insights.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of data engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders, to understand data requirements and deliver solutions that meet evolving business needs.
• Define and enforce best practices and standards for data engineering, ensuring the reliability, scalability, and maintainability of our data infrastructure.
• Drive innovation and stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends in data engineering, evaluating and recommending tools and techniques to enhance our capabilities.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, providing strategic guidance on data architecture, governance, and analytics initiatives.
• Champion data-driven decision-making across the organization, advocating for the use of data to inform business strategy and drive operational excellence.
• Collaborate with the Data Architect and other senior stakeholders to define the long-term data strategy and roadmap for the company, aligning with business objectives and industry best practices.
• Lead by example, demonstrating a commitment to excellence, integrity, and professionalism in all aspects of your work.

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience (3+ years) in data engineering roles, with a track record of leading complex data projects from conception to delivery.
• Extensive hands-on experience with cloud data platforms, preferably Snowflake, including data modeling, SQL, and performance tuning.
• Proficiency in using DBT (Data Build Tool) for data transformation and modeling is highly desirable.
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, SQL, or Scala, with the ability to write clean, efficient code.
• Solid understanding of data warehousing concepts, dimensional modeling, and best practices for data governance and quality assurance.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and version control systems (e.g., Git) for managing codebase and deployments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong leadership abilities, with a proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, agile environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Certifications in cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and data engineering frameworks/tools are a plus.

Working at CarGurus

We reward our Gurus’ curiosity and passion with best-in-class benefits and compensation, including equity for all employees, both when they start and as they continue to grow with us. Our career development and corporate giving programs, as well as our employee resource groups (ERGs) and communities, help people build connections while making an impact in personally meaningful ways. A flexible hybrid model and robust time off policies encourage work-life balance and individual well-being. Thoughtful perks like daily free lunch, a new car discount, meditation and fitness apps, commuting cost coverage, and more help our people create space for what matters most in their personal and professional lives.

We welcome all

CarGurus strives to be a place to which people can bring the ultimate expression of themselves and their potential—starting with our hiring process. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We foster an inclusive environment that values people for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. That’s why we hope you’ll apply even if you don’t check every box listed in the job description. We also encourage you to tell your recruiter if you require accommodations to participate in our hiring process due to a disability so we can provide the appropriate support. We want to know what only you can bring to CarGurus. #LI-Hybrid