Sr. Data Engineer
Sr. Data Engineer at Acely — San Francisco, CA, US
- Company: Acely
- Location: San Francisco, CA, US
- Employment type: FULL_TIME
- Salary: USD 190000–220000 / year
- Posted: 2026-07-17
About this role
About Acely
Acely is the leading AI tutor for the digital SAT and ACT, helping students get into their dream college. Our mission is to democratize opportunity for high school families through AI-native tools that empower students to learn smarter and gain confidence.
Backed by Forerunner Ventures, we've grown to $10M ARR with a lean, 10-person team, proof that small, mission-driven teams can deliver outsized impact. Our product has traction, our users are engaged, and we're now at an inflection point: ready to scale with speed, craft, and AI-native excellence.
The Role
We're looking for a Sr. Data Engineer who thrives in building the infrastructure that powers data-driven decision making. You'll be the architect of our data ecosystem, building pipelines that transform raw signals into actionable insights that shape how we serve millions of students.
As a member of our data team, you'll work directly with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to build the foundation for Acely's next stage of growth. This is the perfect role for someone who wants to own the entire data stack, move fast with modern tools, and directly impact how an AI-native education platform evolves.
Why This Role Matters
This is a rare opportunity to join a company with proven product-market fit and a mission that matters. You'll build the data foundation that helps millions of students achieve their college dreams.
You won't just be maintaining pipelines - you'll be defining how an AI-native education company uses data to personalize learning, measure impact, and scale intelligently. Your work will directly influence product decisions, growth strategies, and ultimately, student outcomes.
In our small, mission-driven team, your impact will be immediate and visible. You'll have the autonomy to choose the right tools, the ownership to build systems that last, and the satisfaction of knowing your work helps democratize access to quality education.
What You'll Do
Build and scale our data infrastructure from the ground up, designing pipelines that can handle our rapid growth while maintaining reliability and performance.
Own the modern data stack by implementing and optimizing ETL processes using tools like FiveTran and Segment, ensuring seamless data flow across our ecosystem.
Architect our data warehouse in Snowflake, creating a single source of truth that empowers every team to make data-driven decisions.
Develop and maintain our DBT models to turn raw data into clean, reliable, analytics-ready tables. Set transformation standards, implement tests, and ensure we have trusted metrics to understand user behavior.
Enable product analytics through platforms like PostHog and Google Analytics, helping us understand user behavior and optimize the learning experience.
Democratize data access by implementing BI tools like MetaBase, Looker, or PowerBI, making insights accessible to everyone from engineers to educators.
Master multiple database paradigms, managing both document stores (MongoDB) and relational databases (Postgres) to support diverse use cases.
Drive data quality and governance, ensuring our data is accurate, timely, and trustworthy as we scale.
Collaborate cross-functionally to identify data needs, build custom solutions, and translate complex technical concepts into actionable insights.
Define your role by pitching in wherever you can drive impact: dive into data analysis, support infrastructure projects, or even contribute to application development; you have the flexibility to shape your role beyond traditional functional boundaries.
Requirements
5+ years of data engineering experience, with a track record of building and maintaining production data pipelines.
Deep expertise with modern ETL/CDP platforms (FiveTran, Segment, or similar).
Proven experience with Snowflake or comparable cloud data warehouses.
Strong command of both SQL and NoSQL databases, comfortable with MongoDB and Postgres.
Experience implementing product analytics solutions (PostHog, Google Analytics, Mixpanel).
Hands-on experience with BI tools and making data accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
Python proficiency for data pipeline development and automation.
A builder mentality: you're excited to own the entire data stack and shape it from the ground up.
Clear communicator who can translate between technical and business contexts.
Not required, but a strong plus:
Data analysis and statistical modeling experience
Demonstrable experience working with or building modern AI agentic systems
Software engineering or application development skills (React, Node.js, Flutter)
Comfort with ambiguity and wearing multiple hats in a fast-paced startup
Benefits
Competitive salary ($190 - $220k based on experience) + equity
Remote-first (with optional quarterly SF meetups)
Full health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
401(k) with company match
Flexible PTO + company holidays
Professional development budget
Home office stipend
Wellness resources
Monthly hackathons