Reference Data Engineer
Summary
An AVP-level engineer on KKR's Operations Systems team designs, builds, and owns Python backend services and large-scale data pipelines (Spark, ETL/ELT), provisions cloud infrastructure with Terraform, and mentors junior engineers while driving design and code reviews.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries.
TEAM OVERVIEW
KKR's Technology organization is a group of passionate technologists and product managers, unified by a shared mission to deliver exceptional products and solutions that drive value for our stakeholders, clients, and investors. Our passion for technology and innovation fuels our commitment to creating high-quality, impactful solutions that address complex challenges and meet the evolving needs of our sophisticated businesses.
POSITION SUMMARY
We are seeking an Assistant Vice President (AVP), Software Engineering to join our Reference Data Technology team. This role blends senior individual contribution with emerging technical leadership: you will design and deliver robust backend services and data pipelines while helping guide the technical direction of your team. The ideal candidate is a strong Python developer with hands-on experience in distributed data processing (Spark), infrastructure-as-code (Terraform), and deep data engineering fundamentals spanning data modeling, ETL, and data distribution. You will own significant workstreams end-to-end, raise the engineering bar through code reviews and design input, and mentor junior engineers as you continue to grow toward a lead or vice president level.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Design, build, and own scalable backend services and data pipelines primarily in Python.
- Develop and optimize large-scale data processing workflows using Apache Spark for batch and near-real-time use cases.
- Lead data modeling and schema design decisions that support reliable analytics and downstream consumption.
- Architect and maintain robust ETL/ELT workflows with strong data quality, lineage, and observability.
- Design and implement data distribution patterns to serve data efficiently across internal systems and consumers.
- Provision and manage cloud infrastructure using Terraform and infrastructure-as-code best practices.
- Own delivery of significant workstreams end-to-end, from technical design through production and operations.
- Drive engineering quality through design reviews, code reviews, and clear technical standards.
- Mentor and support the growth of analysts and junior engineers on the team.
- Partner with product, data, and platform leaders to shape roadmap and translate requirements into scalable solutions.
- Lead root-cause analysis for complex production issues and drive continuous improvements in reliability and performance.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 4–7 years of professional software engineering experience with a strong backend focus.
- Expert-level proficiency in Python for building production services and data pipelines.
- Strong hands-on experience with Apache Spark for distributed data processing at scale.
- Proficiency with Terraform for infrastructure-as-code and cloud resource management.
- Deep data engineering fundamentals, including data modeling, ETL/ELT design, and data distribution patterns.
- Solid command of relational and non-relational data stores and SQL.
- Experience with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and modern software development practices.
- Demonstrated ability to own complex workstreams and mentor other engineers.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across technical and business teams.
PPREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their data services.
- Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow, Dagster).
- Experience with streaming technologies (e.g., Kafka, Spark Structured Streaming).
- Exposure to containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Prior experience in financial services or another data-intensive, regulated industry.
- Experience with Palantir Foundry or similar data integration and analytics platforms.
WHAT WE OFFER
KKR offers a collaborative, high-performance culture where engineers work on meaningful problems at scale. We provide competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and significant opportunities for professional growth, technical leadership, and impact.
KKR is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by applicable law.
KKR will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Individuals seeking an accommodation for the application or interview process should email Benefits@kkr.com. Emails sent for unrelated issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access because of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by sending an email to Benefits@kkr.com. Only emails left for this purpose will be returned.
Massachusetts Applicants: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. This notice applies only to applicants and employees who work or will work in Massachusetts, in accordance with applicable state law.
Skills
As published by greenhouse · 23 questions
Basics
First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Resume/CV, Cover Letter, Location
Short answers (12)
- Home Address optional
- LinkedIn Profile optional
- Website optional
- If yes, please briefly describe your current visa status. optional
- Work Authorization Expiration Date optional
- Please provide name of Referrer. If not applicable, please indicate N/A. optional
- If yes, please provide details of the role, location and date. optional
- If you replied yes to the question above, please provide details of non-compete, non-solicitation and/or notice periods. optional
- If yes, please provide your Deloitte employment details: job title, employment dates (MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY - Present, and office/location (city, country).
- If you are interested in KKR, please spell out 5 below. Do not spell 4 or 6.
- If Yes, please provide the name of the current GA or KKR employee and identify the familial relationship.
- If you are fluent in any additional language, please specify. optional
Pick from a list (11)
- Are you legally authorized to work for our company in the U.S.?
- Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States?
- Are you currently an employee or have you been previously employed by KKR?
- Were you referred by a current or previous KKR employee, or by an external affiliate of KKR?
- Is the referrer aware they are being cited as a referral source? optional
- Have you interviewed with KKR, its affiliates or any of its portfolio companies in the past 12 months?
- Do you currently have a non-compete, non-solicitation, or notice period agreement that may affect your employment with KKR? Select all that apply.
- Are you currently, or have you ever been, employed by Deloitte in any capacity--for example, full-time, part-time, fixed-term, contractor/temporary, or intern/co-op/apprentice or the like?
- Do you have any family members currently employed by KKR (inclusive of Global Atlantic Financial Company (“GA”)? For purposes of this question, a “family member” includes (a) anyone related to a KKR or GA employee by blood, adoption, foster care or marriage (including step-relationships); or (b) a spouse, fiancé(e), domestic partner, or any individual with whom the employee has a relationship that is substantially similar to a familial or marital relationship.
- I confirm that my application materials and interview responses reflect my own work and were not generated, edited, or supplemented by AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.).
- Please indicate any languages in which you are fluent.