Lead Data Architect at GoFundMe

San Francisco, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

10+ years of experience in data architecture, platform engineering, or data engineering, with at least 3+ years in a senior or architect role
Proven expertise with modern cloud-native data stacks including Snowflake, Databricks, MDM, Data Catalogs, and CDPs
Hands-on experience with Looker or other BI/semantic modeling tools
Strong understanding of graph-based data models, recommendation systems, and personalization architectures
Expertise in data modeling, metadata management, and semantic layers
Proficiency with streaming/event-driven data pipelines and real-time processing (Kafka, Pub/Sub, Spark Streaming, etc.)
Familiarity with AI/ML pipelines, feature stores, and unstructured/structured data integration
Strong foundation in data governance, lineage, cataloging, and compliance frameworks
Excellent communication and leadership skills to align technical direction across diverse teams
Located in the San Francisco Bay Area with an in-office requirement of 3x a week

Responsibilities

Modernize, optimize, and evolve a cloud-native data stack into a scalable, secure, and high-performing ecosystem such as SQL & NoSQL repositories for diverse workloads
Leverage modern data platform principles including lakehouse, data fabric, and data mesh architectures to improve scalability, decentralization, governance, and interoperability
Design scalable architectures to support analytics, real-time reporting, AI/ML Ops pipelines, feature stores, and graph-based data relationships
Design a unified data platform with high-performing and cost-effective solutions that handle both structured and unstructured data at high volume and high velocity
Establish enterprise-wide standards for data modeling, semantic layers, and golden datasets to enable consistency and reuse
Advance governance & quality by implementing frameworks for data lineage, quality, privacy, and security (GDPR, CCPA, PII protections)
Enable personalization & insights by architecting data capabilities that fuel advanced recommendations, relationship mapping, and connected user experiences
Evaluate & integrate technologies to guide adoption of best-fit technologies for evolving use cases in data science, AI, and scalable analytics
Partner cross-functionally by collaborating with engineering, product, analytics, and data science teams to translate business vision into technical solutions
Mentor & lead by providing architectural leadership, coaching engineers on best practices, and influencing strategic platform decisions

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

SQLNoSQLLakehouseData FabricData MeshAI/MLML OpsFeature StoresGraph DatabasesData ModelingSemantic LayersData GovernanceCloud Native

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the location requirement for this role?

Candidates must be located in the San Francisco Bay Area with an in-office requirement of 3 days a week.

What experience level is required for the Lead Data Architect position?

The role requires 10+ years of experience in data architecture, platform engineering, or data engineering, including at least 3+ years in a senior or architect role.

What technical expertise is needed for this position?

Proven expertise with modern cloud-native data stacks including Snowflake, Databricks, MDM, Data Catalogs, and CDPs is required, along with hands-on experience with Looker or other BI tools.

What does the Data Platform team do at GoFundMe?

The Data Platform team focuses on modernizing the existing platform and building a scalable data, reporting, and AI architecture to enhance product offerings and meet business requirements.

What makes a strong candidate for this Lead Data Architect role?

A strong candidate has 10+ years in data architecture or engineering with senior experience, expertise in cloud-native stacks like Snowflake and Databricks, and the ability to lead cross-functionally while mentoring engineers.

GoFundMe

Online platform for crowdfunding and fundraising

About GoFundMe

GoFundMe is an online platform that enables individuals and organizations to raise money for various needs and aspirations. Users can create fundraising campaigns in just five minutes by sharing their stories and soliciting donations from their networks and beyond. The platform caters to a wide range of clients, including those facing medical emergencies, families in need of memorial funds, students seeking educational support, and nonprofits looking for financial assistance. GoFundMe operates globally and has built a community of over 100 million people who have collectively raised $25 billion through more than 200 million donations. The company generates revenue through voluntary tips from donors and a small transaction fee on each donation, which helps cover payment processing costs and maintain platform security. GoFundMe's goal is to provide a safe and user-friendly experience for both donors and recipients, leveraging community support to help people meet their financial needs.

Redwood City, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2010Year Founded

$1,178.5MTotal Funding

SERIES_ACompany Stage

Fintech, Social ImpactIndustries

501-1,000Employees