LendKey Technologies, Inc. is a pioneer in digital network lending, dedicated to simplifying the lending process for both financial institutions and borrowers. With more than 15 years of experience, LendKey has facilitated more than $7 billion in loans through hundreds of credit unions and community banks nationwide. Our mission is to empower local lenders with innovative, reliable technology that upholds community values while enabling access to national markets.

We are looking for an enthusiastic data engineer to join our data engineering team in Cincinnati, Ohio, and help us build out our modern data platform using Databricks lakehouse architecture. Working alongside our lead and senior data engineers, you will contribute to building a scalable, secure, and efficient data platform that serves the entire organization and our partners. This is an opportunity to be part of building and shaping a modern, real-time data platform from the ground up.

Please note: This position is based at our corporate offices in Cincinnati, Ohio. Qualified candidates must be available to attend on-site interviews. Remote work and relocation assistance are not available for this role. 

What you'll do:

• Maintain and support the Databricks platform, including managing access controls, permissions, and security mechanisms to protect private and PII data
• Build out and optimize the lakehouse medallion architecture (bronze, silver, and gold layers) to support various analytics and reporting needs
• Design, develop, and maintain data ingestion pipelines from various source systems using MySQL Lakeflow, API calls, and other integration methods including file ingestion
• Work with lead and senior data engineers to design data architecture solutions and execute implementation stories
• Contribute to the development of data governance policies, including data normalization, anonymization, and chain of custody
• Design, manage, and support ETL/ELT processes with ongoing data quality checks and testing
• Identify gaps and opportunities in data infrastructure and contribute to building appropriate solutions
• Partner with the product and engineering teams to develop scalable, extensible data systems
• Work with end users and power users across the organization to translate business questions and requirements into appropriate data structures
• Monitor and troubleshoot system performance, reliability, availability, and recoverability of data across the Databricks platform
• Assist in migration efforts from legacy platforms to the Databricks lakehouse

Culture Fit:

Strong desire to work for a mission-based organization that emphasizes the importance of providing exceptional customer service and is aligned with our core values: Truthful at all times; Helpful to teammates, clients, and customers; Present, committed & engaged to their teams and work; Driven to be courageous to make an impact; and Diligent & conscientious in executing every element of work.

Technical/Business Experience Required

• 3+ years of experience in data engineering or related roles
• Demonstrated Python skills for data processing, transformation, and automation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to understand business workflows and translate business questions into data models and pipelines
• Demonstrated strong Solid SQL fundamentals
• Experience with Git-based workflows 
• PRs, code reviews, branching strategies
• Ability to effectively leverage AI in development workflows
• Experience using AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, ChatGPT, Cursor, Copilot)
• Familiarity with modern data engineering concepts, including ETL/ELT pipelines, and data quality practices
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience

Preferred Requirements 

• Experience with Databricks and Lakehouse architecture
• Experience with Databricks Mosaic AI
• Experience in financial services, lending, or regulated environments
• Exposure to data governance and PII handling

What We Do

LendKey offers a comprehensive digital platform for private student loans, student loan refinancing, and home improvement loans, allowing community-based financial institutions to expand their portfolios and serve more borrowers without increasing infrastructure. Through our ALIRO platform, lenders can efficiently participate in, buy, and sell loans, streamlining portfolio diversification and capital deployment.

For financial institutions, LendKey provides turnkey solutions that include:

• End-to-end loan origination and servicing expertise
• Seamless access to a national network of lending partners
• Advanced risk mitigation and compliance support
• Opportunities to efficiently deploy capital and diversify portfolios

For borrowers, LendKey delivers:

• Access to affordable, competitive student loan products from trusted local lenders
• A simple, transparent digital application and servicing experience
• The benefits of community-focused lending with the convenience of modern technology

LendKey’s network lending model empowers both lenders and borrowers, bridging the gap between local values and national reach.

LendKey is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable state or federal law. LendKey offers reasonable accommodations to candidates with physical or mental disabilities. If you need accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process due to a disability, please let us know at HR@lendkey.com. Visit Lendkey.com for more information. 

The full-time base salary range for this role in the United States is between $100K- $130K + bonus + equity + benefits. Please note that the base salary range is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as market job location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience as evaluated throughout the interview process. Your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your location during the hiring process