Director Data Engineering at Headspace

At Headspace we’re building technology that gives millions of people reliable access to mental health support every day. Our platform combines clinical expertise with advanced AI and machine learning to reach more than 70 million users, and we’re looking for an experienced engineering leader to shape the data foundations that will power the next stage of that growth.

What is this role?

This is a full-time Director-level position on our Data Engineering team. The role is fully remote within the United States, and we’re seeking someone who brings substantial hands-on experience along with a track record of guiding technical teams through complex, fast-moving environments.

What will you do?

• Lead the recruitment, development, and day-to-day management of a growing team of data engineers while setting clear technical direction and fostering a culture of high standards and psychological safety.
• Define and execute strategic roadmaps for scalable data architecture, ELT processes, and production data pipelines that support Business Intelligence, Analytics, AI/ML, and Product Engineering stakeholders.
• Partner closely with our CISO and cross-functional leaders to embed strong data governance, privacy controls, and HIPAA-compliant practices into every layer of our data ecosystem.

What makes you a great fit?

You bring eight to ten or more years of hands-on work with large-scale data technologies and have reached Staff Engineer–level proficiency with PySpark, dbt, and Databricks. You have at least five years of direct management experience with data or analytics engineers and have designed performant, observable data architectures that include testing, monitoring, and data-quality alerting. You have guided teams through code reviews, balanced technical debt against new product development, and delivered solutions that satisfy HIPAA or similar privacy regulations, including data anonymization techniques. Experience partnering with product leaders to strengthen instrumentation and A/B testing capabilities is essential, as is the ability to translate complex trade-offs for both technical and non-technical audiences. A bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or another STEM field-or equivalent practical experience-rounds out your background. We also value prior success operating in ambiguous, rapidly changing environments and the skill to influence change across multiple teams and leadership levels. All work is conducted in English.

What's in it for you?

The base salary range for this role is $180,000 - $287,500. In addition to competitive pay, we offer remote work flexibility, comprehensive medical insurance, generous paid time off with an unlimited vacation policy, a dedicated budget for professional development, equity compensation, and a mental wellness budget to support your own well-being.