Data Engineer

About this Role: The Data Engineer at KIPP Colorado Schools is a pivotal role responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining robust data systems that ensure data accessibility, integrity, and security. This position plays a critical role in supporting the district’s mission to provide high-quality, equitable education by enabling data-driven decision-making through optimized data pipelines and systems. The Data Engineer ensures that KIPP’s data infrastructure is scalable, secure, and efficient, supporting both academic and operational needs. This includes creating and managing data pipelines, enforcing data governance protocols, and ensuring that educators, administrators, and leadership can effectively use data for insights. The Data Engineer collaborates with cross-functional teams, ensuring that data initiatives enhance student achievement, resource optimization, and organizational growth.

About KIPP: Together with families and communities, KIPP creates joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. KIPP is a national network of tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students. There are 255 college-preparatory KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 100,000 students. Nationally, KIPP students are graduating four-year colleges at three times the national average for low-income students.

Who we are: KIPP Colorado Public Schools is a network of six free college-preparatory public charter schools open to all students. Our 350-person staff educates 2,600 students from ECE to 12th grade. At KIPP Colorado, we partner with our KIPPsters, educators, families and communities to ensure that we are all united around the goal of a choice-filled future for our KIPPsters. Our KIPP Forward Team supports our 1,000+ high school Alumni as they create their own paths. Our core values of excellence, belonging, belief, advocacy and courage are central to who we are and how we operate at all levels of our organization.

What we do: We believe in the unique gifts and brilliance of every student. We believe in setting a high bar for joy and academic excellence to ensure the infinite possibilities our students have before them become a reality. We aspire to create and reinforce a culture of achievement, belonging and support. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student's needs, skills, and interests.

Role Responsibilities and More About How You’ll Spend Your Time in this Role

Professional Responsibilities

• Believe deeply in the mission, values, and Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) commitments of KIPP Colorado Schools and that all children can and will learn
• Assume personal responsibility for student achievement
• Read, internalize, and adhere to the KIPP Colorado Policies and Procedures manual and guidelines
• Provide an active presence, strategic supervision, and intentional monitoring to ensure student safety and engagement in rigorous learning (regardless of my role and its proximity to students)
• Take ownership for the development of your craft (meet 1x/1-2 weeks with a manager, implement feedback, engage in active practice, etc.)
• Commit to being prepared. Such as: internalizing and preparing for lessons; preparing for O3s/coaching, preparing for meetings, coaching, PD, etc.
• Meet professional obligations including and not limited to meeting deadlines and honoring schedules
• Consistently leverage existing professional tools, including but not limited to Google Suite (google documents, etc.) and Microsoft Suite (including but not limited to your KIPP Colorado email, Teams chat / meetings, Teams phone, and Microsoft outlook)
• Maintain strong attendance each day and be on time to all responsibilities
• Collaborate with colleagues and seek feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement
• Reflect on professional practices to meet individual professional development goals
• Actively participate in professional development, grade level, and department meetings
• Actively engage and implement in all school-wide and Org wide professional development
• Serve as a positive, contributing member of a grade team or functional team, collaborating with colleagues to tackle common challenges and implement org and grade-wide initiatives
• Share candid, solutions-oriented feedback with peers and leadership on a regular basis, assuring that feedback is shared directly with the intended recipient. Ensure that feedback is focused on improving outcomes and experiences for students
• Assist with both student and staff recruitment and engagement- including events, home visits, calls home, and other determined and related requirements
• Know that you role, professional development, org wide meetings, etc. may require you to travel around Denver to other KIPP Campuses, our Home Office, or other KIPP or PD events
• Assist with other duties as assigned (such as but not limited to, lunch duty, arrival/dismissal duty, bathroom duty, school support duties, etc.)

Data Pipeline Development and Maintenance

• Design, develop, and manage scalable ETL (extract, transform, load) pipelines that consolidate data from multiple sources into centralized data systems.
• Ensure data pipelines are optimized for both real-time and batch processing to support academic and operational decision-making.
• Maintain integrations between critical platforms, including Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Student Information Systems (SIS).

Data Governance and Quality

• Implement data governance best practices to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and security across all systems.
• Perform regular data audits and develop processes to detect and correct data inconsistencies or anomalies.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations such as FERPA, maintaining a secure data environment for all stakeholders.

Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

• Collaborate with the Data Team to build and maintain data models that support the creation of interactive dashboards and reports.
• Support the development of business intelligence tools that provide actionable insights for academic and operational use.
• Ensure data systems support cross-functional analysis for strategic planning, resource allocation, and student performance monitoring.

Collaboration and Cross-Departmental Support

• Work closely with Home Office Teams and Schools to understand data needs and develop solutions that support the district’s educational and operational goals.
• Provide technical expertise in data integration, accessibility, and data-driven decision-making processes.
• Partner with external vendors and consultants to leverage innovative data solutions for ongoing improvements.
• Collaborate with the Data Team to create a data warehouse

Cybersecurity and Compliance

• Implement robust cybersecurity protocols to protect student, staff, and institutional data from internal and external threats.
• Conduct regular risk assessments and audits to ensure data security and compliance with privacy regulations, such as FERPA.
• Assist in responding to and mitigating data breaches or other security incidents.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Stay updated on emerging data technologies and industry trends to improve KIPP’s data infrastructure and pipeline efficiency.
• Continuously monitor data system performance, identifying and implementing opportunities for improvement.
• Research and integrate cutting-edge tools and platforms to ensure KIPP’s data systems remain at the forefront of technological innovation.

Team Support and Development

• Collaborate with the Managing Director of Data & Information Technology to mentor the Data Team, building technical capacity within the team.
• Share best practices and offer professional development to enhance the team’s data literacy and technical expertise.
• Foster a collaborative culture focused on innovation and continuous improvement within the data and technology teams.

Role Level Specifics, Scope of Work, and Level of Responsibility

• For more about how you’ll lead at this level, please visit the KIPP Colorado Role Levels Matrix (this is an internal document, only)

About a Successful Candidate

About the skills and qualifications you will bring to this role:

• Bachelor's Degree (required)
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in data engineering or a related role, with a proven track record of building and maintaining data pipelines and systems (required)
• Experience in the K-12 educational setting is preferred, with an understanding of how data impacts student outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and other programming languages used in data engineering.
• Experience with cloud-based data platforms (e.g., AWS, Google BigQuery, Azure) and database management systems (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL).
• Knowledge of business intelligence tools such as Power BI, Tableau, and best practices in data visualization.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot data-related issues and design innovative solutions.
• Familiarity with data governance frameworks and compliance with data privacy regulations like FERPA.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• A full understanding and Commitment to an Exceptional Student Experience (more about that HERE) (required)
• Strong commitment to bringing anti-racist and equity work to life through external and internal platforms required
• Experience in a nonprofit setting (preferred, but not required)
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for multiple audiences (required)
• Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high quality work in a dynamic environment
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop productive working relationships with diverse individuals and groups
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects at the same time while producing high-quality results
• Team player capable of working both collaboratively and independently
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills and demonstrated ability to multi-task while maintaining high-quality work
• Strong judgment, analytical and problem solving skills
• Strategic thinker; ability to think critically about issues and solutions
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation
• Demonstrated professionalism and emerging executive presence
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and commitment to the mission of KIPP Colorado Schools
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Proficiency in WordPress and Adobe Creative Cloud

Compensation and Benefits

Employee retention and satisfaction is imperative for KIPP Colorado. We seek to provide competitive compensation and benefits including the following:

• Competitive Market Salary: Starting salary for this role begins at $91,800 and is commensurate with experience
  • Please submit a comprehensive resume to assure all your experience is accounted for! Tip: We don't care if your resume is more than one page, we are eager to see and compensate you for all of your experience and accomplishments
• Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by KIPP Colorado and options for family enrollment and coverage, through United Healthcare
• Time Off !!!: More than 6 weeks of annual vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Based on hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • All employees receive summer break through an organization-wide closure, based on work location and position
  • Access to parental and medical leave: includes 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks (after your first year)
• Career Trajectory: Access to opportunity to move up, across schools, and grow your career during weekly coaching sessions to refine your craft
• Mental Health Care: Immediate and ongoing access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program
• Technology & Access: Equipment provided: laptop & phone
• Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including a PERA 401k option
• Move to Join Us: Relocation reimbursement (when applicable)
• Additional Pay: Most schools offer various stipend opportunities
• Other Insurance Options:
  • Wellness reimbursement
  • Voluntary employee, spousal, and child life insurance
  • Voluntary long term disability insurance
  • Voluntary short term disability insurance
  • Optional Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Additional Information: For more information, you can view our benefits FAQ here

KIPP Colorado Schools is dedicated to equal employment opportunities and fair labor practices. KIPP Colorado Schools, KIPP Denver Collegiate High School, KIPP Northeast Denver Middle School, KIPP Northeast Elementary, KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy, KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy and KIPP Sunshine Peak Elementary provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals based on job-related qualifications, and the ability to perform a job without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religious creed, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, legally protected medical condition, veteran status, sexual orientation, or on any other basis made unlawful by federal, state or local laws. It is our policy to maintain a non-discriminatory environment free from intimidation, harassment or bias based upon these grounds.

Compensation and Benefits

Employee retention and satisfaction is imperative for KIPP Colorado. We seek to provide competitive compensation and benefits including the following:

• Competitive Market Salary: Starting salary for this role begins at $91,800 and is commensurate with experience
  • Please submit a comprehensive resume to assure all your experience is accounted for! Tip: We don't care if your resume is more than one page, we are eager to see and compensate you for all of your experience and accomplishments
• Excellent Healthcare Plan: 100% of employee-only monthly premium paid by KIPP Colorado and options for family enrollment and coverage, through United Healthcare
• Time Off !!!: More than 6 weeks of annual vacation and Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Based on hire date, employees are eligible for up to 8 days of Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • All employees receive summer break through an organization-wide closure, based on work location and position
  • Access to parental and medical leave: includes 6 weeks paid and 6 weeks unpaid for a total of 12 weeks (after your first year)
• Career Trajectory: Access to opportunity to move up, across schools, and grow your career during weekly coaching sessions to refine your craft
• Mental Health Care: Immediate and ongoing access to mental health support through our Employee Assistance Program
• Technology & Access: Equipment provided: laptop & phone
• Retirement Planning: Participation in the Colorado PERA retirement program, including a PERA 401k option
• Move to Join Us: Relocation reimbursement (when applicable)
• Additional Pay: Most schools offer various stipend opportunities
• Other Insurance Options:
  • Wellness reimbursement
  • Voluntary employee, spousal, and child life insurance
  • Voluntary long term disability insurance
  • Voluntary short term disability insurance
  • Optional Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Additional Information: For more information, you can view our benefits FAQ here