Data engineering hires for VC-backed startups

Data your business
can actually trust.

Data engineers, analytics engineers, data platform engineers and the leaders who build data teams. For VC-backed startups from New York to San Francisco and Austin.

Book a 15-min callSee our results
What we hire

The people who turn data into decisions.

Engineers who build pipelines that run every day, not dashboards that break every week.

PipelinesData engineersPipelines and warehouses that run reliably at scale.
ModelsAnalytics engineersClean, tested data models the whole company can trust.
PlatformData platform engineersStreaming, orchestration and tooling for the data team.
MLML data infrastructurePipelines and feature stores that feed models in production.
First hiresData engineering leadersFirst data hires who build from zero, then grow the team.
LeadershipHeads of dataLeaders who own the data team and the data strategy.
How we assess

We hire for data that holds up.

  1. 01Track record
    Production, not projectsWe look for pipelines that ran every day for real users and real decisions.
  2. 02Domain
    Domain fluencyIn areas like health and finance, we find people who already know the data standards.
  3. 03Judgement
    Business senseGreat data engineers know which numbers matter to the business.
  4. 04Week 1
    Your shortlist3 to 5 engineers who fit, each with our honest notes.
Results

Data teams that delivered.

Series B · Digital health · $60M raisedFirst data engineering leader
28 dayskickoff to signed offer, after 3 months searching alone
5 engineersteam built from scratch
99.8%SLA achieved
90%less manual data work
Read the full story
The approachReframed the brief from a data engineering manager to a builder who could create the infrastructure from zero, then grow into leadership.Targeted engineers at recently acquired healthtech companies, looking for their next challenge.Shortlisted 3 people fluent in both healthcare data standards and modern data stacks.
Six months laterA 5-engineer team built from scratch.42 critical data feeds automated at a 99.8% SLA.90% less manual data handling.

Recent data placements

Tap any role for the details
Hiring now

Data roles we're working on.

See all open roles
Questions

Hiring data engineers, answered.

How long does it take to hire a data engineer?

Most searches reach a shortlist within a week. A signed offer usually takes 3 to 4 weeks, depending on how quickly your interview process runs.

Should my first data hire be an engineer or an analyst?

Usually an engineer. Without reliable pipelines, analysts spend their time fixing data instead of using it.

When do I need a head of data?

Once data drives key decisions or products and the team is growing. Often your first data engineer can grow into the role, and we hire with that in mind.

Can you find data engineers who know health or finance data?

Yes. We've placed data leaders fluent in healthcare data standards, and we look for domain fluency wherever it matters.

Where do you hire?

Mainly New York, San Francisco, Austin and Boston, plus remote roles across the US. On-site, hybrid or remote.

Matt Geppert, founder of Open Select
Matt GeppertFounder, since 2011
Why Open Select exists

Most recruiters optimize for speed. I optimize for the hire you're still happy with two years later.

I've recruited engineers for startups since 2011. By the end of our first call I usually already have people in mind, because I've spent years talking to engineers long before your role existed.

  • 01You deal with me. No account managers. No handoffs.
  • 02Straight answers. On candidates, comp and your process, even when it's not what you want to hear.
  • 03I build with AI every day. When an engineer explains their work, I can follow it.
Email MattLinkedIn

Let's build your team.

Pick a time that suits you. A 15-minute call, a search strategy memo, and a decision in 48 hours.

Prefer email? hello@osrecruit.com
15-minute intro callMatt Geppert · Video call
Tue20Wed21Thu22Fri23Mon26
9:00 am10:30 am12:00 pm1:30 pm
See all available times