Data Engineer

Who We Are
 

OpenMinds is a cognitive defence tech company countering authoritarian influence in the battle for free and open societies. We work with over 30 governments and organisations worldwide, including Ukraine, the UK, and NATO member governments, leading StratCom agencies, and research institutions.

Our expertise lies in accessing restricted and high-risk environments, including conflict zones and closed platforms.

We combine ML technologies with deep local expertise. Our team, based in Kyiv, Lviv, London, Ottawa, and Washington, DC, includes behavioural scientists, ML/AI engineers, data journalists, communications experts, and regional specialists.

Our core values are: speed, experimentation, elegance and focus. We are expanding the team and welcome passionate, proactive, and resourceful professionals who are eager to contribute to the global fight in cognitive warfare.
 

Who we’re looking for

OpenMinds is seeking a skilled and curious Data Engineer who’s excited to design and build data systems that power meaningful insight. You’ll work closely with a passionate team of behavioral scientists and ML engineers on creating a robust data infrastructure that supports everything from large-scale narrative tracking to sentiment analysis.
 

In the position you will:

• Take ownership of our multi-terabyte data infrastructure, from data ingestion and orchestration to transformation, storage, and lifecycle management
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, ML engineers, and domain experts to develop impactful data solutions
• Optimize and troubleshoot data infrastructure to ensure high performance, cost-efficiency, scalability, and resilience
• Stay up-to-date with trends in data engineering and apply modern tools and practices
• Define and implement best practices for data processing, storage, and governance
• Translate complex requirements into efficient data workflows that support threat detection and response
   

We are a perfect match if you have:

• 5+ years of hands-on experience as a Data Engineer, with a proven track record of leading complex data projects from design to production
• Highly skilled in SQL and Python for advanced data processing, pipeline development, and optimization
• Deep understanding of software engineering best practices, including SOLID, error handling, observability, performance tuning, and modular architecture
• Ability to write, test and deploy production-ready code
• Extensive experience in database design, data modeling, and modern data warehousing, including ETL orchestration using Airflow or equivalent
• Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and its data ecosystem (BigQuery, GCS, Pub/Sub, Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, Looker)
• Open-headed, capable of coming up with creative solutions and adapting to frequently changing circumstances and technological advances
• Experience in DevOps (docker/k8s, IaaC, CI/CD) and MLOps
• Fluent in English with excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
   

We offer:

• Work in a fast-growing company with proprietary AI technologies, solving the most difficult problems in the domains of social behaviour analytics and national security
• Competitive market salary
• Opportunity to present your work on tier 1 conferences, panels, and briefings behind closed doors
• Work face-to-face with world-leading experts in their fields, who are our partners and friends
• Flexible work arrangements, including adjustable hours, location, and remote/hybrid options
• Unlimited vacation and leave policies
• Opportunities for professional development within a multidisciplinary team, boasting experience from academia, tech, and intelligence sectors
• A work culture that values resourcefulness, proactivity, and independence, with a firm stance against micromanagement