Engineering Manager - Data Engineering

Do you have 5 hours per week to spare? Are you an experienced data engineer or technical leader looking to apply your skills in service of a nonprofit that supports academic research in the behavioral sciences?

FindingFive (https://www.findingfive.com) is an online platform that enables researchers in psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, and related disciplines to run browser-based behavioral experiments. We're supported by FindingFive Corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing behavioral science research for the public good.

We are seeking a volunteer Engineering Manager of Data Engineering to lead the development of our data infrastructure and analytics capabilities in support of our mission. This is a leadership role focused on shaping technical direction, mentoring contributors, and overseeing data-related projects that make a real impact on academic research.

#1 Volunteer? So this isn’t a paid position?

Correct! FindingFive is entirely volunteer-run. Everyone from our president to developers and support staff contributes their time. If unpaid work isn’t feasible for you right now, we completely understand.

But if our mission (https://news.findingfive.com/our-mission-at-findingfive/) speaks to you and you’re looking for a way to use your expertise for social impact, this could be a rewarding opportunity.

Volunteering at FindingFive comes with a few perks:

• Complimentary Pro subscription to FindingFive for the duration of your volunteership.
• A chance to shape and modernize the data systems of a nonprofit SaaS platform.
• The satisfaction of supporting behavioral scientists and advancing academic research.

#2 What we’re working with—and what you’d be helping shape:

• Our current ETL pipeline is homegrown, built with Python and Pandas, converting data from our MongoDB production database into a structured MySQL data warehouse.
• We use Apache Superset for internal data visualization and dashboards.
• Our data system supports usage analytics, experiment performance insights, and internal monitoring.
• As a nonprofit, we favor scrappy but effective solutions—your comfort with balancing robustness and budget-conscious pragmatism will be key.

#3 What we’re looking for:

• Experience in data engineering and architecture, especially ETL design and data modeling.
• Strong Python skills; familiarity with Pandas, Airbyte, or Meltano is a plus.
• Familiarity with MongoDB and relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Prior experience in mentoring contributors and in scoping and managing projects.
• Interest in academic research, privacy, or nonprofit SaaS platforms is a bonus.

#4 Your responsibilities may include:

• Leading efforts to improve our ETL workflows and ensure clean, reliable, and privacy-conscious data pipelines.
• Planning and managing data projects that align with organizational goals (e.g., new analytics features, research impact metrics, or billing transparency).
• Mentoring volunteer contributors and ensuring knowledge-sharing across the team.
• Helping us evolve our stack over time while maintaining a strong respect for limited nonprofit resources.

#5 Time Commitment:

• Up to 5 hours per week for both team meetings and individual work time, but actual needs may fluctuate. We're grateful for whatever time you can give and fully support flexible volunteering.

This is a fully remote position, like all roles at FindingFive since 2018. If you're passionate about data engineering and want to use your skills to empower scientists and support open research, we’d love to work with you.