6+ years of professional experience in software engineering, data engineering, or analytics infrastructure. Deep understanding of how data moves through modern stacks. Strong coding skills in Python, Go, or similar modern language. Comfort working with APIs, cloud platforms, and large-scale data systems. Experience working directly with customers or external partners in a technical capacity. Solid understanding of SQL, metadata, and data quality concepts. Ability to reason about accuracy, schema, and data context. Excellent communication skills. Familiarity with AI/LLM systems, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), or natural language interfaces to data (Bonus). Prior experience in a startup or high-growth environment (Bonus).