How to apply for Senior Data Engineers

About Movement Labs

Movement Labs is an incubator and consulting firm that uses technology, data, and experimentation to support progressive social movements and grassroots campaigns. They have run over 100 randomized control trials on voter behavior and partner with advocacy groups, organizers, and electoral campaigns. The work is fast-paced, startup-like, and focused on stopping fascism and building progressive power.

About the role

As a senior data engineer, you will join an 8-person data engineering team and have significant ownership over designing and implementing scalable data architecture for targeting and engagement. You will work cross-functionally with program teams, extend foundational datasets for new outreach strategies, and load-test systems. The role directly supports year-round efforts to win elections and shift power for the long term.

A typical day

A typical day might involve collaborating with program teams to understand their data needs, designing or optimizing data pipelines for targeting and engagement, and running load tests to ensure systems can handle scale. You might also work on extending foundational datasets to support new outreach strategies. The environment is fast-paced, so priorities can shift quickly based on campaign cycles or experimental results.

Who Movement Labs is looking for

• Has experience designing and implementing scalable data architectures, preferably in a campaign, advocacy, or progressive tech environment.
• Is comfortable serving as a technical partner to non-technical program teams and can translate data needs into engineering solutions.
• Has worked with large datasets for targeting, engagement, or voter contact, and can extend foundational datasets for new strategies.
• Thrives in a fast-moving, startup-like environment and can adapt quickly as priorities shift.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience with randomized control trials (RCTs) or experimental design, as Movement Labs has run over 100 RCTs.
• Emphasize past work with voter files, targeting data, or engagement datasets, since the role focuses on extending foundational datasets for outreach.
• Show familiarity with load-testing and scalability in data systems, as the job description explicitly mentions load-testing systems.
• Mention any cross-functional collaboration with program teams or organizers, as the role involves serving as a technical partner to program teams.
• Note that interviews are paused until after the election, but applications are still accepted. Submit your application promptly and be prepared for a delayed response.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience building scalable data architecture for targeting or engagement, ideally in a progressive or electoral context.', 'How you have partnered with program teams or non-technical stakeholders to deliver data solutions.', 'Specific examples of extending datasets or building new data pipelines to support outreach strategies.', 'Your ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving environment and adapt to shifting priorities.']

Research before applying

• Read about Movement Labs' 100+ randomized control trials on voter behavior and understand their methodology.
• Look into their partner organizations and the types of advocacy groups, organizers, and campaigns they work with.
• Understand the progressive tech ecosystem and common data challenges in electoral and advocacy work.
• Check for any public blog posts, reports, or case studies from Movement Labs about their data work or experiments.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have designed and implemented scalable data architecture for targeting or engagement in a past role.
• A time you served as a technical partner to a program team and translated their needs into data engineering work.
• Your approach to extending foundational datasets to facilitate new outreach strategies.
• How you have load-tested data systems and ensured they can handle scale.
• Your experience with randomized control trials or experimental data analysis, given Movement Labs' focus on RCTs.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Not demonstrating any interest or experience in progressive causes or social movements, as this is central to the company's work.
• Focusing only on generic data engineering skills without connecting them to targeting, engagement, or voter data.
• Ignoring the startup-like, rapidly evolving environment and failing to show adaptability or comfort with shifting priorities.