Application Guide
How to Apply for Staff Data Engineer
at Workiva
🏢 About Workiva
Workiva is at the forefront of ESG reporting, helping organizations streamline integrated reporting for transparency in climate impact and compliance. The company's remote-first culture and focus on innovation make it an attractive place for data engineers who want to work on impactful, sustainability-driven projects.
About This Role
As a Staff Data Engineer, you'll lead product discovery, break down complex projects, and independently develop features for Workiva's ESG platform. Your work will directly enable companies to report their environmental impact more efficiently, driving global sustainability efforts.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start by reviewing incident reports from overnight, then join a product discovery meeting with stakeholders to understand new ESG reporting requirements. After breaking down the work into tasks, you'll spend the afternoon coding a new feature in Python or Go, and end the day leading a code review or troubleshooting a production issue with your team.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Workiva Is Looking For
- 6+ years of experience with cloud-based distributed systems and modern programming languages like Python, Java, or Go
- Strong computer science fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design
- Proven ability to lead incident resolution and root cause analysis in a production environment
- Experience in product discovery and translating stakeholder needs into technical solutions
📝 Tips for Applying to Workiva
Highlight any experience with ESG or sustainability-related data engineering projects to show domain alignment
Emphasize leadership in incident management and how you improved system reliability
Tailor your resume to showcase projects where you broke down complex tasks into manageable milestones
Mention familiarity with Workiva's platform or integrated reporting concepts in your cover letter
Use specific metrics (e.g., reduced incident response time by X%) to demonstrate impact
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your passion for leveraging data engineering to drive environmental transparency and compliance', 'Specific examples of leading complex incident resolution and implementing preventive measures', 'Experience with product discovery and collaborating with cross-functional teams to define scope', "How your technical expertise in cloud-based distributed systems aligns with Workiva's platform needs"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read about Workiva's ESG solutions and how they integrate with existing financial reporting frameworks
- → Review the company's engineering blog or open-source contributions for insights into their tech stack
- → Understand the competitive landscape for ESG reporting software (e.g., Salesforce Net Zero Cloud, Persefoni)
- → Check recent news about Workiva's partnerships or product launches to show market awareness
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Avoid generic responses about 'big data' without connecting to ESG or compliance contexts
- Don't downplay the importance of product discovery; this role emphasizes understanding stakeholders
- Steer clear of overstating experience with specific languages if you don't have deep expertise—be honest
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!