Application Guide

How to Apply for Staff Software Engineer Data - DC Tech Lead

at Afresh Technologies

🏢 About Afresh Technologies

Afresh Technologies is on a mission to eliminate food waste in the fresh food supply chain using AI-driven optimization. Their platform is already reducing millions of pounds of waste annually, making a tangible environmental impact. Joining Afresh means working on a product that directly addresses climate change while leveraging cutting-edge data and machine learning.

About This Role

As the DC Tech Lead, you will own the data architecture for distribution centers, designing and optimizing ETL pipelines that process massive customer datasets. Your work directly improves data quality and enables product features that reduce waste. You'll also mentor engineers and manage external contractors, shaping the technical direction of the team.

💡 A Day in the Life

Start the day with a standup with your data engineering team, then review PRs for a PySpark ETL pipeline. Mid-morning, you'll partner with a product manager to define requirements for a new data quality feature. After lunch, you'll mentor a junior engineer on optimizing a slow DBT model, then wrap up by coordinating with an external contractor team on a Snowflake migration.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Afresh Technologies Is Looking For

  • Deep expertise in PySpark and DBT for building scalable ETLs on large datasets (e.g., billions of rows).
  • Proven experience as a tech lead or engineering manager for 2+ years, including mentoring and contractor management.
  • Strong SQL skills and familiarity with Databricks, Snowflake, or similar cloud data platforms.
  • Comfortable with ambiguity and able to partner with product, engineering, and science teams to define data requirements.

📝 Tips for Applying to Afresh Technologies

1

Highlight specific examples of ETLs you built using PySpark and DBT, including data volume and performance improvements.

2

Quantify your impact as a tech lead: number of engineers mentored, projects delivered, or contractor teams managed.

3

Mention any experience with fresh food supply chain or inventory data, even if tangential, to show domain interest.

4

Tailor your resume to emphasize data engineering leadership over general software engineering.

5

Include a brief note in your cover letter about why reducing food waste resonates with you personally.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your technical leadership experience, especially mentoring and managing contractors.', 'Specific projects where you optimized ETLs for scale using PySpark and DBT.', 'Your ability to work cross-functionally with product and science teams to solve ambiguous problems.', "Passion for sustainability and reducing food waste, connecting your skills to Afresh's mission."]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read Afresh's blog or case studies about their impact on food waste reduction and how their platform works.
  • → Familiarize yourself with the fresh food supply chain challenges (e.g., perishability, demand variability).
  • → Look up their engineering blog or talks to understand their tech stack (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake usage).
  • → Check recent news or funding rounds to understand company growth and culture.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Design a scalable ETL pipeline for processing daily store-level inventory data from thousands of locations.
2 How would you handle data quality issues in a PySpark pipeline? Walk through a real example.
3 Describe a time you led a team through a major data architecture change. What was your approach?
4 How do you prioritize technical debt vs. new features when working with product teams?
5 Explain how you would mentor a junior engineer on writing efficient PySpark code.
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on software engineering without emphasizing data-specific skills like PySpark and DBT.
  • Not providing concrete metrics or scale (e.g., 'large datasets' without numbers like TB or rows).
  • Underplaying your leadership experience—this role requires 2+ years as a tech lead or EM, so highlight it clearly.

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Afresh Technologies!

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