Software Engineer, Fusion

dbt Labs

Job Summary

dbt Labs is seeking a Software Engineer for their Fusion team to build a next-generation analytics engine in Rust, enhancing performance, correctness, and developer experience for dbt workflows. This role involves working on a modern, state-aware execution engine with deep SQL understanding across multiple warehouses, enabling faster debugging, smarter orchestration, and more efficient large-scale deployments. The engineer will contribute to both open source and commercial code, owning product slices and driving technical excellence in mission-critical projects.

Must Have

  • Collaborate with Product, Design, Operations, and Security to deliver scalable compute solutions.
  • Participate in technical architecture discussions focusing on query engines, storage systems, and distributed database design.
  • Build services, APIs, and experiences that support user delight, quality, high availability, and performance.
  • Tackle ambiguous technical challenges with strategic thinking, balancing constraints with user needs.
  • Drive best practices in testing, observability, and system reliability.
  • Champion a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
  • Strong coding skills in Rust, Python, Go, or Java.
  • Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform).
  • Proven ability to participate in complex projects and collaborate across functions.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, clear communication, and a strong sense of ownership.
  • Interest in systems, data infrastructure, compilers, or analytical tooling.
  • Experience working on non-trivial projects (coursework, internships, research, open-source, personal projects).
  • Willingness and enthusiasm to work across the stack and learn new technologies.
  • Evidence of being self-directed and curious.

Good to Have

  • Contributions to open source database technologies projects (e.g., Apache Arrow, DuckDB, MongoDB Runtime).
  • Expertise in database systems, query engines, or storage systems.
  • Experience with performance optimization, observability, or large-scale query engines.

Perks & Benefits

  • Unlimited vacation
  • 401k
  • Pension Plan
  • 16 weeks Paid Parental Leave
  • Wellness stipend
  • Home office stipend
  • Equity Stake

Job Description

About Us

dbt Labs is the pioneer of analytics engineering, helping data teams transform raw data into reliable, actionable insights. Since 2016, we’ve grown from an open source project into the leading analytics engineering platform, now used by over 50,000 teams every week.

As of February 2025, we’ve surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and serve more than 5,400 dbt Cloud customers, including JetBlue, HubSpot, Vodafone New Zealand, and Dunelm. We’re backed by top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Altimeter. At our core, we believe in empowering data practitioners:

  • Code-based data transformations unlock transparency, flexibility, and collaboration
  • Analysts should adopt software engineering best practices to build trusted data products
  • Core analytics infrastructure should be open source and user-controlled
  • Analytic code—not just tools—should be shared and community-driven

dbt is now synonymous with analytics engineering, defining the modern data stack and serving as the data control plane for enterprise teams around the world. And we’re just getting started. We’re growing fast and building a team of passionate, curious people across the globe. Learn more about what makes us special by checking out our values.

As a Software Engineer working on dbt Fusion, you’ll help build a next-generation analytics engine written in Rust that significantly improves performance, correctness, and developer experience across dbt workflows. You’ll work on a modern, state-aware execution engine with deep SQL understanding across multiple warehouses, enabling faster debugging, smarter orchestration, and more efficient large-scale deployments. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to both open source and commercial code while shaping the future of dbt’s core platform.

At dbt Labs, you’ll have the freedom and responsibility to own entire slices of the product, move with speed, and leave fingerprints all over features used by thousands of data teams. If you’re the type of engineer who can see the big picture, sweat the details, and still move like a startup founder, you’ll fit right in.

This position is a unique opportunity to work on mission-critical projects for dbt that will significantly improve the experience of our customers and developers. You’ll help build truly differentiated systems and engines that sets us apart from other database technologies.

What You’ll Do

  • Collaborate with Product, Design, Operations, and Security to deliver well-architected, scalable compute solutions.
  • Participate in technical architecture discussions with a focus on query engines, storage systems, and distributed database design.
  • Build services, APIs, and experiences that support user delight, quality, high availability, and performance.
  • Tackle ambiguous, open-ended technical challenges with strategic thinking, balancing technical constraints with user needs and product goals.
  • Drive best practices in testing, observability, and system reliability.
  • Champion a culture of technical excellence and innovation, influencing engineering direction across multiple teams or domains.

What We’re Looking For

  • Strong coding skills in at least one of the following technologies: Rust, Python, Go or Java.
  • Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform).
  • Proven ability to participate in complex projects and collaborate across functions.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, clear communication, and a strong sense of ownership.
  • Interest in systems, data infrastructure, compilers, or analytical tooling, even if experience is primarily academic.
  • Experience working on non-trivial projects (coursework, internships, research, open-source, personal projects) that required persistence and iteration.
  • Willingness and enthusiasm to work across the stack and learn new technologies as the problem demands.
  • Evidence of being self-directed and curious—you proactively learn new tools, languages, or concepts when needed

Bonus Points If You Have

  • Contributions to open source database technologies projects such as Apache Arrow, DuckDB, MongoDB Runtime, or other analytical data systems.
  • Expertise in database systems, query engines, or storage systems.
  • Experience with performance optimization, observability, or large-scale query engines.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

  • The chance to work on hard, technical problems that push the boundaries of database and compute systems.
  • A culture that values curiosity, inclusivity, and collaboration.
  • The opportunity to make a real impact on thousands of data teams around the world.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Annual Salary: $120,000 - $170,000 USD
  • Equity Stake
  • Benefits - dbt Labs offers:
  • Unlimited vacation (and yes we use it!)
  • 401k
  • Pension Plan
  • 16 weeks Paid Parental Leave
  • Wellness stipend
  • Home office stipend, and more!

*Equity or comparable benefits may be offered depending on the legal limitations

What to expect in the hiring process (all video interviews unless accommodations are needed):

1. Interview with Talent Acquisition Partner

2. Interview with Hiring Manager

3. Team Interviews

4. Final Round Values Interview

dbt Labs is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building an inclusive team that welcomes diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Even if your experience doesn’t perfectly align with the job description, we encourage you to apply—we value potential just as much as a perfect resume.

Want to learn more about our focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at dbt Labs? Check out our DEI page.

dbt Labs reserves the right to amend or withdraw the posting at any time. For employees outside the United States, dbt Labs offers a competitive benefits package. RSUs or comparable benefits may be offered depending on the legal or country limitations.

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12 Skills Required For This Role

Team Management Problem Solving Game Texts Aws Rust Azure Terraform Mongodb Kubernetes Python Sql Java