--- title: 'Lead Data Engineer at Samba' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-data-engineer-samba-new-york-city-9khxkymbz32h' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-12' --- # Lead Data Engineer at Samba - **Company:** Samba - **Location:** New York City, NY - **Compensation:** $155k–$180k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-07-10 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-12 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/sambatv/a189b0cd-7c6a-4da3-a0b6-8956d2700cd7 ## Job description Samba is a media intelligence company. We know what the world is watching, reading, and thinking about — in real time, at scale, across every screen. Our data exists with the consent of over a billion people, organized into the most complete picture of consumer attention ever built. The biggest brands in the world use that picture to make smarter decisions. We think it’s the most interesting data asset on the planet, because it’s the most culturally relevant. We are looking for a Lead Data Engineer to join our Revenue Operations team.This role sits at the intersection of data infrastructure and business impact - building and owning the systems that power reliable reporting, as well as leading a small team of analysts. You'll report directly to the Director of Business Intelligence and work closely with stakeholders across Sales, Finance, and Operations. This is a high-ownership role suited for someone who is comfortable being the subject matter expert on our data infrastructure while also thinking about how to present insights to executives. ## WHAT YOU'LL DO - - Infrastructure & Data Engineering - Own and maintain our Azure-based data infrastructure, including data ingestion, transformation, and delivery - Oversee data ingestion of 100+ upstream raw data sources (Salesforce, DSPs, ad platforms) into our data warehouse - Manage our data transformation pipelines and implement best-in-class systems design - includes writing complex SQL/ Python queries, stored procedures, and pipeline logic - Implement data governance best practices and champion these across the organization - Ensure data quality, pipeline reliability, and documentation standards across the team - quality assurance is a key cornerstone of the role - Reporting & Analytics - Translate business questions from stakeholders into data models and reporting solutions - Support revenue analytics - including advertiser performance, DSP reporting, and product-level breakdowns - Own ad hoc analysis and deep-dives as needed - Cross-Team Collaboration to build and maintain a platform that serves the needs of constituents across Sales, Sales Support, Finance, Marketing and Product - ## Team Leadership - Manage and mentor a team of BI analysts across the globe, supporting their growth and day-to-day execution - Triage and prioritize incoming data requests alongside the Director of BI - Set and uphold standards for data governance, code quality, documentation, and project delivery - Serve as the subject matter expert for our data engineering infrastructure ## WHO YOU ARE - - Ownership-driven: You treat the systems you build and the team you lead as your own, and you care about getting things right. Accuracy is paramount - Technically rigorous: You go deep on infrastructure problems and don't stop at surface-level fixes - Clear communicator: You can translate complex data concepts into language that resonates with business stakeholders - Collaborative: You work well across time zones and functions, and you make your teammates better - 5+ years of experience in data analytics or data engineering, owning pipelines from raw data collection to data delivery and reporting - Strong SQL skills, including window functions, complex joins, stored procedures, and performance tuning - Hands-on experience with Azure cloud services or equivalent (Synapse Analytics, Data Factory, Blob Storage) - Experience managing or mentoring junior analysts or engineers - Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders - Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with a high degree of ownership - Experience in ad tech, media intelligence, or programmatic advertising (DSPs, SSPs, audience data) - Familiarity with Salesforce as a revenue source of truth - Experience working with international teams across multiple time zones - Prior exposure to Microsoft Fabric or awareness of the Azure/Fabric roadmap ## #LI-BR1 Samba is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We strive to empower connection with one another, reflect the communities we serve, and tackle meaningful projects that make a real impact. Samba may collect personal information directly from you, as a job applicant, Samba may also receive personal information from third parties, for example, in connection with a background, employment or reference check, in accordance with the applicable law. For further details, please see Samba's Applicant Privacy Policy. For residents of the EU , Samba Inc. is the data controller. ## About Samba ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Samba (formerly Samba TV) is a media intelligence company that uses AI and first-party deterministic data from 1.5 billion people to power cross-screen TV and digital advertising measurement, targeting, and analytics for the world's largest brands, publishers, and platforms. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series B) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States - **Founded**: 2008 - **Founders**: Ashwin Navin (Co-founder & CEO), Alvir Navin (Co-founder & COO) ## Core Business - **Primary Industry**: Media Intelligence / Advertising Technology / Data & Analytics - **Target Customers**: B2B — primarily Enterprise (global brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms like Disney, Havas Media, and "the vast majority of top global brands") - **Mission Statement**: Unite TV, digital, and behavioral data through AI to power faster, more accurate media decisions. ## Products & Services - **Samba Analytics**: Independent cross-screen measurement using first-party data for deduplicated reach, frequency, and performance outcomes. Allows optimization of campaigns while they are still in-flight. - **Samba Audiences**: Exclusive audience segments and Private Marketplaces (PMPs) built from Samba's deterministic cross-screen signals for effective targeting. - **Samba Knowledge Graph**: AI-powered mapping of interests, behaviors, and purchase intent, linking content to 1.5 billion real people, devices, and households. - **Samba ID**: A universal identity solution linking content to real people and devices across screens. - **Samba AI**: Contextually analyzes and indexes all media content, including brand logo detection on TV. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed - **Total Funding**: $75.7M USD across 9 rounds - Last known round: Series B ($30M, June 2017, led by Union Grove Venture Partners and Disney Accelerator) - Other notable rounds: Series A ($7M, February 2012, led by August Capital) - **Key Metric**: Owns first-party TV and web data for 1.5 billion people globally. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: August Capital, Union Grove Venture Partners, Disney Accelerator. Strategic clients include Disney, Havas Media, and "every platform and publisher you need." - **Growth Signals**: Acquired Semasio in 2024, becoming the only provider owning both TV and web first-party data. Rebranded from "Samba TV" to "Samba" in 2026. Global workforce of 251 employees (+20.1% YoY growth). Operations span 6 countries with 13 offices. ## Competitive Advantages - **First-Party Data Moat**: Nearly two decades of proprietary, deterministic data from smart TVs (24 brands, 48M devices) and web (1.5B people), creating a unique and un-copyable dataset. - **Full-Funnel Integration**: The only provider to combine TV and web first-party data (after acquiring Semasio), offering planning, measurement, and activation in one platform. - **AI-Powered Knowledge Graph**: Goes beyond traditional media measurement by mapping interests, behaviors, and purchase intent, enabling contextual analysis without relying on third-party cookies. ## Strategic Focus - **Platform Expansion**: Evolving from a TV data provider into a comprehensive "media intelligence" company (rebranded in 2026). - **Cross-Screen Unification**: Connecting TV and digital data to provide a complete view of audience behavior across all screens. - **AI & Contextual Intelligence**: Deepening investment in AI for content analysis, brand detection, and predictive audience targeting. - **Global Scale**: Operating across six continents and expanding direct partnerships with major platforms and publishers. ## Why Work Here - **Founder-Led Culture**: Described as having "startup intensity and enterprise impact," with a "culture that values ownership over hierarchy and outcomes over optics." - **Global & Distributed**: Teams span San Francisco (HQ), New York, London, Hamburg, Sydney, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, Warsaw, Taipei, and Amsterdam. Officed with a global, collaborative ethos. - **Engineering & Data-First**: Ships products that "touch billions of signals daily." A strong emphasis on data science, engineering, and product roles. - **Compensation & Benefits**: Competitive base salary, equity participation, performance bonuses, generous parental leave, flexible PTO, annual learning budgets, home office stipend, and best-in-class hardware. - **Culture Values** (from company career page): Determined & Resilient, Self-Aware, Naturally Curious, Low Ego, Results Oriented. - **Employee Rating**: 3.9/5.0 on LinkedIn (172 reviews), with Work-Life Balance at 3.9, Compensation at 3.8, and Culture at 3.8. ## Sources 1. [samba.com](https://samba.com/about-samba) — About Samba / Company History 2. [samba.com](https://samba.com/careers) — Careers Page / Culture & Benefits 3. [samba.com](https://samba.com/) — Home Page / Product & Platform Overview 4. [linkedin.com/company/sambatv](https://www.linkedin.com/company/sambatv) — LinkedIn Profile (Company Details, Size, Financials) 5. [jobs.lever.co/sambatv](https://jobs.lever.co/sambatv) — Lever Careers Page (Open Roles) ## Other roles at Samba - [Information Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/information-assistant-samba-warsaw-c6peh4za13n5) — Warsaw, Poland - [Content Ingestion Assistant – Night Shift](https://feeny.ai/job/content-ingestion-assistant-night-shift-samba-warsaw-hzcr04x2ay5n) — Warsaw, Poland - [Marketing Scientist](https://feeny.ai/job/marketing-scientist-samba-san-francisco-sf2ccb60qkyh) — San Francisco, CA - [Associate Measurement Partner](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-measurement-partner-samba-new-york-city-smx7k346q2hh) — New York City, NY - [Principal Client Partner](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-client-partner-samba-new-york-city-565kn49m9712) — New York City, NY - [Account Executive ANZ](https://feeny.ai/job/account-executive-anz-samba-sydney-yy77z9k0nq8t) — Sydney, Australia - [Platforms Engineering Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/platforms-engineering-manager-samba-warsaw-56ydac4ebchg) — Warsaw, Poland - [Sales Director - India](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-director-india-samba-india-qtgdtzss6gfz) — India - [Partner Manager, Platform Partnerships](https://feeny.ai/job/partner-manager-platform-partnerships-samba-new-york-city-z95zb9cnn1bz) — New York City, NY - [Capture & Harvesting Engineer Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/capture-harvesting-engineer-manager-samba-warsaw-3jtxawh51tpr) — Warsaw, Poland