[Hiring] Staff Software Engineer - Fusion @dbt Labs

Role Description

dbt Labs is scaling its semantic connectivity footprint, moving deeper into engine-native compute integrations, ADBC interoperability, and Rust-based execution layers.

To accelerate adapter maturity, reliability, and ecosystem reach, we need senior builders who can ship platform primitives, mentor contributors, and harden dbt Fusion’s foundations.

As a Senior Engineer on the Fusion Adapters and Connectivity team, you’ll design and ship core abstractions powering how dbt communicates with execution systems — leveraging Rust, Go, Arrow, and emerging open standards. This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of systems programming, database internals, and high-visibility open-source development. Your work will shape a foundational platform leveraged across the dbt ecosystem and the broader data community.

In this role, you can expect to:

• Design, build, and maintain Rust-first connectivity layers, execution APIs, and adapter scaffolding.
• Partner with teams building the dbt compiler, semantic layer, and runtime to evolve adapter interfaces and system boundaries.
• Contribute to Arrow/ADBC and other open-source specifications or implementations, strengthening the data ecosystem.
• Own CI, testing frameworks, profiling, error reporting surfaces, and release readiness for Fusion adapters.
• Debug complex interoperability and performance issues across drivers, engines, and compute domains.
• Collaborate with internal and community maintainers to review PRs, write RFCs, and evolve public code architectures.
• Mentor engineers on systems best practices and contribute to shared patterns around resilience, debuggability, and API clarity.

Qualifications

• 6+ years experience in software engineering, with strong systems-level skills.
• 2+ years working in open-source, SDK, runtime, or low-level integration environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science / related field or equivalent experience through industry OSS contributions.

Requirements

• Strong programming background in Rust, Go, C++ or similar performance-oriented languages.
• Experience designing or maintaining SDKs, libraries, connectors, or compute/data integration codebases.
• Exposure to data warehouses, query engines, Arrow/columnar ecosystems, or execution runtimes.
• A desire to build foundational platform components that other teams and community members rely on.
• Comfort working in public code review loops, async-first communication, and collaborative RFC processes.
• A mindset grounded in debuggability, reliability, and ownership in ambiguous problem spaces.

Benefits

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.