VP Data - Breakout Prop

Breakout Prop is a crypto-native proprietary trading platform backed by Kraken. Founded in 2023 by industry veterans, it combines deep liquidity, cutting-edge technology, and world-class risk management to create an unparalleled trading experience. Recently acquired by Kraken, it has access to global infrastructure and a trusted brand, and is at a pivotal stage with exceptional growth and revenue performance. The team is lean and high-conviction, with data at the heart of trading, risk management, and decision-making.

Technical depth:

• 10+ years in data engineering, data warehousing, or a senior data infrastructure role
• Expert-level SQL and data manipulation skills using Spark, PySpark, or equivalent big data frameworks, with experience processing high-volume, high-velocity datasets
• Deep expertise in data lake and data warehousing technologies and data modeling best practices (Presto, Athena, Glue, Snowflake, Databricks, or equivalent)
• Extensive experience designing and operating data pipelines and ETL/ELT workflows in Airflow or similar orchestration frameworks, with solid grounding in software design principles
• Strong Python proficiency; familiarity with streaming technologies such as Kafka or Apache Flink is a strong plus
• Hands-on experience translating complex business requirements into robust data sourcing and modeling solutions
• Exposure to data mesh or data product frameworks

Leadership & strategy:

• Proven track record leading and growing data teams, hiring, mentoring, and setting engineering standards
• Experience operating as a senior stakeholder, translating data strategy into business outcomes for a CEO or executive team
• Track record of evolving a data function through a growth inflection, scaling existing capabilities
• Experience in a high-growth startup, post-acquisition integration environment, or regulated industry (fintech or crypto a plus)
• Ability to balance hands-on technical contribution with organisational leadership

• Take ownership of an existing data function and scale it to match Breakout's next stage of growth
• Report directly to the COO with full mandate to elevate data maturity across the business
• Evolve current pipelines and infrastructure into a reliable, scalable data platform
• Expand self-serve analytics so every team can access insight without depending on engineering
• Grow and lead the data team, hiring, mentoring, and setting the bar for craft
• Establish data governance, quality standards, and a shared data model that the whole company trusts
• Build data products where AI agents are first-class consumers of the data layer, extending analytics framework to LLM-based tools
• Leverage Kraken's global infrastructure to accelerate Breakout's capabilities
• Partner with product, finance, operations, and growth teams to embed data into strategic decisions

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis unless a specific deadline is stated. Applicants may redact or remove personal identifying information from resumes. The company considers qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. Kraken is an equal opportunity employer and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on protected characteristics as outlined by law.