VP Data - Breakout Prop at Kraken

**Who this is for** This is a leadership opportunity for a seasoned data expert looking to drive strategy and maturity at a high-growth, crypto-native trading p

Work type: remote

Location: United States

Salary: $134,200 – $298,900/yr

Type: Full-time

Summary

**Who this is for** This is a leadership opportunity for a seasoned data expert looking to drive strategy and maturity at a high-growth, crypto-native trading platform. It is for a hands-on leader who believes data is a competitive advantage and wants to shape the architecture of a sophisticated trading environment. **Key highlights** You will report to the COO and have a full mandate to scale the data function, moving from support to a core capability. The role involves building self-serve analytics, implementing robust data governance, and integrating AI/LLM-based tools into the firm's core data platform. **You might be a good fit if you...** - Bring 10+ years of deep technical experience in data engineering, warehousing, or infrastructure. - Are an expert in SQL and big data frameworks like Spark or PySpark. - Have a track record of building and mentoring high-performing, agile data teams. - Can balance strategic vision with the rigorous, fast-moving requirements of proprietary trading.

Job Description

# Building the Future of Crypto

Our Krakenites are a world-class team with crypto conviction, united by our desire to discover and unlock the potential of crypto and blockchain technology.

What makes us different?

Kraken is a mission-focused company rooted in crypto values. As a Krakenite, you’ll join us on our mission to accelerate the global adoption of crypto, so that everyone can achieve financial freedom and inclusion. For over a decade, Kraken’s focus on our mission and crypto ethos has attracted many of the most talented crypto experts in the world.

Before you apply, please read the [Kraken Culture](https://www.kraken.com/culture) page to learn more about our internal culture, values, and mission. We also expect candidates to familiarize themselves with the Kraken app. Learn how to create a Kraken account [here](https://support.kraken.com/hc/en-us/articles/226090548-How-to-create-an-account-on-Kraken).

As a fully remote company, we have Krakenites in 70+ countries who speak over 50 languages. Krakenites are industry pioneers who develop premium crypto products for experienced traders, institutions, and newcomers to the space. Kraken is committed to [industry-leading security](https://blog.kraken.com/crypto-education/security-at-kraken), [crypto education](https://blog.kraken.com/category/crypto-education), and [world-class client support](https://blog.kraken.com/crypto-education/support-at-kraken) through our products like [Kraken Pro](https://pro.kraken.com/), [Desktop](https://www.kraken.com/desktop), [Wallet](https://www.kraken.com/wallet), and [Kraken Futures](https://www.kraken.com/features/futures).

Become a Krakenite and build the future of crypto!

# Proof of work

## The team

Breakout Prop is a crypto-native proprietary trading platform backed by Kraken. Founded in 2023 by industry veterans, we combine deep liquidity, cutting-edge technology, and world-class risk management to create an unparalleled trading experience. Recently acquired by Kraken, we now have access to global infrastructure and a trusted brand, and we're at a pivotal stage, having demonstrated exceptional growth and revenue performance.

We're a lean, high-conviction team of 35 where every hire genuinely shapes the company. Data sits at the heart of how we trade, how we manage risk, and how we make decisions, which means this role isn't a support function, it's a core part of our competitive edge.

You'll work alongside traders, engineers, and operators who move fast, think rigorously, and hold each other to a high bar. If you want to build something that matters in a space that moves quickly, this is the team.

Reporting directly to the COO, the VP of Data will take what's been built and evolve it into a mature, company-wide capability.

## The opportunity

• 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 — the analytics framework already serves LLM-based tools, and you'll extend this into a core capability

• Leverage Kraken's global infrastructure to accelerate what Breakout can build

• Partner with product, finance, ops, and growth to embed data into strategic decisions

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 proven 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

• 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 what exists, not just maintaining it

• 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

Kraken is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate all Krakenites for their diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions and unique perspectives. We hire strictly based on merit, meaning we seek out the candidates with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills considered the most suitable for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgable about crypto!

We may ask candidates to complete job-related skills or work-style assessments as part of our hiring process. These assessments are designed to evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions. Assessment results are considered alongside other relevant information, such as experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.

As an equal opportunity employer, we don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Whether that’s based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state or local laws. 

Stay in the know

[Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/krakenfx)

[Learn on the Kraken Blog](https://blog.kraken.com/#:~:text=Enter%20your%20email%20address)

[Connect on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/kraken-exchange/)

[Candidate Privacy Notice](https://www.kraken.com/legal/candidate-privacy-notice)

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