Lead Cloud & Data Engineer (f/m/d)

We’re looking for a hands-on Lead Cloud & Data Engineer to design, own, and scale the multi-cloud backbone of IQA – our AI-powered SaaS solution used by global manufacturers.

ABOUT ONIQ

ONIQ is on a mission to transform manufacturing for a more sustainable and efficient future. With IQA, our Production Excellence Software, we are pioneering a new category in industrial tech - combining lean production principles with AI, process mining, and advanced data analytics. Our software empowers manufacturers to systematically identify inefficiencies, accelerate improvements, and scale operational excellence across their global production networks.

We are a highly motivated team with a strong sense of ownership and passion for what we do. Our entrepreneurial mindset and commitment to innovation have enabled us to grow fast and shape the future of digital lean and green manufacturing. At ONIQ, culture is just as important as product. We foster an environment rooted in authenticity, diversity, integrity, and mutual respect - where everyone is encouraged to bring their whole self to work.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

As Lead Cloud & Data Engineer, you will be the technical owner of our multi-cloud infrastructure and data platform strategy. You’ll have real decision-making authority over our cloud architecture, infrastructure roadmap, and data engineering approach as we scale to serve more Fortune 500 enterprises.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You lead through expertise rather than hierarchy: you design, build, and operate key systems yourself while setting the technical direction. You’ll work directly with our founding and senior development team to make critical build-vs-buy decisions, define our infrastructure evolution over the coming years, and establish the foundations that enable our platform and team to scale reliably.

Infrastructure Strategy & Architecture

• Define and execute our multi-cloud infrastructure roadmap, making key decisions on technology selection, architecture patterns, and cost optimisation strategies
• Own the technical strategy for our Kubernetes-based deployment infrastructure and IaC approach across GCP, Azure, AWS, and on-premise deployments
• Build, deploy, and monitor container-based services using IaC in Fortune 500 production environments
• Interface with enterprise customers technical teams on deployment and infrastructure requirements and rollout plans

Data Platform Leadership

• Architect and build the core data processing framework that powers customer onboarding and enables our AI products – this is the backbone of IQA
• Design and implement high-performance data pipelines processing millions of manufacturing events, optimised for both real-time and analytical workloads
• Own our data storage strategy (object storage, OLTP/OLAP, caching) and pipeline orchestration approach
• Develop and optimise APIs and data processing systems using Python (Polars/Dagster/FastAPI)

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with product and engineering leadership to translate business requirements into robust infrastructure capabilities
• Research and evaluate emerging technologies, making clear recommendations on when and how to adopt new tools

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU

Experience & Technical Depth

• 7+ years in software engineering, cloud infrastructure, or backend/data engineering roles, with at least 2–3 years in a lead or senior technical capacity where you made architectural decisions
• Deep, hands-on expertise with Kubernetes, major cloud providers (GCP, Azure, AWS), and IaC frameworks (Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi)
• Strong Python skills with modern data processing libraries (e.g. Polars) and API frameworks (FastAPI, etc.). Experience with TypeScript/React or Rust is a plus, not a requirement
• Proven experience designing and operating data pipelines, storage solutions (object storage, OLTP/OLAP, caching), and orchestration platforms (Dagster, Prefect, Airflow)

Strategic Thinking & Ownership

• Track record of making significant architectural decisions and seeing them through to production at scale
• Strong sense of ownership – you care about outcomes, not just outputs, and you’re happy to roll up your sleeves
• You prefer deep impact and technical leadership over pure people management

Mission & Mindset

• Genuine interest in industrial manufacturing and B2B SaaS – we’re solving real problems for customers making physical products
• Entrepreneurial mindset: you enjoy building foundational systems that will support company growth over years
• Excellent organisational and communication skills – you can articulate complex technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Location

We love the energy that comes from working together in person, so spending time at our Cologne or Berlin office matters to us. One on-site day per week is the minimum, and more time together is always welcome

WHAT WE OFFER

• True technical ownership with decision-making authority over infrastructure strategy
• Direct impact on our ability to serve manufacturing customers and scale the platform
• A culture built on transparency, integrity and authenticity – we trust and respect each other and make decisions based on competence
• A fast-paced, agile environment where you can take on as much responsibility as you feel ready for and actively shape our marketing and go-to-market
• A team that genuinely cares about collaboration and work culture: we regularly reflect on our teamwork, invest work time into team spirit and consciously create balance in everyday work
• The opportunity to contribute to fighting climate change by helping industrial manufacturers to become more efficient and to reduce their CO₂ emissions, while we are mindful of our own environmental impact as a carbon-neutral company
• All the benefits that make work more pleasant: flexible hours, part-time options, remote work possibilities, regular team events and offsites, 30 days PTO, weekly yoga sessions, Deutschlandticket, Urban Sports Club and more

HOW TO APPLY

We'd love for you to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. Please use our job portal for your application, we are looking forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions, please contact us at jobs@oniq.com.