Financial Data Integration Engineer

About Cardiff Cardiff is a mission-driven alternative lender based in San Diego, California. We’ve helped small businesses access over $10 billion in funding over 21 years, delivering rapid approvals and same-day financing through our streamlined digital platform. Our mission is simple: remove friction from small-business financing so entrepreneurs can focus on growth, not paperwork (cardiff.co). Overview We are seeking a highly skilled Python Developer with expertise in data modeling, mapping, and integration — particularly within the financial services domain. This is an individual contributor role focused on designing, implementing, and maintaining secure and compliant integrations between financial data providers and our internal systems. Responsibilities Develop and maintain data integration pipelines for financial and credit data (e.g., Experian, Plaid, bank transaction data providers). Perform data modeling and schema mapping, aligning disparate data formats and ensuring semantic consistency across sources. Build and maintain FastAPI-based microservices to expose and consume financial data securely. Implement ETL processes and automated data validation routines. Ensure integrations meet security, privacy, and regulatory compliance requirements, including adherence to provider API specs (e.g., bank transaction data security protocols). Collaborate with domain experts and analysts to design robust, scalable data models. Write and maintain unit/integration tests and documentation for all integration components. Qualifications 5+ years of professional Python experience, including use of modern frameworks such as FastAPI or Flask. Demonstrated expertise in data modeling, schema alignment, and transformation logic. Experience integrating with financial APIs, including credit bureaus, banks, or payment processors. Strong understanding of API authentication, encryption, and regulatory compliance (e.g., SOC2, PCI DSS, GLBA). Proficiency with SQL and data manipulation libraries (e.g., Pandas, SQLAlchemy). Comfortable working independently as a contractor/consultant in a fast-paced environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Preferred Experience • Prior work with credit decisioning, loan underwriting, or financial risk data. • Familiarity with AWS or other cloud environments.• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and secure API deployment.• Exposure to data cataloging and metadata management tools. Engagement Details Type: Contractor / Consultant (Individual Contributor) Location: Remote (U.S. preferred) Duration: Initial 3–6 month engagement, with potential for extension or transition to full-time employment Start Date: Immediate Compensation: Competitive hourly rate, commensurate with experience