Clear
communication
You get regular updates on what is being fixed, what is blocked, and what is changing in your data systems.
Fractional data engineering
Reliable data systems
without hiring full-time.
Northgrain Data helps growing product, operations, and analytics teams build, fix, and maintain the data pipelines, integrations, and warehouse models they need to trust their data every day.
Your team needs reliable data.
Not another hiring process.
When pipelines break, reports drift, or manual data fixes pile up, your team loses time and confidence. We step in as your fractional data engineering partner to stabilize what matters first, then keep improving the systems behind your business.
2-4
weeks to visible progress
We start inside your current stack, identify the highest-impact bottlenecks, and fix the data workflows slowing your team down first.
0
full-time hires
Get experienced data engineering support when the workload is real, without committing to a permanent hire before your needs are predictable.
Flex
Flexible support as priorities change
Some weeks you need pipeline fixes. Other weeks you need modeling, automation, documentation, or maintenance. The retainer adapts to your current priorities.
Fractional data engineering can save around $6,000/month versus a full-time hire.
Book discovery callData systems your team
can rely on after we ship.
Practical
documentation
We document pipeline behavior, decisions, ownership, and operating notes so your team is not left guessing later.
Ongoing
maintenance
We do not disappear after one sprint. We keep your data workflows healthy as your product, operations, and reporting needs evolve.
How we create value
in the first 30 days
Week 1
Assess
We map your data sources, workflows, stakeholders, and failure points. Then we agree on the highest-priority problems to fix first.
Weeks 2-3
Stabilize
We stabilize broken workflows, improve existing pipelines, or build critical missing pieces depending on what your team needs most.
Week 4
Document and Handoff
You get maintainable code, documented decisions, and operating context your team can actually use.
After 30 Days
Improve Continuously
We continue improving the next most important workflows, from pipeline reliability and warehouse modeling to automation and handoff.
Is Northgrain Data
right for your team?
A strong fit if
Your team has real data engineering needs, but not enough predictable workload for a full-time hire.
✓
Your team relies on data pipelines, integrations, or warehouse models that need to be more reliable
✓
Product, operations, or analytics teams are losing time to manual data work
✓
You need experienced data engineering support without starting a long hiring process
✓
Your priorities change month to month and you need flexible capacity
✓
You want maintainable systems, not quick patches no one understands later
Probably not a fit if
You only need one-off, surface-level support.
×
You only need dashboard design or spreadsheet cleanup
×
You need 24/7 incident response or on-call support
×
You cannot provide access to the systems we need to assess
×
You want a one-time handoff with no ongoing collaboration
×
You are not ready to involve product, operations, analytics, or engineering stakeholders
Stack we ship
in production.
dbt, Snowflake, Airflow, Python, AWS, and GCP.
Tool agnostic choices based on your architecture.
Fractional retainer onboarding open
See what reliable
data engineering support looks like for your team.
In a discovery call, we review your current stack, the workflows causing the most friction, and where fractional data engineering support could create the fastest value.
You leave with a clear recommendation, a likely engagement shape, and practical next steps.
No long sales process. Just a direct conversation about your data systems and whether this model is a fit.
Choose the retainer
model that fits your needs.
Pick the plan that matches your current workload.
PLAN 40
Stabilize
40 hours/month
Focused fractional data engineering support for teams that need to fix the highest-priority data workflows first.
Best for: Teams with a few painful data issues that need focused experienced support.
Best for one primary workstream
Pipeline fixes, data source integration, or warehouse modeling
Daily async updates
Complete documentation
15 days of post-engagement support
Solo experienced data engineer
Get quote
Extra capacity available as needed
PLAN 80
MOST POPULARScale
80 hours/month
Deeper monthly support for teams with several active data engineering priorities across pipelines, models, and automation.
Best for: Teams with ongoing data engineering needs across several priorities.
Best for multiple active workstreams
Pipeline reliability, warehouse modeling, and workflow automation
Daily async updates
Complete documentation
30 days of post-engagement support
Solo experienced data engineer
Get quote
Extra capacity available as needed
PLAN PRO
TEAM MODEAccelerate
80 hours/month
Team-based fractional data engineering for companies that need faster execution across larger or more complex data initiatives.
Best for: Teams that need faster delivery, parallel workstreams, or more complex implementation.
Best for complex or parallel workstreams
2+ data engineers for faster delivery
Pipeline, integration, modeling, and automation support
Daily async updates
Complete documentation
45 days of post-engagement support
24h response window
Get quote
Extra capacity available as needed
Discovery call includes fit check, scope direction, and clear next steps.