Context

Wawa Fertility is a digital platform helping clinics manage patient data and operations. Following a Series A, the business had repositioned around a new product that was starting to gain traction.

With a team of around 25, the company needed to scale quickly. A growing sales pipeline meant more clients coming in, each requiring complex data migration from multiple legacy systems into Wawa’s platform.

That work sat within the engineering team, and capacity was already tight. 

‍The Challenge

Each new client added meaningful workload. Without additional support, onboarding new customers risked slowing everything down.

This role sat at an unusual intersection. It required someone with strong data engineering capability who could handle complex data migration, but also work directly with clients – explaining decisions, managing expectations and operating in a high-trust environment.

Most data engineers don’t work that way. However, lowering the bar on either side carried real risk.

A technically weaker hire would struggle with complex migrations.

A candidate without client-facing capability could damage the onboarding experience at a critical stage in the sales cycle.

Aura’s Insight

The focus stayed on finding someone who could do both parts of the role well.

That meant looking for engineers who were comfortable being close to the end user, not just technically capable. Experience working with sensitive data and in regulated environments in the healthcare space also became an important signal.

The role was positioned around ownership – not just delivering migrations but shaping how onboarding worked as the company scaled.

The Search

The search targeted candidates who combined strong data engineering skills with real client-facing experience.

This isn’t a large talent pool, but it does exist. The key was being specific about what mattered and engaging the right people early.

Positioning played a big part. The opportunity to take ownership of onboarding and work closely with clients helped attract candidates who were motivated by impact, not just technical scope.

‍The Outcome

Aura submitted six candidates.

The first two candidates presented were both hired, despite the initial plan to make a single hire.

Both were identified within three weeks of starting the search.

Prior to the search, this profile had been difficult to solve. Aura demonstrated that it was possible to find candidates who met both the technical and client-facing requirements without lowering the bar.

The Impact

The hires reduced pressure on the existing engineering team and made onboarding more predictable and effective during a critical growth phase.

They’ve also strengthened the way Wawa works with clients during implementation, which is a key part of converting pipeline into long-term customers.