Analytics engineering retainer
A part-time analytics engineer, without the hire.
Monthly retainer of three days of remote analytics engineering: LookML and dbt changes, new models and explores, review of your team's PRs, analyst training. From $3,500 a month excl. VAT, cancel any month.
The problem
Between two projects, a BigQuery, dbt and Looker stack needs upkeep: a new model, a measure to fix, an analyst's PR to review, a dbt test that breaks, a PDT or incremental table that costs too much, a modelling question. Hiring for that makes no sense, waiting for the next project does not either. The retainer covers three days a month, taken in small slices, requested in writing and delivered as versioned code with an explanatory note. Unused days roll over one month. The first month always follows an audit, so we start from a known base.
Who it is for
- Teams of 1 to 3 analysts on BigQuery, dbt or Looker without a dedicated analytics engineer
- Scale-ups between two data hires
- Companies that just finished an audit or the fixed-scope stack and want to keep it alive
- Agencies operating Looker or dbt for their clients
What you receive
- Three days a month of LookML and dbt development, in half-day slices
- Review of all your team's LookML and dbt PRs within two business days
- A monthly report: what shipped, performance, BigQuery costs
- Written answers to modelling questions within one business day
- One asynchronous training session per quarter (video + exercises)
- Unused days roll over to the next month
Out of scope
- On-call, evening or weekend work
- Projects over three days (quoted separately)
- Looker instance and Google Cloud project administration
Prerequisites
- A Looker and dbt audit done in the last six months (by Neuravoid or a third party)
- Developer access to Looker, the LookML repository and the dbt repository
- A written channel (Slack, Teams or email) for requests
How it runs
01
Request
You describe the need in writing in the agreed channel.
02
Estimate
Answer within one business day: half-days needed, delivery date.
03
Delivery
Versioned code, explanatory note, video when the change deserves one.
04
Monthly review
Written report and next month's priorities.
StackLooker · LookML · dbt · BigQuery · GitHub · Slack
Frequently asked questions
Why a prior audit?
So that you do not pay three days a month of project discovery. The audit gives the map; the retainer maintains it.
What if we need more than three days?
One-off needs are quoted as a separate engagement. If it is regular, we move to a five-day-a-month plan, quoted in an addendum.
How does cancellation work?
In writing, before the end of the current month, no justification needed. Days rolled over from the previous month are delivered.
Do you work during our office hours?
Requests are handled asynchronously with written turnaround times. There are no meetings: a monthly written report replaces the check-in.
Guides
9 min read · 5 September 2026
Looker Pricing in 2026: Editions, Licences, Real Cost
How Looker pricing works in 2026: Standard, Enterprise and Embed editions, Viewer to Developer licences, Looker Studio Pro, BigQuery costs, how not to overpay.
Read the guide →6 min read · 18 September 2026
Looker Consultant in 2026: Scope, Rates, Deliverables
What a Looker consultant costs in the US and UK in 2026, what a good one delivers, the red flags to avoid, and when a fixed-price audit beats an hourly rate.
Read the guide →6 min read · 18 September 2026
Looker MCP and Agentic Analytics: Semantic Layer First
Looker MCP server, Conversational Analytics and the Next '26 agents explained: what shipped, why most agentic projects fail, and the six LookML prerequisites.
Read the guide →Describe your context
Three lines are enough: your systems, what is broken, the deadline. Written answer within one business day.
Request a quote