Principal Software Engineer - Data Platform

Principal Software Engineer – Data Platform

Location: San Francisco, CA (Remote OK – US only)

Comp: $230K–$280K base + equity

About the Role:

We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help lead the development of a modern, scalable data platform from the ground up at a fast-growing, product-driven tech company. This is a high-impact role where you'd be the most senior individual contributor on the Data Platform team, helping to define the technical vision and build infrastructure that supports real-time analytics, machine learning, and large-scale data processing.

You’ll be working closely with Engineering, Product, Security, and Compliance leadership to design a cloud-native data architecture using tools like Kafka, Iceberg, ClickHouse, Tinybird, and Snowflake. If building at scale, tackling complex streaming + batch challenges, and driving long-term architecture sounds exciting to you—this might be the right fit.

What Makes This Opportunity Stand Out:

Be a core part of a growing Data Platform team

Own architecture and technical vision from end to end

Work on real-time and petabyte-scale data problems

Use a modern data stack (Kafka, Iceberg, ClickHouse, Snowflake, etc.)

Help shape the platform that will power AI/ML and analytics across the company

What You’ll Be Doing:

Architect and build the company’s next-gen data platform from scratch

Design for scalability, low latency, streaming + batch, and fault tolerance

Lead decisions around data modeling, governance, ingestion, and warehousing

Set engineering best practices and mentor other senior engineers

Ensure platform design aligns with long-term product and business strategy

Optimize the stack for performance, cost, and reliability in the cloud

What You Bring:

8+ years in data engineering or platform infrastructure roles

At least 5 years operating at a Principal-level or equivalent

Deep experience with Kafka and real-time data pipelines

Solid hands-on work with ClickHouse, Iceberg, Snowflake, or similar tools

Strong understanding of cloud-native architectures (AWS, GCP, or Azure)

Experience building systems with compliance, governance, and scale in mind

Proven ability to support petabyte-scale data environments

Great communication skills and a collaborative approach

Bonus: Experience with AI/ML infrastructure or preparing for IPO-level growth