Principal Software Engineer

Role Overview

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain complex, scalable, and critical backend systems and services capable of handling massive data volumes and high query loads.
• Take full ownership of challenging technical projects, driving them from initial concept through to production and ongoing iteration.
• Engage with a variety of technical domains, including: Building and evolving RESTful APIs and backend services.
• Modifying, extending, and optimizing complex open-source software (e.g., Trino).
• Implementing and managing sophisticated identity federation solutions (e.g., Keycloak).
• Developing and operating large-scale data ingestion pipelines (e.g., using Airflow).
• Enhancing and automating deployment processes (CI/CD) using technologies like Kubernetes.
• Collaborate effectively within a team of experienced engineers, contributing to a culture of shared knowledge and mutual respect.
• Apply strong problem-solving skills to diagnose, debug, and resolve complex technical issues, ensuring system reliability and performance.
• Champion pragmatic and robust solutions, adapting quickly to new technologies and evolving business needs.
• Operate with a high degree of independence in a low-process environment, taking initiative and driving results.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A current U.S. Government Security Clearance is desired, but not required; U.S. Citizenship required.
• 15+ years of experience as a software engineer, designing, developing, and deploying complex backend systems and a Bachelors in related field or 13 years experience with Masters; or High School Diploma and 19 years experience.
• Proficiency in one or more of our primary backend languages: Java, Python, Go.
• Experience working with or modifying Trino (or similar distributed SQL query engines).
• Experience with containerization and orchestration, particularly Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with PostgreSQL or similar relational databases.
• A drive for pragmatic solutions with a strong bias for action and a "get stuff done" mentality.
• Possess a low-ego and collaborative approach to teamwork and technical discussions.
• Self-motivated and thrive in a low-process, high-autonomy environment, working effectively with minimal supervision.
• Highly adaptable and a quick learner, comfortable context-switching and rapidly mastering new technologies and diverse technical domains such as API development, complex open-source modification, identity federation protocols, large-scale data ingest, and deployment automation.
• Significant experience building and maintaining API endpoints and backend services.
• Comfortable and experienced in modifying and extending complex open-source projects.
• Possess a solid understanding and practical experience with identity federation protocols.
• Proficient in deployment automation and CI/CD practices and tools.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to systematically debug and resolve intricate issues.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and can articulate technical concepts clearly.

Tech Stack

• Airflow
• Java
• Kubernetes
• Postgres
• Python
• SQL
• Switching
• Go

Benefits

• 100% paid employee premium for healthcare, vision and dental plans.
• 10% 401k benefit.
• Generous PTO + 10 paid holidays.
• Education/training allowances.