Principal Software Engineer

About the role

Fivetran is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to contribute to the core data platform. This role focuses on tackling intricate technical obstacles associated with the movement and integration of data at scale. The successful candidate will be instrumental in defining the long-term architecture and execution strategy for essential platform components. You will guide critical technical discussions and make decisive choices regarding platform features and implementation strategies. A key aspect of this position is mentoring fellow engineers and helping to establish robust best practices across the team. You will work to enhance the performance and reliability of data pipelines while ensuring the security and integrity of information in transit. This position requires a proactive approach to problem-solving and a commitment to delivering solutions that meet high standards of quality. You will partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure that technical initiatives align with broader business objectives.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect and construct highly scalable data integration solutions that handle massive volumes of information with resilience.
• Lead in-depth architectural discussions and guide technical decision-making for complex platform features and infrastructure initiatives.
• Provide mentorship to engineers at various levels and actively contribute to the development and enforcement of team best practices.
• Conduct thorough performance analysis and implement optimizations to ensure efficient and secure data movement across systems.
• Work directly with product managers to define technical roadmaps, translate business requirements into technical specifications, and deliver new functionalities.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and assess their applicability to core data platform challenges, proposing innovative approaches where appropriate.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment between technical implementation and business goals.
• Drive the implementation of security protocols and data protection measures within the data integration lifecycle.
• Troubleshoot intricate production issues by analyzing system behavior, logs, and data flows to identify root causes quickly.
• Advocate for engineering excellence by promoting code quality, testing standards, and documentation practices across the platform team.

Requirements

• Bring to the role experience building and maintaining large-scale distributed systems that operate in production environments.
• Demonstrate a proven track record of delivering high-quality software solutions that meet strict deadlines and performance criteria.
• Show a strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software design patterns as they apply to complex integration problems.
• Exhibit the ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively within a team environment.
• Possess excellent communication and collaboration skills to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Have a history of driving projects from conception through completion, taking ownership of technical decisions and outcomes.
• Be comfortable engaging with ambiguous problems and developing solutions in environments with limited initial direction.
• Show commitment to writing clean, maintainable code that can be easily understood and extended by other engineers.

Skills & tools

• Extensive experience with distributed systems principles and architectures.
• Deep knowledge of data integration techniques, patterns, and challenges specific to moving data between heterogeneous sources and targets.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and their associated services relevant to data movement and storage.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in large-scale data processing systems.
• Understanding of infrastructure as code principles and deployment pipelines for cloud-native applications.
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools to gain insights into system performance and health.
• Knowledge of security best practices for data in transit and at rest within distributed architectures.

Nice to have

• Background working with real-time data streaming technologies and event-driven architectures.
• Experience contributing to open-source projects or demonstrating a strong commitment to community-driven development.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration platforms used in modern data infrastructure.
• Understanding of data governance and compliance considerations in cloud-based integration scenarios.
• Experience with automated testing frameworks for distributed systems.
• Knowledge of database internals and query optimization techniques relevant to integration workloads.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in the Oakland, California office in the United States. The role requires the ability to work during standard business hours in the AMER time zone. There may be occasional travel required for team meetings or customer engagements. Employment eligibility verification and background checks will be conducted as part of the hiring process. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for this position.