Principal Data and Platform Engineer

Simple Machines; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Darlinghurst office

Team lunches

Training & conference fund

Job summary

Simple Machines is seeking a hands-on Principal Data and Platform Engineer to lead platform design and architectural decisions for modern, cloud-native data platforms. You will build greenfield data pipelines, work with data mesh concepts, and collaborate closely with clients to turn data into actionable outcomes.

You will design and implement scalable data ecosystems using Databricks, Snowflake, AWS and GCP, and you will guide teams on best practices, testing, and observability while

Qualifications

• Strong Python and SQL development experience in data platforms.
• Expertise with Spark and Databricks/Snowflake.
• Experience with AWS or GCP data services.
• Infrastructure-as-code using Terraform or Pulumi.
• CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions and ArgoCD.
• Data quality and testing frameworks like dbt/Great Expectations/Soda.

Responsibilities

• Lead Platform & Architecture Design: own end-to-end architecture of modern, cloud-native data platforms.
• Build Modern Data Platforms: design and deliver cloud-native data platforms using Databricks, Snowflake, AWS and GCP.
• Develop High-Performance Pipelines: build and optimise batch and real-time pipelines; work with streaming tech.
• Work at Scale: process large datasets with Spark and Flink; production-ready systems.
• Consult and Influence: work with clients to understand problems and shape pragmatic engineering solutions.
• Technical Leadership & Quality: set standards, review designs, raise data quality, observability and operational excellence.

Skills

Python

SQL

Spark

Tools

Terraform

Pulumi

GitHub Actions

ArgoCD

dbt

Great Expectations

Soda

Airflow

Kafka

Job description

Principal Data and Platform Engineer

Who We Are

Simple Machines is a global, independent technology consultancy operating across Sydney, New Zealand, London, Poland and San Francisco. We design and build modern data platforms, intelligent systems, and bespoke software at the intersection of Data Engineering, Software Engineering and AI.

We work with enterprises, scale-ups, and government to turn messy, high-value data into products, platforms, and decisions that actually move the needle.

We don’t do generic. We build things that matter - We engineer data to life.

The Role

This is a hands-on principal engineering role, not an architecture-only seat and not a support function. You’ll be responsible for technical direction, platform design and architectural decision-making.

You’ll design and build greenfield data platforms, real-time pipelines, and data products for clients who are serious about using data properly. You’ll work in small, high-calibre teams and operate close to both the problem and the client.

If you enjoy solving hard data problems, shaping modern architectures (data mesh, data products, contracts), and delivering real outcomes this is your lane.

What You’ll Be Doing

Lead Platform & Architecture Design

• Own the end-to-end architecture of modern, cloud-native data platforms
• Design scalable data ecosystems using data mesh, data products, and data contracts
• Make high-impact architectural decisions across ingestion, storage, processing, and access layers
• Ensure platforms are secure, compliant, and production-grade by design

Build Modern Data Platforms

• Design and deliver cloud-native data platforms using Databricks, Snowflake, AWS, and GCP
• Apply modern architectural patterns: data mesh, data products, and data contracts
• Integrate deeply with client systems to enable scalable, consumer-oriented data access

Develop High-Performance Pipelines

• Build and optimise batch and real-time pipelines
• Work with streaming and event-driven tech such as Kafka, Flink, Kinesis, Pub/Sub
• Orchestrate workflows using Airflow, Dataflow, Glue

Work at Scale

• Process and transform large datasets using Spark and Flink
• Design systems that perform in production - not just on paper

Consult and Influence

• Work directly with clients to understand problems and shape solutions
• Translate business needs into pragmatic engineering decisions
• Act as a trusted technical advisor, not just an order taker

Technical Leadership & Quality

• Set engineering standards, patterns, and best practices across teams
• Review designs and code, providing clear technical direction and mentorship
• Raise the bar on data quality, testing, observability, and operational excellence

What We’re Looking For

Core Engineering Strength

• Strong Python and SQL
• Deep experience with Spark and modern data platforms (Databricks / Snowflake)
• Solid grasp of cloud data services (AWS or GCP)

Architecture & Design Judgement

• Demonstrated ownership of large-scale data platform architectures
• Strong data modelling skills and architectural decision-making ability
• Comfortable balancing trade-offs between performance, cost, and complexity

Data Platform Experience

• Built and operated large-scale data pipelines in production
• Strong data modelling capability and architectural judgement
• Comfortable with multiple storage technologies and formats

Engineering Discipline

• Infrastructure-as-code experience (Terraform, Pulumi)
• CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions, ArgoCD
• Data testing and quality frameworks (dbt, Great Expectations, Soda)

Delivery & Consulting Mindset

• Experience in consulting or professional services environments
• Strong consulting instincts able to challenge assumptions and guide clients toward better outcomes
• Comfortable mentoring senior engineers and influencing technical culture

Why Simple Machines

• You’ll work on interesting, high-impact problems
• You’ll build modern platforms, not maintain legacy mess
• You’ll be surrounded by senior engineers who actually know their craft
• You’ll have autonomy, influence, and room to grow
• Amazing Darlinghurst office space
• Team lunches on Monday & Wednesdays
• Training & Conference fund

If you’re a passionate data engineer who wants to build properly, think clearly, and deliver real outcomes - we should talk.