Staff Software Engineer - Open Source Data Platform (ODP)

Acceldata; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 250,000 - 291,000; Full time

Job summary

Acceldata in Canada is seeking a Staff Engineer with 9+ years of distributed systems or data platform experience to architect and drive the technical direction of the Acceldata Open Data Platform (ODP). You will solve complex system challenges, mentor senior engineers, and contribute to open-source communities across hybrid and cloud environments.

You will own end-to-end architecture, lead critical initiatives, and collaborate with product and engineering leadership to define roadmaps.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of software development experience with at least 5 years in distributed systems or big data platforms.
• Expert-level in Java or Scala; strong Python skills.
• Deep understanding of distributed computing, including consensus, partitioning, replication, fault tolerance, and consistency models.
• Hands-on with Hadoop, Spark, Hive, Trino, Kafka, Flink, NiFi or similar.
• Expert Linux proficiency: kernel tuning, performance analysis, system debugging.
• Strong experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Experience with Maven, Gradle, or SBT; CI/CD pipelines, GitHub, and Nexus.
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex issues (memory leaks, deadlocks, GC tuning).
• Strong understanding of scalable, fault-tolerant distributed system architectures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to explain complex concepts to leadership.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and the open-source community.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end architecture of major platform components, driving scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Architect and implement next-generation distributed data storage, processing, and query optimization systems.
• Partner with product, engineering leadership, and stakeholders to define technical roadmaps and translate business requirements into scalable solutions.
• Lead contributions to Apache projects and open-source communities, building Acceldata's technical presence.
• Identify and resolve complex performance bottlenecks in distributed systems, optimizing for cost, latency, and throughput.
• Mentor Senior Software Engineers, enforcing coding standards and architectural consistency across the platform.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and frameworks aligning with platform goals.
• Lead root cause analysis for critical production issues and drive systemic improvements across the stack.
• Work across Bare Metals, VM, Kubernetes, and multi-cloud environments.

Skills

Distributed systems

Big data platforms

Mentorship

Technical leadership

Communication

Tools

Java

Scala

Python

Kubernetes

Docker

AWS

GCP

Azure

Hadoop

Spark

Kafka

NiFi

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a Staff Engineer with at least 9 years of experience in distributed systems or data platform development. In this role, you will be a technical leader responsible for architecting and driving the technical direction of critical components within the Acceldata Open Data Platform (ODP). You will work on solving the most challenging distributed systems problems, contribute to open-source communities, and mentor senior engineers while shaping the future of large‑scale data infrastructure.

You'll lead high‑impact initiatives that directly influence how petabyte‑scale data is managed, observed, and optimized across hybrid and cloud ecosystems. You'll collaborate with industry experts, Apache committers, and seasoned engineers who share your passion for distributed systems and open‑source innovation.

WHY JOIN US

At Acceldata, you won't just be writing code; you'll be defining the architecture and technical vision for modern data platforms used by some of the world's largest enterprises.

Your technical decisions will shape mission‑critical systems, and your contributions will be visible across the global data ecosystem. If you're ready to take ownership of complex technical challenges and drive innovation at scale, Acceldata is where you belong.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the end‑to‑end architecture of major platform components, driving design decisions that impact scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Architect and implement next‑generation distributed data storage, processing, and query optimization systems.
• Partner with product, engineering leadership, and stakeholders to define technical roadmaps and translate business requirements into scalable solutions.
• Lead contributions to Apache projects and open‑source communities, establishing Acceldata's presence and technical reputation.
• Identify and resolve complex performance bottlenecks across distributed systems, optimizing for cost, latency, and throughput.
• Mentor and guide Senior Software Engineers, fostering technical excellence and a culture of continuous learning.
• Establish and enforce coding standards, perform thorough code reviews, and ensure architectural consistency across the platform.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies, tools, and frameworks that align with platform goals.
• Lead root cause analysis for critical production issues and drive systemic improvements to prevent recurrence.
• Work across diverse environments: Bare Metals, VM, Kubernetes, and multi‑cloud architectures.

REQUIREMENTS

• 9+ years of hands‑on software development experience with at least 5 years focused on distributed systems or big data platforms.
• Expert‑level proficiency in Java or Scala, with strong Python skills. Experience with systems languages is a plus.
• Deep understanding of distributed computing principles, including consensus algorithms, data partitioning, replication, fault tolerance, and consistency models.
• Extensive hands‑on experience with multiple components of the big data stack (Hadoop, Spark, Hive, Trino, Kafka, Flink, NiFi or similar).
• Expert‑level Linux proficiency, including kernel tuning, performance analysis, and debugging at the system level.
• Strong experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Deep expertise with Maven, Gradle, or SBT; experienced in CI/CD pipelines, GitHub, and artifact management (Nexus).
• Proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex issues, including memory leaks, deadlocks, GC tuning, and distributed system failures.
• Strong understanding of architectural patterns for scalable, fault‑tolerant distributed systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross‑functional teams, external contributors, and the open‑source community.

PREFERRED SKILLS

• History of significant contributions or committer status in Apache projects (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Hive, Iceberg, Flink, etc.).
• Experience with modern table formats (Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, Hudi) and data lake architectures.
• Experience developing or optimizing query engines, query planners, or execution frameworks.
• Familiarity with data governance, security, lineage, and compliance frameworks.
• Experience leading large‑scale data platform migrations or Hadoop distribution upgrades.
• Published technical blogs, papers, or conference presentations on distributed systems topics.
• Experience leading or maintaining open‑source projects.

$180,000 - $210,000 a year