(Senior) Software Engineer - Data Core

Celonis; München; Hybrid; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pioneer Innovation

RSUs & merit-based grants

Unlimited PTO

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Celonis is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to strengthen Data Core, the storage abstraction layer for our data pipelines. You will work on Java-based services, enhance SQL translation and work with StarRocks as a backend, Databricks and other engines.

You’ll debug complex queries and contribute to design discussions with opportunities to lead projects. The role emphasizes strong Java/Python skills, SQL proficiency, and collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Java backend development and of transitioning to Java daily.
• Strong SQL skills including joins, aggregations, window functions.
• Familiarity with analytical or distributed data systems (Spark, Snowflake, Databricks, Trino, StarRocks).

Responsibilities

• Implement features and fix bugs in Data Core backend integrations.
• Enhance sqlglot dialect support and ensure parsing and generation accuracy.
• Investigate StarRocks behavior and contribute fixes or workarounds.
• Debug slow or incorrect queries from SQL text to plans and results.
• Write unit and integration tests, especially for SQL translation edge cases.
• Participate in design discussions and reviews; write short design docs.
• As a Senior: lead small to medium projects end to end and onboard newer teammates.

Skills

Java

Python

SQL

Testing & debugging

Communication

Tools

gRPC

Spring Boot

sqlglot

StarRocks

Databricks

Spark

PostgreSQL

Kubernetes

Job description

Celonis is the trusted platform to industrialize Enterprise AI. At our core is the Celonis Context Model — which combines process data, business knowledge, and intelligence into a living digital twin of the enterprise that AI can actually understand, turning AI's operational blind spots into operational clarity. World's leading companies trust Celonis and its global ecosystem of partners to make their AI agents, people, systems, and processes work together, achieving transformational outcomes. We believe there's a massive opportunity to unlock global productivity and sustainability by giving AI the context to understand how every business process really works. Join our mission to make processes work for people, companies, and the planet.

The Team

Data Core is the storage abstraction layer behind Celonis' data pipelines. It sits between ETL workloads and the backends that run them, such as Databricks, Snowflake, StarRocks, Spark, and PostgreSQL. You will work mainly on three codebases:

• Data Core, a Java / Spring Boot service with gRPC and message-queue APIs.
• sqlglot, where we translate and optimize SQL across dialects.
• StarRocks, the OLAP engine we use as a backend.

What You Will Do

• Implement features and fix bugs in Data Core backend integrations.
• Add and fix sqlglot dialect support: parsing, SQL generation, and transpilation correctness.
• Investigate StarRocks behavior and compatibility issues, and contribute fixes or workarounds.
• Debug slow or incorrect queries by following them from SQL text to query plan to results.
• Write unit and integration tests, especially for SQL translation edge cases.
• Take part in design discussions, write short design docs for your own work, and give and receive code reviews.
• As a Senior: lead small to medium projects end to end and help onboard newer teammates.

What We Are Looking For

• Solid Java, or strong Python with the willingness to work in Java daily.
• Good SQL skills: joins, aggregations, window functions, and an understanding of how queries execute.
• Familiarity with at least one analytical or distributed data system (for example Spark, Snowflake, Databricks, Trino, ClickHouse, or StarRocks).
• Good testing and debugging habits.
• Clear written and spoken communication, and a habit of asking questions early.

Strong Plus

• Exposure to how SQL parsers, ASTs, or query planners work.
• Contributions to open source projects, especially sqlglot or StarRocks.
• Experience with gRPC, message queues, or Kubernetes.
• Some C++ experience.
• Interest in query optimization and database internals.

What Celonis can offer you:

• Pioneer Innovation: Work with the global leader in Process Mining and the Process Intelligence Graph to shape the future of AI-driven business operations.
• Ownership from Day 1: Every full-time "Celonaut" is an owner, receiving Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and merit-based refresh grants.
• Unrivaled Family Support: Benefit from our inclusive parental leave policy—24 weeks of fully paid leave for primary carers and 12 weeks for supporting carers, available from your first day of employment.
• Work-Life Integration: Enjoy Unlimited PTO (in applicable regions) and generous PTO globally, as well as a flexible hybrid work model that balances remote focus with vibrant office collaboration.
• Continuous Growth: Elevate your skills through our 70-20-10 learning framework, mentorship programs, and access to a dedicated learning platform.
• Holistic Well-being: Prioritize your health with subsidized Wellhub memberships, mental health counseling, and dedicated "Wellness Weeks" that prioritize work/life balance.
• Drive Sustainability: Participate in annual Impact Days, where you receive paid time off to volunteer for community and environmental causes with your local office, or virtually.
• Global Inclusion & Belonging: Find community through our Inclusion Think Tank and participate in our annual Inclusion Days, ensuring every voice is heard and valued.
• Value-Driven Impact: Join a mission-led organization where our core values—Live for Customer Value, The Best Team Wins, We Own It, and Earth Is Our Future—drive every decision.

About Us:

Celonis is the trusted platform to industrialize Enterprise AI, empowering organizations to analyze, design, and operate AI-driven processes. The Celonis Platform is powered by the Celonis Context Model, which combines process data, business knowledge, and intelligence to create a living digital twin of the enterprise that AI can understand — turning AI’s operational blind spots into operational clarity. Industry-leading companies around the world trust Celonis and its global ecosystem of partners to make their AI agents, people, systems, and processes work together, achieving transformational outcomes. Celonis is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and New York City, USA, with more than 20 offices worldwide.

Get familiar with the Celonis Process Intelligence Platform by watching this video .

At Celonis, we believe our people make us who we are and that “The Best Team Wins”. We know that the best teams are made up of people who bring different perspectives to the table. And when everyone feels included, able to speak up and knows their voice is heard - that's when creativity and innovation happen.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools We rely on an artificial intelligence tool to match the information from your resume to the relevant Celonis job descriptions. This processing is limited to the information provided in your resume or in your candidate profile. The tool produces a match score per candidate for a role, suggests preliminary ranking, and provides recommendations. The tool is only used for support in parts of the job application process, including to facilitate the identification of the relevant Celonis Jobs for candidates and recruiters. All final decisions are made by hiring managers and the Celonis talent acquisition team. Hiring managers and HR specialists use this tool responsibly, are aware of the risk of potential bias, and are equipped to mitigate it.

The Best Team Wins

At Celonis, we believe #TheBestTeamWins when everyone counts. We celebrate the differences and individuality of all our employees and understand the value of having a variety of experiences, backgrounds, knowledge bases, and perspectives at play in our teams.

We encourage people of all different backgrounds to apply. All employment decisions are based on qualifications and merit.

We will now ask some voluntary questions that help us build an accurate picture of our applicant and workforce representation. In accordance with the Celonis Privacy Notice for the Application and Hiring Process , this information will be kept confidential, it will not be used to make hiring decisions and it and choosing not to answer will not affect your application in any way.