Remote Principal Data Engineer - Big Data Platforms

Placements24; Queenstown; Hybrid; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Remote work

Professional development budget

Home office stipend

Technology allowance

Generous PTO

Retirement plan with company matching

Annual team offsites

Virtual social events

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to lead the design and development of scalable data pipelines and platforms in a remote-first environment.

You will architect robust data solutions, mentor engineers, and collaborate with data scientists to meet analytics needs while ensuring data governance and security across distributed systems.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in data engineering with big data tech focus.
• Proven design/management of large-scale data platforms and warehouses.
• In-depth Spark and Hadoop ecosystem knowledge.
• Python, Scala, or Java proficiency.
• Cloud data platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and services like S3, Redshift, BigQuery, Databricks.
• Strong data modeling, ETL/ELT, and orchestration with Airflow.
• Remote leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes.
• Architect and implement robust big data solutions with Spark, Hadoop, Kafka, and warehousing platforms.
• Optimize data infrastructure for performance, reliability, and cost.
• Collaborate with data scientists and analysts to meet data needs.
• Develop data governance, quality checks, and security measures.
• Lead design discussions and provide architectural guidance.
• Mentor junior data engineers and promote best practices.
• Troubleshoot data issues in production and evaluate new technologies.
• Ensure data availability for BI and analytics.

Skills

Big data

Spark

Hadoop

Kafka

Python

Scala

Java

Cloud platforms

Data modeling

Airflow

Databricks

S3

Redshift

BigQuery

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Airflow

Databricks

Redshift

BigQuery

S3

Job description

About the Role Our client, a data-driven technology company, is seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Engineer to join their **fully remote** engineering team. This role is crucial for architecting, building, and maintaining scalable and robust big data platforms that power the company's analytics and machine learning initiatives. As a Principal Engineer, you will be responsible for designing data architectures, optimizing data pipelines, and ensuring the reliability and performance of our data infrastructure. You will work closely with data scientists, analysts, and other engineers to deliver high-quality data solutions. This **remote-first** position requires strong leadership skills, deep technical expertise in big data technologies, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a distributed environment. You will have the opportunity to shape the technical direction of our data platforms and mentor junior engineers. The company fosters a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, providing a dynamic environment for professionals passionate about data engineering at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable and efficient data pipelines and ETL/ELT processes.
• Architect and implement robust big data solutions using technologies like Spark, Hadoop, Kafka, and data warehousing platforms.
• Optimize data infrastructure for performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Collaborate with data scientists and analysts to understand their data needs and provide optimal data solutions.
• Develop and enforce data governance standards, data quality checks, and data security measures.
• Lead technical design discussions and provide architectural guidance for data engineering projects.
• Mentor and guide junior data engineers, promoting best practices in data engineering.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex data-related issues in production environments.
• Evaluate and integrate new data technologies and tools to enhance the data platform.
• Ensure data availability and accessibility for business intelligence and analytical purposes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• 8+ years of professional experience in data engineering, with a strong focus on big data technologies.
• Proven expertise in designing and managing large-scale data platforms and data warehouses.
• In-depth knowledge of distributed data processing frameworks (e.g., Apache Spark, Hadoop ecosystem).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Scala, or Java.
• Experience with cloud data platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and associated services (e.g., S3, Redshift, BigQuery, Databricks).
• Strong understanding of data modeling, ETL/ELT processes, and data pipeline orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow).
• Experience with streaming technologies (e.g., Kafka, Kinesis) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives and mentor teams in a remote setting.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and potential for annual bonuses.
• Fully remote work arrangement with flexible working hours.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous professional development budget for conferences, courses, and certifications.
• Home office setup stipend and technology allowance.
• Generous paid time off and company holidays.
• Retirement savings plan with company matching.
• Opportunities for significant impact and career advancement in a data-centric organization.
• Annual team offsites and virtual social events.