Principal Data Engineer

Stable Kernel; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Vision plan

Dental plan

401k with company match

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

EAP program

Education budget ($3000+)

Paid time off & holidays

Perks at Work program

Job summary

Stable Kernel is hiring a Principal Data Engineer to design scalable data platforms and guide transformational data initiatives for world-class clients. You will develop and deliver high-impact data solutions, mentor teams, and influence product roadmaps while collaborating with engineers and product teams.

The role emphasizes autonomy, architectural leadership, and delivering production-quality, observable code in a hybrid work environment with minimal travel.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of development experience.
• Experience as trusted consultant to stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Curious technologist with AI-augmented development experience.
• Degree in Computer Science or relevant field.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable data platforms and cost-effective solutions.
• Set standards for code quality and best practices.
• Influence roadmaps and projects across the organization.
• Coordinate across the company and mentor others in estimation and tackling ambiguity.
• Translate business needs into projects and simplify complex challenges.
• Lead multiple project teams and provide strategic guidance.

Skills

Python

Go

Java

C#

Scala

Pandas

Polars

AWS Lambda

Terraform

Pulumi

CI/CD

Apache Spark

Data Modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS Step Functions

Apache Iceberg

Terraform

Pulumi

AWS Glue

Job description

Stable Kernel is a technology services firm and custom software developer building scalable software solutions for cutting-edge, innovative enterprises to move their business forward. We are headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

We’re a privately held, Great Place to Work Certified Company™ with a multi-award-winning culture and an impressive 10-plus-year trajectory of sustainable growth. At Stable Kernel, we support our employees in ways that help them do some of the best work of their lives.

About the Role:

As a Stable Kernel Principal Data Engineer, you play an essential role in setting our portfolio of world-class clients up for success through the development and delivery of their most innovative, transformational initiatives. You will collaborate daily with other engineers and product team members, make decisions that influence the path of a product roadmap, leverage software development best practices, and become a more well-rounded engineer as you learn new technologies. Your knowledgeable practice, reliability, and consultative nature make you an engineer that stakeholders and teammates trust.

Principal Data Engineers may be classified as individual contributors or people managers with individual contributor responsibilities.

Core Responsibilities Include:

• Technical Impact:
• Designing and implementing exemplary solutions regarding scalability and cost-effectiveness by making trade-offs between opportunity and complexity.
• Setting standards for codebase health and promoting best practices throughout the organization.
• Business Alignment:
• Clarifying strategic outcomes and influencing roadmaps and projects.
• Identifying, suggesting, and driving improvements in your customers' end-to-end experience.
• Aiding in estimating work for new business with more unknowns and coaching others in estimation best practices.
• Interacting with Others:
• Coordinating across the entire company.
• Influencing the entire organization to make changes to support your work.
• Advising teams across the company.
• Autonomy & Ambiguity:
• Designing a long-term roadmap with no direction.
• Translating customer and business needs and strategic direction into projects and consistently simplifying high-complexity situations.
• Coaching and mentoring others in tackling ambiguity.
• Problem-Solving:
• Decomposing strategic direction into projects:
• Planning, communicating, and executing to solve our most challenging problems.
• Ensuring alignment with long-term objectives, fostering a culture of informed decision-making and innovation.
• Anticipating most risks and driving simplification to mitigate risks ahead of time.
• Escalating issues while solving them in parallel ensuring others are informed.
• Leadership:
• Proposing new organization-level processes to improve key areas such as team throughput, employee happiness, or product engagement.
• Driving best practices across the organization.
• Exhibiting exceptional mentoring abilities and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement by
• identifying and nurturing potential in others
• providing strategic guidance
• helping develop career paths for team members
• Leading projects.
• Setting the strategic direction for projects or areas of technology, leading multiple project teams, and influencing decision-making at higher organizational levels.
• Exhibiting strong capabilities in stakeholder management, negotiating, and problem-solving in complex scenarios.
• Mentoring and developing other leaders within the team, fostering a culture of innovation, and contributing significantly to organizational goals.

Intimate, Working Familiarity With:

• Python & Modern Programming Languages: Architect and deliver scalable data platforms using Python, with proficiency in at least one additional language such as Go, Java, C#, or Scala.
• Data Processing Frameworks: Design and optimize high-volume data pipelines using DataFrame processing libraries such as Pandas or Polars.
• Serverless Cloud Architecture: Build and operate cloud-native data solutions using AWS Lambda or equivalent serverless technologies.
• Software Engineering Best Practices: Apply modern software engineering principles to deliver production-quality, maintainable, testable, and observable code.
• Distributed Data Processing: Design and implement scalable ETL/ELT pipelines using AWS Glue, Apache Spark, PySpark, or similar distributed processing frameworks.
• Data Modeling: Architect relational and analytical data models, including dimensional modeling, Star Schema, and Snowflake Schema to support reporting and analytics.
• Infrastructure as Code: Automate cloud infrastructure using Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform, Pulumi, or similar technologies.
• CI/CD for Data Platforms: Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines that automate the build, testing, deployment, and monitoring of data engineering workflows.

General Requirements:

• 10+ years of development experience.
• Extensive experience serving as a trusted consultant to stakeholders and cross-functional teams, providing expert guidance on backend service design, delivery, and integration.
• A curious technologist who explores AI augmented development workflows, leveraging tools such as Anthropic models, Cursor, Copilot with Open Spec, Spec Kit, and related frameworks.
• Degree in Computer Science or relevant field or experience.

Nice to Haves:

• Familiarity with Apache Iceberg for managing large-scale analytical datasets.
• Experience orchestrating complex workflows using AWS Step Functions.
• Knowledge of Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCD) and Change Data Capture (CDC) patterns for modern data architectures.
• Experience with data governance and cataloging platforms such as Unity Catalog, AWS DataZone, Apache Atlas, or dbt metadata.
• Familiarity with columnar data formats including Parquet, ORC, and Avro for optimized analytical workloads.
• Understanding of OLTP and OLAP architectures and the appropriate use cases for each.
• Additional experience implementing cloud infrastructure using Terraform, Pulumi, or similar Infrastructure as Code tools.

A Bit More Info:

This is a full-time position.

Stable Kernel operates a People Before Place Hybrid model, allowing most employees to choose where they can do their best work most days.

Minimal travel is associated with this role.

• Company-subsidized health, vision, and dental plan premium options beginning on the first day of employment
• 401k with above-average company matching
• Fully paid Group Life, Short and Long Term Disability, and AD&D insurance
• Optional Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account participation
• Voluntary Life, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance
• EAP and Health Advocacy program available at no cost to employees and their dependents
• $3000+ annual industry educational budget
• Paid time off and paid holidays Access to Perks at Work program featuring a variety of discounted products and services

*Note – We are not sponsoring employment visas at this time. If you are currently in possession of an employment visa, it will need to be effective for at least 3 years from the date of your application for your candidacy for employment to be considered.

Stable Kernel’s culture is inclusive and expansive. We celebrate diversity in its many glorious forms and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender role orientation, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

However, we will discriminate against those unwilling to comply with the practice of our company values:

• we work with integrity always
• we respect our work and each other
• we are dedicated to life-long learning and sharing
• we stay hungry for new challenges

If you are like-minded in this regard, we hope you will apply. We look forward to meeting you.