Principal Data Engineer

New Balance Athletics, Inc.; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 139,000 - 208,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & Vision

401K

Tuition reimbursement

Learning & development

Lifestyle reimbursement

Parental leave

Job summary

New Balance Athletics, Inc. is seeking a Principal Data Engineer II to design and optimize enterprise data infrastructure using Snowflake, Snowpark, and Azure data services.

You will lead cross‑functional teams to deliver scalable data products and resilient pipelines across cloud and on‑prem sources. You will mentor engineers, advance CI/CD practices, and apply practical AI techniques to automate data quality, source‑to‑target reconciliation, and pipeline testing within a hybrid North American

Qualifications

• 11–13 years of experience in data warehouse and data engineering.
• Proven ability to lead architecture and develop complex pipelines.
• Strong SQL, Python, Snowflake proficiency; cloud data platform design.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and development of data pipelines across on‑prem, cloud, batch, streaming, and event sources.
• Define reusable data products and governance for multiple business domains.
• Apply AI/Large Language Model techniques to automate quality and reconciliation.
• Mentor engineers and drive CI/CD, testing, and operational excellence.

Skills

SQL

Python

Snowflake

Data pipelines

CI/CD

GitHub

dbt

Azure Data Factory

Azure Data Lake

LLM/AI in data

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Snowpark

GitHub Actions

Azure Data Factory

dbt

Job description

Who We Are: Since 1906, New Balance has empowered people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. We innovate fearlessly, guided by our core values and driven by the belief that conventions were meant to be challenged. We foster a culture in which every associate feels welcomed and respected, where leaders and creatives are inspired to shape the world of tomorrow by taking bold action today.

JOB MISSION:

New Balance is seeking an experienced Principal Data Engineer II with deep expertise in Snowflake to join our Global Data & Analytics team, where we harness data to deliver actionable insights and drive innovation across the business. As Principal Data Engineer II, you’ll play a crucial role in designing, developing, and enhancing our enterprise data infrastructure, partnering with data consumers, platform teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable data solutions and reusable data products across business domains. You’ll also build and optimize the analytical pipelines and multi-source integrations that make trusted data available across the organization. If you enjoy solving complex data challenges, building resilient data platforms, and advancing the practical use of AI in data engineering, we’d love to have you on the team.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Lead the architecture, design, and development of reliable data pipelines that acquire, ingest, transform, and deliver data across on-premises, cloud, batch, streaming, and event-driven sources, and define reusable architecture patterns and engineering standards for the platform. Unify batch, streaming, and event-driven processing within a cohesive, monitored, and supportable cloud data architecture, with appropriate alerting, recovery, and operational controls. Partner with business and IT stakeholders and data consumers to define requirements, identify source systems and integration methods, and model business and system processes through use case scenarios, workflow diagrams, and data models aligned with the enterprise data architecture. Design and deliver reusable, well-governed data products across business domains, partnering with data owners and consumers to define data requirements, quality standards, documentation, ownership, and operational expectations. Lead technical design reviews and guide engineering decisions related to scalability, reliability, security, maintainability, performance, and cost optimization. Use practical AI capabilities, including AI coding agents (e.g., Snowflake CoCo) and LLM-powered techniques (e.g., Snowflake Cortex AI Functions), to improve pipeline development, testing, and operations and to automate data-quality validation and source-to-target reconciliation, with appropriate security, governance, human review, and production controls. Debug, profile, and optimize integrations and ETL/ELT processes for performance, reliability, and efficient platform resource consumption. Identify and implement process improvements by automating manual activities, optimizing data delivery, strengthening CI/CD and testing practices, and improving the scalability and supportability of the data platform. Document application and data architecture, engineering standards, operating procedures, and technology decisions; create and maintain operational runbooks; and recommend practical improvements and alternatives. Address production issues promptly, provide on-call support as needed, keep stakeholders informed, and identify delivery risks or obstacles with sufficient lead time. Foster a collaborative team environment through open communication and technical mentorship, promote knowledge sharing and succession planning, and stay current with emerging data engineering and platform capabilities.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. 11-13 years of experience in data warehouse and data engineering development, including building, managing, and optimizing enterprise data pipelines in cloud computing environments. Proven ability to lead the architecture and development of complex data pipelines and integrations across multiple source systems, with a thorough understanding of the software development life cycle. Strong understanding of data architecture, data modeling, data quality, observability, and secure engineering practices. Expert proficiency in SQL and Python, with strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem‑solving skills. Deep experience with Snowflake data warehousing and data engineering capabilities, including performance optimization, cost‑conscious design, and development using SQL, Python, and Snowpark. Ability to translate business requirements into technical specifications, including data sources, integration methods, transformations, data models, validation controls, and operational requirements. Experience designing and delivering reusable data products across multiple business domains, including data modeling, pipeline development, quality controls, documentation, and operational support. Experience with Azure data integration services, including Azure Data Factory and Azure Data Lake Storage or Azure Blob Storage. Experience with data transformation and software delivery practices using tools such as dbt, GitHub, GitHub Actions, automated testing, and CI/CD. Experience using AI coding agents to accelerate pipeline development and testing and applying LLM-powered techniques to automate data‑quality validation or reconciliation in ELT pipelines. Demonstrates technical ability, thoroughness, and accuracy in all assignments, with sufficient understanding of technical databases and business applications to analyze issues and develop results‑oriented conclusions. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with staff, managers, external customers, and vendors; ability to explain technical concepts to technical and non‑technical audiences, influence cross‑functional decisions, and proactively raise risks and issues. Demonstrated sense of urgency, initiative, and adaptability to changing priorities; sound judgment, attention to detail, and required confidentiality; effective influencing and negotiation skills; and the ability to mentor engineers.

SALARY:

Only Pay Range: $138,500.00 - $173,000.00 - $207,500.00 Annual (actual base pay varying based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, internal equity, geographic location, and more.)

Regular Associate Benefits

• New Balance offers a comprehensive traditional benefits package including three options for medical insurance as well as dental, vision, life insurance and 401K.
• We also proudly offer a slate of more nontraditional perks – opportunities like online learning and development courses, tuition reimbursement, $100 monthly student loan support and various mentorship programs – that encourage our associates to grow personally as they develop professionally.
• You’ll also enjoy a yearly $1,000 lifestyle reimbursement, 4 weeks of vacations, 12 holidays and generous parental leave, because work‑life balance is more than just a buzzword – it’s part of our culture.
• Temporary associates are provided three options for medical insurance as well as dental and vision insurance and an associate discount.
• Part time associates are provided 401k, short term disability, a yearly $300 lifestyle reimbursement and an associate discount.

Flexible Work Schedule

For decades we have fostered a unique culture founded on our values with a particular focus on in‑person teamwork and collaboration. Our North American hybrid model encourages rich in‑person experiences, showcasing our commitment to teamwork and connection, while maintaining flexibility for associates. New Balance Associates currently work in office three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Our offices are fully open, and amenities are available across our North American office locations. To continue our focus on hybrid work we have introduced “Work from Anywhere” (WFA) for four weeks per calendar year. This model will help us enhance our culture while continuing to maintain elements of flexibility.

Equal Opportunity Employer

New Balance provides equal opportunities for all current and prospective associates to ensure that employment, training, compensation, transfer, promotion and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment are provided without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, handicap, genetic information and/or status as an Armed Forces service medal veteran, recently separated veteran, qualified disabled veteran or other protected veteran, or any other protected status.

At New Balance, our job is to aid athletes in their pursuit of excellence, whether that means helping professional athletes set records and win medals, or propelling everyday athletes to achieve a new PR, run their first 5K or just to live a more healthy and active lifestyle. Our products are the perfect blend of function and fashion, giving you the performance technology you need and the style you want. Our associates around the world bring these goals to life with their high-level skills and creativity. While we offer the best product on the market, we’re also equally committed to giving back. So while we look to succeed, we believe in ensuring others have the same opportunity.