Principal Data Engineer
PEMCO
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
PEMCO seeks a Principal Data Engineer to design, build, and evolve scalable data processing patterns and data products powering analytics, reporting, and AI across the enterprise.
This role combines deep technical work with architectural leadership, mentoring, and collaboration across underwriting, claims, policy, and finance domains in a Seattle-based environment.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Data Warehousing, Big Data Engineering, or related disciplines.
- 5+ years designing and implementing cloud-based data solutions on Azure or equivalent.
- Experience building enterprise-scale data platforms for high-volume analytics and operations.
- Experience with Databricks, Spark, Delta Lake, PySpark, and lakehouse architectures.
- Strong SQL, data modeling, database design, and large-scale data processing skills.
- Experience designing scalable ELT/ETL solutions and modern data architectures.
- Knowledge of data governance, metadata, lineage, quality controls, and security.
Responsibilities
- Design and develop scalable data processing patterns and data products for analytics, reporting, and AI.
- Build cloud-native data solutions using Databricks, Spark, Delta Lake, and Azure services.
- Develop batch, streaming, and near real-time data processing frameworks.
- Create governed, reusable datasets for analytics and AI use cases.
- Collaborate with stakeholders, analysts, data scientists, and engineers to translate requirements.
- Promote engineering standards, patterns, and best practices for data modeling and observability.
- Drive data integration across policy, claims, billing, and customer systems.
- Modernize legacy data platforms and migrate to cloud-native architectures.
- Optimize pipelines, storage, compute, and cost efficiency.
- Mentor data engineers and contribute to design reviews and tech discussions.
- Support AI/ML initiatives with high-quality data foundations.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Applicants must be a resident and work from one of the following states: WA, OR, ID, TX, OH, IL, MN, NC, SC or FL, with occasional travel to our headquarters, located in Seattle, WA.
At PEMCO, we’re all about people – our customers, our employees, and the community. We’re a mutual insurance company owned by our Northwest policyholders. We provide auto, home, renters, and boat coverage. Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Insurance Companies in both Auto and Home for 2026, based on customer survey feedback, and by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces 2025. We are consistently recognized for our outstanding customer service, employee expertise, community partnerships, and social impact programs. All of which makes PEMCO a great place to work! Our social impact programs motivate high achievement by youth in education; build stronger and greener communities; and increase safety at home, on the road, and at play. We’re committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and to fostering an inspiring and inclusive workplace. These efforts create and cultivate an environment that builds fairness and understanding, encourages collaboration and flexibility, and celebrates all the ways in which we’re different and the same - enabling all individuals to achieve their full potential.
Applicants must be a resident and work from one of the following states: WA, OR, ID, TX, OH, IL, MN, NC, SC or FL, with occasional travel to our headquarters, located in Seattle, WA.
The Principal Data Engineer serves as PEMCO’s senior individual contributor in the Data & AI Organization and is responsible for designing, building, and evolving scalable data processing patterns and data products that power analytics, reporting, operational intelligence, and AI across the enterprise. The Principal Data Engineer combines deep technical expertise with insurance domain knowledge to deliver trusted, reusable, and governed data assets that support underwriting, claims, policy, customer, finance, and regulatory reporting needs. This role drives technical excellence through hands‑on engineering, architectural leadership, mentorship, and influence without direct people management responsibilities.
- Design and develop scalable, secure, and resilient data processing patterns, frameworks, pipelines, and reusable data products supporting enterprise analytics, reporting, and AI initiatives.
- Build and optimize cloud‑native data solutions leveraging Databricks, Spark, Delta Lake, Azure Data Platform services, SQL Server, and modern lakehouse architectures.
- Design and implement batch, streaming, and near real‑time data processing frameworks capable of handling large‑scale enterprise data workloads.
- Develop trusted, governed, and reusable datasets at atomic grain that can be leveraged across analytics, operational reporting, and AI use cases.
- Partner with business stakeholders, analysts, data scientists, architects, and engineers to translate complex business requirements into scalable data solutions.
- Establish and promote engineering standards, architectural patterns, and best practices related to data modeling, performance optimization, testing, observability, and reliability.
- Design and implement robust data integration solutions across policy, claims, billing, customer, finance, actuarial, and third‑party insurance systems.
- Drive modernization of legacy data platforms and accelerate migration toward cloud‑native data architectures and engineering practices.
- Optimize data pipelines, storage, compute utilization, and query performance to improve scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency.
- Collaborate with Data Governance teams to implement metadata management, lineage, data quality controls, stewardship processes, and security standards.
- Contribute to architecture reviews, code reviews, and technical design discussions across multiple projects and teams.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and architectural patterns to improve engineering productivity and platform capabilities.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to data engineers through knowledge sharing and hands‑on collaboration.
- Participate in troubleshooting, root‑cause analysis, and resolution of complex data platform and production issues.
- Support AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics initiatives by enabling high‑quality, accessible, and governed data foundations.
- Demonstrate behaviors consistent with PEMCO’s policies, values, code of ethics, and business conduct.
- Authentically support the PEMCO Brand and constantly be on the lookout for top talent to join us in achieving our Mission to Worry Less and Live More.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science, or a related technical field is required.
- Master’s degree or equivalent advanced education is preferred.
- Equivalent combination of education and professional experience may be considered.
- 10+ years of experience in Data Engineering, Data Warehousing, Big Data Engineering, or related disciplines is required.
- 5+ years of experience designing and implementing cloud‑based data solutions on Azure or equivalent cloud platforms is required.
- Proven experience building and operating enterprise‑scale data platforms supporting high‑volume analytics and operational workloads is required.
- Extensive experience with Databricks, Apache Spark, Delta Lake, PySpark, and lakehouse architectures is required.
- Strong experience with SQL Server, T‑SQL, database engineering, performance tuning, and large‑scale data processing is required.
- Experience designing dimensional models, Data Vault models, or other modern data product architectures is required.
- Experience implementing DataOps, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, automated testing, and cloud engineering practices is preferred.
- Familiarity with data platforms that support Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Generative AI, Agentic AI, and advanced analytics use cases is preferred.
- Property & Casualty insurance industry experience is strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of insurance business domains including Policy, Claims, Underwriting, Billing, Agency, Customer, Finance, and Regulatory Reporting data is preferred.
- Experience integrating third‑party data providers, vendor systems, APIs, and enterprise platforms is preferred.
- Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional preferred.
- Microsoft Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP‑203) preferred.
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification preferred.
- Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) preferred.
- Expert‑level proficiency in SQL, data modeling, database design, and large‑scale data engineering is required.
- Advanced proficiency with Databricks, Spark, Delta Lake, and distributed data processing frameworks is required.
- Demonstrated expertise designing scalable ELT/ETL solutions and modern data architectures is required.
- Strong understanding of cloud‑native architecture patterns, data platform design, and analytics engineering is required.
- Experience designing highly reusable and governed data products that support reporting, analytics, and AI workloads is required.
- Demonstrated knowledge of data quality, lineage, metadata management, observability, and operational monitoring is required.
- Strong understanding of data governance, security, privacy, and regulatory compliance controls is required.
- Experience optimizing performance, scalability, reliability, and cost of enterprise data platforms is required.
- Demonstrated ability to solve highly complex technical and business problems in a collaborative environment is required.
- Ability to influence technical direction and engineering standards through expertise, mentorship, and technical leadership is required.
- Familiarity with AI‑assisted software development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Databricks Assistant, or equivalent AI coding and productivity tools is preferred.
- Ability to use AI‑assisted engineering tools responsibly to improve development, testing troubleshooting and documentation is preferred.
- Azure Data Factory, Azure Storage, Azure Event Hub, Azure DevOps, Git, and Infrastructure as Code experience is preferred.
- Problem Solver: Ability to analyze, diagnose, and resolve highly complex, ambiguous, and large‑scale technical challenges efficiently and collaboratively.
The pay range for this role is shown below. Compensation decisions are determined based on an individual’s qualifications, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Greater Seattle area target pay range: $ 170,330 - $ 208,181. The full pay range is $ 141,941 - $236,569.
Outside Greater Seattle area target pay range: $ 150,319 - $ 183,723. The full pay range is $ 125,266 - $ 208,777.
Greater Seattle Area is defined as working within approximately 100 miles of Seattle.
Outside Greater Seattle is defined as working approximately 100 miles or more from Seattle.
Regular part‑time PEMCO employees working at least 24 hours per week and regular full‑time PEMCO employees are eligible to elect coverage under medical, dental, and vision plans for themselves and their eligible family members with generous employer premium cost shares. In addition, as a benefits‑eligible employee, you are:
- covered by employer‑paid basic life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance policies as well as long‑ and short‑term disability benefit coverages.
- eligible to participate in PEMCO’s 401(k) plan, which includes a generous employer match (2 for 1 on the first 6% employee pre‑tax and/or Roth deferral, up to federal maximums).
PEMCO provides the following paid leave programs for benefits‑eligible employees in their first year of PEMCO employment:
- Vacation and eight (8) paid holidays.
- Granted four (4) floating holidays and up to ten (10) days of sick leave immediately upon hire (pro‑rated based on hire date and full‑time/part‑time status).
- In addition, PEMCO provides paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, and employee volunteering in the community.
- Education Assistance Program after one year of service.
- Scholarship program for children of PEMCO employees after one year of service; children’s birthday gift program
- Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, and charitable gift matching
- Discretionary bonuses.
- Tiered sales commissions and/or incentives
At PEMCO, we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our products, and our community to flourish. PEMCO is honored to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
At PEMCO, people are at the heart of our business. We’re committed to providing an inclusive hiring experience for all candidates. If you need reasonable accommodations to apply for a role or participate in an interview, please contact us by email with your name, the job reference number(s), your preferred contact method, and a brief description of the accommodation needed. Requests are considered on a case by case basis in accordance with applicable disability laws, including the ADAAA.
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
- Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
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