Principal Data Engineer

Applied Systems; United States; On-site; USD 160,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Systems is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to shape the AI-first data architecture across the enterprise. You will lead large-scale data platforms, define standards for quality and governance, and mentor engineers to raise the bar on delivery.

Your work will enable AI initiatives, affect data pipelines, and drive observability and reliability while collaborating with cross-functional teams to scale engineering impact.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in software/data engineering or architecture with outstanding impact.
• Degree in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Expert knowledge of data architecture principles and best practices.
• Hands-on builder experience (actively coding, testing, and validating architecture at scale).
• Proven ability to influence without authority.

Responsibilities

• Define large-scale data architecture decisions — batch/streaming platforms, warehouses, and lakehouses — and evaluate tradeoffs for quality, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
• Architect observability, alerting, and incident-response frameworks to monitor the health and SLAs of data pipelines across the organization; serve as the technical escalation point for complex data architecture problems
• Partner across teams to define standards for data quality, lineage tracking, access control, cataloging, and governance; establish SLAs/SLOs for data assets
• Design data modeling standards across OLAP/warehouse, OLTP/transactional, streaming/real-time, and AI/vector/feature-store use cases
• Define patterns for embedding AI and agent-supported workflows across the data engineering lifecycle, and enable teams to adopt them at scale
• Define and enforce data engineering standards, best practices, and design patterns across the organization
• Mentor and grow engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and technical guidance
• Influence cross-functional roadmaps by translating business requirements into sound data architecture strategies

Skills

Leadership

Data architecture

AI-first

GCP BigQuery

dbt

Mentoring

Communication

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

dbt

BigQuery

Vector stores

Data catalogs

Job description

Job Description

Applied Systems is looking for a Principal Data Engineer to shape the architectural foundation of our Data and Analytics capabilities as we scale to enable better insights and lay the groundwork for AI across the enterprise. The ideal candidate brings deep data architecture expertise with a commitment to embracing AI and enabling the success of engineering teams across Applied. At Applied, Principal architects are force-multipliers — technical leaders and practitioners who are passionate about designing, guiding, and teaching by doing. You will live our Leadership Principles: owning outcomes, insisting on the highest standards, and inventing and simplifying solutions for our customers and teams. You will have an AI-First approach to architecture with a view of AI and automation as leverage to scale your impact beyond individual throughput. You will define the long-term vision for AI-enabled data architecture, design and govern agentic workflows with appropriate guardrails, and surface system-level insights that raise quality and velocity across the domain.

What You’ll Do

• Define large-scale data architecture decisions — batch/streaming platforms, warehouses, and lakehouses — and evaluate tradeoffs for quality, scalability, and long-term sustainability
• Architect observability, alerting, and incident-response frameworks to monitor the health and SLAs of data pipelines across the organization; serve as the technical escalation point for complex data architecture problems
• Partner across Applied teams to define standards for data quality, lineage tracking, access control, cataloging, and governance; establish SLAs/SLOs for critical data assets
• Design data modeling standards across OLAP/warehouse (dimensional modeling), OLTP/transactional, streaming/real-time, and AI/vector/feature-store use cases
• Define patterns for embedding AI and agent-supported workflows across the data engineering lifecycle, and enable teams to adopt them at scale
• Define and enforce data engineering standards, best practices, and design patterns across the organization
• Mentor and grow engineers through code reviews, design discussions, and technical guidance
• Influence cross-functional roadmaps by translating business requirements into sound data architecture strategies

What You'll Need To Succeed

• 15+ years in software/data engineering or architecture with outstanding impact
• Degree in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Expert knowledge of data architecture principles and best practices
• Hands-on builder experience (actively coding, testing, and validating architecture at scale)
• Proven ability to influence without authority
• Pragmatic approach and obsessed with eliminating wasteli>Player-coach mindset with a commitment to teaching through action
• Adaptability, resilience, and the ability to thrive in ambiguity with iteration
• Excellent communication skills, able to meet your audience where they are and explain complex problems clearly
• Expertise across data and software technologies — GCP BigQuery and dbt a plus
• Proven experience architecting large-scale data warehouses or lakehouses
• Solid understanding of data modeling concepts including dimensional modeling and streaming architectures; experience with vector stores is a plus
• Strong understanding of data governance; experience implementing data catalogs a plus

Talent shows up in a lot of different ways, and we mean that. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experience levels, including military members and their spouses and those without a traditional degree or tech background.

Why You’ll Like Working on Team Applied

The best work happens when smart people move fast, together. For over 40+ years, Applied has built technology that solves real problems for insurance professionals - and we’re still pushing what’s possible.

You’ll be part of our people-first culture built on trust, inclusion, and growth - where you’re supported to deliver, collaborate with teammates who care, and grow with leaders invested in your success.

How We’ll Support You

We invest in the whole person, not just the role. Our benefits and resources are built to support your health, your time, and your life outside of work:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Holiday and Vacation Time
• Health & Wellness Days
• A Bonus Day for Your Birthday

Compensation Transparency

The anticipated base salary range for this position in the United States is $160,000 - $260,000. Actual starting compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including a candidate's experience, skills, qualifications, and the scope and responsibilities of the role. In addition to base salary, eligible employees may participate in incentive compensation programs, such as annual bonuses or commissions, and receive a comprehensive benefits package.

Your Security Matters:

Our candidates’ personal information and online safety are top of mind. Applied communicates with candidates only via a secure @appliedsystems.com email address or through our official careers portal. Recruiters will never request payments or ask for financial account or sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers.

AI Utilization

We leverage AI tools to streamline parts of our recruitment workflow (such as resume parsing and interview scheduling). However, final decisions are always conducted by real humans.

EEO Statement

Applied Systems is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Diversity and Inclusion is a business imperative and is a part of building our brand and reputation. At Applied, we don’t discriminate, and we are committed to recruit, develop, retain, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.