Principal Software Engineer - Data Platform (Iceberg/Trino)

Innovaccer Inc.; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Parental leave

Recognition & rewards

Comprehensive insurance coverage

Job summary

Innovaccer Inc. is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to own the lakehouse architecture for an on-premise data platform. You will design Iceberg table layouts, Trino topology, and a REST catalog service, with Spark-based transforms and S3 storage.

The role requires deep distributed SQL knowledge and a track record of large-scale data systems. You will guide on-premise replacements for cloud-equivalent features, run PoC validations, and set platform standards.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience building and operating large-scale data platforms or distributed systems.
• Deep hands-on expertise with distributed SQL engines (Trino/Presto or Spark SQL internals).
• Production experience with Apache Iceberg and table maintenance at scale.
• Experience with Iceberg catalog services and S3-compatible storage.
• Proficiency in Java and/or Python.

Responsibilities

• Own the lakehouse reference architecture: Iceberg table design, Trino topology, catalog service, Spark transform compute, storage layout.
• Design on-premise replacements for cloud warehouse capabilities and develop operational stores.
• Run PoC validation of catalog and query engine at expected data volumes and define placement decisions.
• Set platform-wide standards for table layout, partitioning, file sizing, and Iceberg maintenance tasks.
• Lead SQL dialect strategy for porting workloads to Trino and Spark SQL.
• Mentor senior engineers and review designs to raise engineering quality.
• Partner with platform engineering on storage sizing, resource isolation, and capacity planning.

Skills

Distributed SQL engines

Java

Python

Data platform design

Mentoring/leadership

Education

B.E./B.Tech./M.Sc. in Computer Science

Tools

Apache Iceberg

Trino/Presto

Spark SQL

Iceberg catalog services (Polaris/Nessie/Hive Metastore)

S3 object storage

Job description

About the Role

As a Principal Software Engineer on the Data Platform, you will own the architecture of the lakehouse engine that powers Innovaccer's platform in on-premise deployments: Apache Iceberg as the table format, Trino as the query engine, a REST catalog service, and Spark as transform compute. Cloud data warehouses have no on-premise equivalent, so this is a ground-up engine design, not a re-point. It is the single longest-lead technical track in the program, and the decisions you make on catalog, engine placement, and pipeline redesign gate everything downstream: transforms, serving, and reporting.

A Day in the Life

• Own the lakehouse reference architecture: Iceberg table design, Trino cluster topology, catalog service, Spark transform compute, and object-storage layout.
• Design on-premise replacements for cloud-managed warehouse capabilities that have no direct equivalent: change-data-capture streams, scheduled tasks, and write-back paths into operational stores.
• Run proof-of-concept validation of the catalog and query engine at expected data volumes, and define evidence-based triggers for placement decisions (VM-based versus Kubernetes-native operators).
• Set platform-wide standards for table layout, partitioning, file sizing, and Iceberg maintenance: compaction, snapshot expiry, and orphan-file cleanup.
• Lead the SQL dialect strategy for porting existing warehouse workloads to Trino and Spark SQL.
• Mentor senior engineers across data workstreams, review designs, and raise the bar on engineering quality.
• Partner with platform engineering on storage sizing, resource isolation, and capacity planning for the lakehouse footprint.

What You Need

• B.E., B.Tech., M.Sc. degree in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• 12+ years of industry experience building and operating large-scale data platforms or distributed systems.
• Deep, hands-on expertise with distributed SQL engines: Trino/Presto or Spark SQL internals, query planning, and performance engineering.
• Production experience with Apache Iceberg (or Delta Lake/Hudi with willingness to go deep on Iceberg): table spec, merge-on-read versus copy-on-write, and table maintenance at scale.
• Working knowledge of Iceberg catalog services (REST catalogs such as Polaris or Nessie, or Hive Metastore) and S3 compatible object storage.
• Strong understanding of cloud warehouse internals (Snowflake, BigQuery, or Redshift) sufficient to design functional equivalents on open-source infrastructure.
• Professional software development experience with Java and/or Python.
• Experience delivering data platforms in on-premise, regulated, or air-gapped environments is a strong plus; healthcare data experience is a plus.

We offer competitive benefits to set you up for success in and outside of work.

Here’s What We Offer

• Generous Paid Time Off: Recharge and relax with 20 days of fixed time off per year, in addition to company holidays—because we believe work-life balance fuels performance.
• Best-in-Class Parental Leave: Spend quality time with your growing family. We offer one of the industry’s most generous parental leave policies to support you during life’s most important moments.
• Recognition & Rewards: We celebrate wins—big and small. Get rewarded with monetary incentives and company-wide recognition for your impact and dedication. Your hard work won’t go unnoticed.
• Comprehensive Insurance Coverage: Stay covered with medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus 100% company-paid short- and long-term disability and basic life insurance. Optional perks include discounted legal aid and pet insurance.

Innovaccer Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and empowered regardless of any characteristic protected by federal, state or local law including, without limitation, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, medical condition, disability, age, marital status, or veteran status. Innovaccer Inc. participates in the E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees based out of the U.S. and employed by Innovaccer Inc.

About Innovaccer

Innovaccer activates the flow of healthcare data, empowering providers, payers, and government organizations to deliver intelligent and connected experiences that advance health outcomes. The Healthcare Intelligence Cloud equips every stakeholder in the patient journey to turn fragmented data into proactive, coordinated actions that elevate the quality of care and drive operational performance. Leading healthcare organizations like CommonSpirit Health, Atlantic Health, and Banner Health trust Innovaccer to integrate a system of intelligence into their existing infrastructure, extending the human touch in healthcare. For more information, visit www.innovaccer.com.

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