Senior Data Infrastructure Engineer (USD 7-8K/month CONTRACTOR)

NOUS LATAM; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

NOUS LATAM is seeking a Senior Data Infrastructure Engineer to design, implement, and optimize query routing and execution across distributed data systems. You will work with Apache Arrow, Apache DataFusion, and related frameworks to build high-performance data infrastructure.

You will analyze query plans, optimize latency, and contribute to open-source‑style tooling, proxies, and emulation layers. The role emphasizes engine internals, vectorized execution, and scalable data processing in a

Qualifications

• Strong experience with query routing, query execution, or database engine internals.
• Hands-on experience with Apache Arrow and Apache DataFusion.
• Solid understanding of SQL query processing, query planning, and execution optimization.
• Experience building database proxies, API proxies, query engines, or similar infrastructure components.
• Strong programming skills in Rust, particularly for data infrastructure or query processing systems.
• Ability to investigate complex technical problems and optimize performance in distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize query routing mechanisms across distributed data systems.
• Work with Apache Arrow and Apache DataFusion to build high-performance query processing and execution infrastructure.
• Develop and optimize query execution pipelines, leveraging vectorized execution and columnar data processing.
• Build and maintain API proxies, database proxies, and query emulation layers.
• Analyze query plans, execution strategies, and performance bottlenecks to improve latency and resource utilization.
• Work with modern data formats and query technologies, including Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, and related data processing frameworks.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to design scalable, reliable, and efficient data infrastructure.

Skills

Query routing

Query execution

DB engine internals

Rust

Job description

Location: 100% Remote Employment Type: Full-time / Contractor

About the Role We are looking for a talented Senior Data Infrastructure Engineer with deep technical expertise in query routing, Apache Arrow, and DataFusion to help build and optimize high-performance data infrastructure. The ideal candidate has hands‑on experience with query execution engines, data processing frameworks, and the internal mechanics of database systems. You will work on the infrastructure responsible for routing, processing, and optimizing queries across distributed data environments, with a strong focus on performance, scalability, and efficiency. We are particularly interested in engineers who have contributed to open‑source projects or built production‑grade query engines, database proxies, or query processing infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize query routing mechanisms across distributed data systems.
• Work with Apache Arrow and Apache DataFusion to build high-performance query processing and execution infrastructure.
• Develop and optimize query execution pipelines, leveraging vectorized execution and columnar data processing.
• Build and maintain API proxies, database proxies, and query emulation layers.
• Analyze query plans, execution strategies, and performance bottlenecks to improve latency and resource utilization.
• Work with modern data formats and query technologies, including Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, and related data processing frameworks.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to design scalable, reliable, and efficient data infrastructure.

Required Qualifications

• Strong experience with query routing, query execution, or database engine internals.
• Hands‑on experience with Apache Arrow and Apache DataFusion.
• Solid understanding of SQL query processing, query planning, and execution optimization.
• Experience building database proxies, API proxies, query engines, or similar infrastructure components.
• Strong programming skills in Rust, particularly for data infrastructure or query processing systems.
• Ability to investigate complex technical problems and optimize performance in distributed systems.

Nice to Have

• Contributions to open‑source projects related to query engines, databases, or data processing.
• Experience with Apache Iceberg, Delta Lake, Substrait, Apache Calcite, or SQLGlot.
• Knowledge of vectorized query execution, query pushdown/offloading, and cost-based optimization.
• Experience with query cost estimation, scan estimation, and query plan optimization.
• Experience building database emulators, compatibility layers, or SQL proxies.

What Makes You a Great Fit? You are an engineer who understands what happens beneath the surface of a database query. You enjoy working close to the engine internals, solving complex query routing and execution challenges, and building infrastructure that makes data systems faster and more efficient.