Sr. Staff Software Engineer - Apache Iceberg

Cloudera; Washington; On-site; USD 184,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO Policy

Flexible WFH Policy

Mental & Physical Wellness programs

Competitive Packages

Job summary

Cloudera is seeking an experienced Staff Engineer to drive data architecture through the Apache Iceberg project. This role offers the chance to architect solutions for managing large datasets in multi-cloud environments, significantly impacting data engineering practices.

As part of this dynamic team, you will work on performance improvements across Cloudera's stack, collaborate with product management, and contribute to the open-source community.

Applicants should have a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and extensive programming experience with a solid understanding of algorithms and systems design.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in software development or relevant roles.
• Hands-on programmer with strong data structures and algorithms.
• Experience with systems design and development.

Responsibilities

• Drive the future of data architecture via Apache Iceberg.
• Implement performance improvements in Cloudera stack engines.
• Collaborate with Product Managers and customers on Iceberg improvements.

Skills

Java

Scala

C++

Python

Data Structures and Algorithms

Systems Design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Master's or PhD in relevant field

Tools

Apache Iceberg

Job description

Job Overview

Business Area: Engineering

Seniority Level: Mid-Senior level

At Cloudera, we empower people to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. With as much data under management as the hyperscalers, we’re the preferred data partner for the top companies in almost every industry. Powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community, Cloudera advances digital transformation for the world’s largest enterprises. The Data Platform Pillar is the bedrock of Cloudera’s technology, where we design and build the core components that let our customers store, manage, and process data with unmatched scalability, security, and performance. Join the forefront of Big Data innovation at Cloudera! We are seeking a visionary Staff Engineer to take ownership of the next generation of our enterprise-grade Apache Iceberg distribution. This is a rare opportunity to architect, design, and scale the system that powers data processing for the world’s largest companies, managing petabytes of data across thousands of nodes. If you are an experienced leader in distributed systems and data processing, ready to drive massive impact and define the future of Data Engineering, your mission starts here. This is your chance to architect solutions that are responsible for managing Petabyte (PB) sized datasets across multi-cloud environments. You will gain deep technical experience in complex big data use cases and seize the unique opportunity to become a core contributor to the vibrant Apache Iceberg open‑source community and directly influence the project’s evolution.

Responsibilities

• Drive the future of data architecture by becoming a core contributor to Apache Iceberg, the open‑source project defining modern data lakes.
• Bring performance improvements to all of the engines in the Cloudera stack, by implementing new features in Iceberg and working with other teams to leverage them during queries.
• Work with Product Managers and Customers to determine ways Iceberg can be improved for Modern Data Lakes.
• Develop new features in Java on a modern platform.
• Gain a solid understanding and deep technical knowledge of components across the Cloudera stack, but focusing on Iceberg, which you can utilize in your daily tasks.
• Get to work on massive‑scale distributed systems, spanning from 100s to 1000s of nodes in production clusters, leveraging Iceberg's capabilities for handling PB‑scale data architectures.
• Debug system level deployment issues, root cause analysis, perform system test analysis and resolve failures.
• Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent, and 6+ years of experience; OR Master’s degree and 4-6 years of experience; OR PhD and 2-4 years of experience.
• Hands‑on programmer with solid data‑structures and algorithms.
• Experience with systems design, development.
• Strong understanding of at least one of the following languages: Java, Scala, C++, Python. And interested to learn the languages we’re using.
• Passionate about programming, clean coding habits, attention to detail, and focus on quality.
• Strong ability to research and solve problems independently without constant supervision.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of an international and virtual team.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills (Most importantly).
• Open‑minded attitude, desire to learn new things and build great products.

You Might Have

• Experience with using/developing Apache Iceberg or other related technologies.
• Experience (or demonstrated interest) in distributed computing or high availability systems.
• Contributions to open‑source projects.
• Experience with SQL optimization, from analyzing query plans to implementing optimization in SQL engines.

Benefits

• Generous PTO Policy.
• Support work life balance with Unplugged Days.
• Flexible WFH Policy.
• Mental & Physical Wellness programs.
• Phone and Internet Reimbursement program.
• Access to Continued Career Development.
• Comprehensive Benefits and Competitive Packages.
• Paid Volunteer Time.
• Employee Resource Groups.

Salary: The expected base salary range for this role in Washington is $184,000 - $230,000. The salary will vary depending on your job‑related skills, experience and location.

This role is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

EEO/VEVRAA