Principal Software Engineer I - Metadata
Designs and builds fault-tolerant, scalable distributed systems for Snowflake's metadata, Snowgrid, and data sharing features. Requires 15+ years experience, strong CS fundamentals, Java fluency, and ability to mentor juniors while solving performance and scale challenges.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Solve real business needs at large scale by applying software engineering and analytical problem solving skills.
- Design, develop and support fault-tolerant scalable distributed systems for Snowgrid and Data Sharing teams.
- Create architecture and design, influence product roadmap, and take ownership over new projects.
- Analyze fault-tolerance and high availability issues, performance and scale challenges, and solve them.
- Mentor and grow junior engineers.
- Understand trade-offs between consistency, performance and costs to build solutions which can meet the demands of rapidly growing services.
- Ensure operational readiness of the services and meet commitments to customers regarding durability, availability and performance.
Requirements
- 15+ years of industry experience designing, building and supporting large scale distributed services.
- Strong computer science fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems.
- Excellent understanding of operating systems concepts including multi-threading, memory management, networking and storage, performance and scale.
- Fluency in Java or other similar procedural object-oriented language.
- Track record of identifying and implementing creative solutions to complex problems.
- Ability to work effectively across engineering teams in multiple locations.
- BS in Computer Science; Masters or PhD preferred.
Skills
Java, Distributed Systems, Data Structures, Algorithms, Multi-Threading, Memory Management, Networking, Storage Systems, Fault Tolerance, High Availability
Similar jobs
Backend Engineering jobs
Vanta
United States
Leads the architecture and phased delivery of an enterprise organizational model spanning tenancy, data isolation, permissions, audits, and residency requirements. Requires 15+ years of backend engineering experience and a record of driving complex initiatives across teams.
Okta
Toronto, Canada
Technical leader for Auth0’s Developer Platform, setting architecture and direction for scalable distributed and event-driven identity systems. The role requires 10+ years of software engineering experience, Principal or Staff-level leadership, strong Node.js expertise, IAM depth, and familiarity with agent-aware platform design.
ZoomInfo
Bethesda, MDLeads the design and implementation of distributed advertising, identity, and intent systems processing billions of events in real time. The role requires deep backend, data infrastructure, or applied AI/ML experience, strong programming and data modeling skills, and technical leadership.
Okta
Bengaluru, India
Principal Software Engineer leading the modernization of an identity imports platform from a monolith to scalable distributed microservices. The role requires 12+ years of experience, deep Java and distributed-systems expertise, and cross-team technical leadership.
Payabli
Remote
Founding senior engineer responsible for creating and operating Payabli’s Payments Core infrastructure, including ledgers, exactly-once money movement, multi-rail orchestration, settlement, and reconciliation. Requires 12+ years of production payments or financial-systems experience at major scale.