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Fivetran

Principal Software Engineer

Leads architectural vision and design of large-scale distributed systems for Fivetran's data movement platform. Drives cross-team initiatives, mentors engineers, and optimizes performance/scalability; requires 12+ years experience with backend systems like Java.

226k – 282kOakland, CABackend EngineeringHybrid12+ YOE
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About the role

What You’ll Do

  • Define Technical Strategy: Set the long-term architectural vision for core platform systems, ensuring scalability, reliability, and efficiency.
  • Lead Complex System Design: Drive the design and evolution of large-scale distributed systems that power Fivetran’s data movement platform.
  • Drive Cross-Team Initiatives: Lead high-impact projects spanning multiple teams, align stakeholders, and ensure successful execution.
  • Raise the Engineering Bar: Establish best practices for system design, code quality, and operational excellence across the organization.
  • Mentor and Influence: Guide and mentor senior and staff engineers, shaping technical decision-making beyond your immediate team.
  • Improve Platform Performance: Identify and lead efforts to optimize system performance, reliability, and cost at scale.
  • Champion Innovation: Evaluate and introduce new technologies and approaches to improve developer experience and platform capabilities.

Skills We’re Looking For

  • Extensive Experience: 12+ years of software engineering experience, with deep expertise in building and operating large-scale distributed systems.
  • System Design Mastery: Proven ability to design and evolve complex, scalable, and reliable platform architectures.
  • Technical Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading cross-team technical initiatives and influencing engineering direction.
  • Strong Programming Skills: Expertise in backend development (Java preferred) with a solid foundation in data structures and system fundamentals.
  • Performance & Reliability: Experience optimizing system performance, scalability, and cost in high-throughput systems.
  • Communication & Influence: Strong ability to communicate complex technical ideas and influence senior stakeholders.
  • Ownership & Ambiguity: Track record of driving ambiguous, high-impact problems from definition to execution.

Bonus Skills

  • Experience in data processing (ETL, ELT) and/or cloud-based platforms
  • Experience working in startup environments.

Technologies You’ll Use

  • Java (JVM, JIT, GC tuning, thread management), JUnit
  • Claude Code
  • Docker and Kubernetes
  • AWS, GCP
  • Bazel, BuildKite
  • Observability tools (Datadog, Grafana)

Perks and Benefits

  • 100% employer-paid medical insurance*
  • Generous paid time-off policy (PTO), plus paid sick time, inclusive parental leave policy, holidays, and volunteer days off
  • RSU stock grants*
  • Professional development and training opportunities
  • Company virtual happy hours, free food, and fun team-building activities
  • Monthly cell phone stipend
  • Access to an innovative mental health support platform

Skills

JavaKubernetesDockerAWSGCPDatadogGrafanaBazelBuildkiteJunit

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