Principal Engineer (Data Platform)

TL;DR

Principal Engineer (Data Platform): Leading the architectural vision and technical strategy for the hirify.global Open Data Platform with an accent on distributed systems, high-scale data infrastructure, and open-source leadership. Focus on solving complex challenges in petabyte-scale data processing, multi-cloud performance, and driving innovation within the global data ecosystem.

Location: On-site in Kitchener

Company

hirify.global is a leading data observability company building enterprise-grade platforms to manage and optimize mission-critical data systems.

What you will do

• Define and drive the long-term technical strategy and architecture for the Open Data Platform.
• Design complex, high-impact systems while establishing scalable architectural principles.
• Lead research initiatives and represent the company in the global open-source community.
• Collaborate with leadership to align technical execution with business strategy.
• Mentor senior engineering staff and influence best practices across the organization.
• Resolve critical performance, scalability, and reliability challenges in distributed environments.

Requirements

• 14+ years of software development experience with at least 8 years in distributed systems or data infrastructure.
• Expert-level proficiency in Java or Scala, along with strong Python skills.
• Extensive experience with technologies like Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Trino, Flink, and Kubernetes.
• Proven record of leading large-scale initiatives from conception to production.
• Deep understanding of distributed computing protocols, data replication, and partitioning.
• Must be based in Kitchener or able to work on-site; valid work authorization required.

Nice to have

• Apache project committer or PMC member status.
• Experience with modern lakehouse architectures and table formats like Iceberg, Delta, or Hudi.
• Background in building query engines or optimizers.
• Track record of public speaking at major industry conferences.

Culture & Benefits

• Work alongside industry veterans and Apache project contributors.
• Shape the future of enterprise-scale data observability platforms.
• Engage in high-impact strategic work with global customers and partners.
• Collaborative environment focused on complex problem-solving and innovation.