Senior Principal Software Engineer, Vertica

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Massachusetts.

📋 Description

• Act as a technical leader for the Vertica database platform.

• Define and drive the architecture, design, and implementation of strategic innovations within the core server.

• Enhance foundational database technologies, focusing on query optimization, distributed execution, storage, scalability, and performance.

• Serve as a subject matter expert across various domains of the Vertica core server.

• Establish technical direction and architecture for essential components of the database engine.

• Integrate customer requirements, market trends, product strategy, and engineering insights into technical direction and product specifications.

• Investigate and assess database algorithms, distributed systems techniques, and emerging technologies for practical application.

• Identify opportunities for innovation and deliver essential enhancements to improve performance, scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency.

• Design complex database features and infrastructure for large-scale analytical workloads in distributed environments.

• Lead the design and implementation of highly concurrent, high-performance C++ software.

• Steer the evolution of the query optimizer, execution engine, distributed architecture, and associated core server technologies.

• Document and convey technical concepts, architectures, and design decisions effectively.

• Collaborate with software development teams to address impacts on the downstream product lifecycle.

• Propose and implement innovations that enhance Vertica’s competitive edge and customer value.

• Drive impactful improvements across products, teams, and customer workloads.

• Engage in strategic planning, roadmap development, feature scoping, estimation, and prioritization.

• Partner with software architects and product owners to align roadmaps and backlogs with architectural goals.

• Direct functional, performance, scalability, resiliency, and stress testing strategies.

• Work alongside customers, support teams, and field organizations to translate real-world challenges into effective technical solutions.

• Mentor engineers and technical leaders throughout the organization.

• Communicate with senior leadership while managing competing priorities to maintain strategic focus.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 12 years of software engineering experience, including substantial experience in developing complex systems software.

• A proven history of successful software innovation, problem-solving, and product delivery at increasing scales and complexities.

• Extensive expertise in one or more database engine domains, such as query optimization, query execution, storage engines, transaction processing, concurrency control, distributed systems, or database infrastructure.

• Expert knowledge of C++ and performance-centric systems programming.

• Strong understanding of algorithms, data structures, operating systems, and multi-threaded programming.

• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing large-scale distributed systems.

• Comprehensive knowledge of SQL and relational database technologies.

• Ability to assess emerging research and adapt innovative concepts into production-quality software.

• Capable of taking ownership of the design and development of significant architectural components and defining interactions across subsystems.

• Proficient in reviewing designs and anticipating considerations for performance, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.

• Proven success in leading cross-functional technical initiatives and influencing engineering strategies across multiple teams.

• Acknowledged by peers as an exceptional technical contributor and leader.

• Highly adept at navigating uncertainty and ambiguity.

• Proven success in mentoring and developing software engineers at all levels.

• Excellent technical communication and collaboration abilities.

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field is required.

• A Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Database Systems, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline is strongly preferred.

• Expertise in commercial database internals and database kernel development.

• Experience in designing or implementing cost-based query optimizers.

• Experience in developing distributed query processing or execution frameworks.

• Experience in building highly scalable analytical database systems or massively parallel processing (MPP) database platforms.

• Experience in shaping the architectural direction of a mature enterprise software platform.

• A record of innovation reflected through patents, publications, significant product contributions, or industry-recognized technical achievements.

• Prior experience contributing to the Vertica database engine or other large-scale analytical database platforms.

• Deep familiarity with Vertica core server architecture, query optimization, distributed execution, storage, catalog, transaction management, or related subsystems is highly valued.

• Demonstrated ability to influence the technical direction of a complex database platform through architectural leadership and long-term innovation.

🏝️ Benefits

• Unlimited Vacation Time.

• Paid holidays and sick leave.

• Health and Wellness coverage options for Rocketeers and their dependents.

• Life and disability coverage.

• Fidelity 401(k) and Roth Retirement Savings with matching contributions.

• Monthly student debt benefit program.

• Tuition Reimbursement and Certificate Reimbursement Program opportunities.

• Leadership and skills training opportunities.

• Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.