Principal Data Engineer

Principal Data Platform EngineerRole SummaryThe Principal Data Platform Engineer owns the architecture, reliability, and evolution of the enterprise data platform spanning both the analytical data stack and master data management. This is a senior role responsible for the systems and infrastructure that enable analytics, reporting, AI and operational data integrity across the company.Key ResponsibilitiesPlatform Engineering & InfrastructureOwn the architecture and operations of the enterprise data platform: ingestion (Fivetran, Airbyte), transformation (dbt), warehousing (BigQuery), and BI/serving layers (Looker, Hex, python)Manage cloud infrastructure as code using Terraform; ensure repeatable, version-controlled platform deploymentsImplement and maintain monitoring, observability, and data quality frameworks across the platformMaster Data & Domain ArchitectureOwn the Pimcore MDM platform end-to-end as the canonical source for item and location master dataDefine master data architecture standards and govern the item and location data domainsEnsure master data flows correctly between operational systems and the analytical platformArchitecture & Technical LeadershipDefine and evolve the data architecture roadmap in partnership with engineering leadershipArchitect the integration between operational master data (Pimcore) and the analytical platform (BigQuery)Set technical standards for data modeling, pipeline design, and platform integrationEvaluate and introduce new technologies that improve platform capability or reduce costPlatform Roadmap & Stakeholder PartnershipOwn the data platform roadmap, including prioritization, sequencing, and alignment with business needs across Customer, Marketing, Merchandising, Product Development, Inventory Control, and Supply ChainTranslate business requirements into platform and analytics deliverables; define success measures and acceptance criteriaManage the data team's intake and delivery pipeline against business prioritiesCommunicate roadmap, trade-offs, and delivery status to executive stakeholdersTeam LeadershipProvide technical leadership for a team of data engineers and Looker developersSet technical direction and priorities for the data team's workReview architecture, code, and design decisions across team deliverablesMentor and grow team members on data platform engineering, data modeling, and BI development practicesCost & Operational ExcellenceDrive cost optimization across the data platform through architecture decisions, vendor consolidation, and infrastructure efficiencyEstablish operational practices that improve reliability and reduce manual interventionAI Enablement & Data GovernanceBuild and maintain AI-ready data: ensure data quality, consistency, and structure across the platform so AI tools and agents can run on trustworthy dataDrive adoption of AI capabilities across the platform (Looker agents, Hex AI) and integrate emerging AI tools into data team workflowsEstablish data governance standards across the platform, including data quality, lineage, master data stewardship, and access controlsDefine standards and guardrails for AI usage within the data platform, and identify high-value AI use cases for business stakeholdersRequired Experience & Skills15+ years of IT experience, including extensive data engineering and platform work, with 5+ years at a senior or lead levelExpert-level SQL, Python for data engineering, and data modeling fundamentals (dimensional, SCD, fact/dimension design)Deep expertise across the modern data stack: GCP, BigQuery, dbt, Fivetran, Airbyte, Looker, Hex, and orchestration tools (Dagster, Airflow)Strong infrastructure-as-code background, particularly Terraform on GCPHands-on experience integrating AI capabilities into analytics platforms (Looker agents, Hex AI)Experience owning master data platforms (Pimcore or equivalent)Demonstrated technical leadership of engineering teams and ownership of platform roadmapsTrack record of platform-level decisions with measurable business impact and executive stakeholder partnershipScope & ImpactSenior Leader managing the data engineering team directly and reporting into the Senior Director of e-commerce, Application Architecture and Data PlatformsfterTechnical authority across data engineering, analytics, BI, and master data functionsDirect partnership with director-level stakeholders on data strategy and architecture