Senior Software Engineer — Query Engine/Data Platform
Northern, Floyd County, Kentucky, USA
Listed on 2026-10-14
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Software Development
Backend Developer, Software Engineer
Our client is a leading enterprise data platform company building an open, high-performance data lakehouse for AI and analytical workloads. The platform combines an intelligent SQL query engine, an AI-ready semantic layer, and an open catalog built on Apache Iceberg — enabling Fortune 500 companies across finance, energy, manufacturing, and logistics to unify, query, and govern data at massive scale across cloud and on-premise sources.
Aboutthe Role
We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to work on the core query engine of a large-scale distributed data platform. You will own significant components across query planning, optimization, and execution — both driving improvements and acting as a trusted owner of production quality: diagnosing complex customer-reported issues and delivering safe, well-tested fixes across supported release lines. Engineers with staff-level scope and ambitions are very welcome.
This is a systems-level, backend engineering role focused on distributed data processing internals — not application development or CRUD services.
- Architect, design, and implement query engine components — planner, optimizer, execution operators, memory management, and data access layers
- Diagnose and resolve complex production and customer-reported issues across the full query path — correctness, performance, memory, concurrency, resiliency, and compatibility
- Develop, review, and backport fixes across multiple supported release lines; strengthen regression prevention
- Write and review high-quality, performance-critical code in Java and/or C++
- Analyze query profiles, execution plans, logs, and telemetry to drive performance optimization — profiling, benchmarking, and eliminating bottlenecks in latency- and throughput-sensitive paths
- Integrate with columnar formats, open table formats, and connectivity drivers
- Improve regression tests, diagnostics, and observability; contribute to CI/CD architecture and quality processes in Jenkins
- Mentor middle engineers, lead code reviews, and help set technical standards
- Debug complex cross-layer issues spanning query planning, distributed execution, memory management, and I/O, partnering with US-based engineering leads
- B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field
- 5+ years in backend / systems software engineering with a track record of owning significant components end-to-end
- Strong proficiency in Java or C++ (comfort with both is especially valued), with deep understanding of OOP, systems design, memory management, concurrency, and asynchronous programming
- Advanced SQL and solid understanding of query execution internals — planning, optimization, operator implementation
- Experience building or extending data processing systems: query engines, distributed databases, ETL/ELT, or analytical platforms
- Ability to assess change risk in a mature production system; experience supporting software across multiple versions, branches, or customer environments
- Hands-on experience with Jenkins and modern CI/CD workflows;
Docker and Kubernetes - Hands-on experience with at least one major cloud (GCP, AWS, or Azure)
- Confident Git/Git Hub workflows and rigorous code-review habits
- Comfortable with AI-assisted development workflows — using modern AI tools for code comprehension, debugging, and test generation, and critically validating their output
- Prior experience mentoring engineers, leading technical designs, or owning components end-to-end
- English Upper-Intermediate or higher (B2+) — daily written and verbal communication with a US-based engineering team
- Availability to work EU business hours shifted 2–3 hours later for daily overlap with…
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