Senior Data Platform Engineer

We are seeking a Senior Backend / Data Platform Engineer to design and build large-scale databases and APIs that power commercial customer-facing products. This role focuses on system architecture, data modeling, and performance at scale, with deployments running in Kubernetes-based environments.

You will work closely with product, research, and infrastructure teams to translate customer requirements into reliable, scalable, and secure backend systems. This is a hands-on engineering role with ownership over core platform components.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and operate large-scale databases (OLTP and analytical workloads)
Architect and develop high-performance APIs (REST and/or gRPC) for commercial customers
Design data models optimized for scale, reliability, and long-term maintainability
Deploy and operate backend services in Kubernetes environments
Optimize database performance, query efficiency, and API latency under high load
Define and enforce API contracts, schemas, and versioning strategies
Partner with DevOps and platform teams on: Kubernetes deployment patterns, CI/CD pipelines, Observability (metrics, logging, tracing)
Implement security best practices including authentication, authorization, and data protection
Troubleshoot and resolve production issues in distributed systems
Provide technical leadership through design reviews, documentation, and mentorship

Required Qualifications
Strong experience designing and operating large-scale databases, such as:
PostgreSQL / MySQL
Distributed or analytical systems (e.g., ClickHouse, Elasticsearch, BigQuery, Snowflake, etc.)
Strong backend development experience in one or more languages:
Python, Go, Java, or similar
Proven experience designing customer-facing APIs
Solid understanding of: Data modeling, Indexing strategies, Transactional vs analytical workloads
Experience deploying and running services on Kubernetes
Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
Strong debugging skills in distributed systems
Must be a US citizen

Preferred Qualifications
Experience operating databases on Kubernetes (StatefulSets, Operators, persistent volumes)
Experience with high-throughput or high-volume data systems
Knowledge of: API gateways and service meshes, gRPC, OpenAPI, or GraphQL
Experience with infrastructure as code (Terraform, Helm, Crossplane)
Experience supporting commercial customers with uptime, SLA, and performance requirements
Familiarity with security-sensitive or regulated environments

What Success Looks Like in This Role
Databases that scale reliably as customer usage grows
APIs that are stable, well-documented, and easy for customers to integrate
Kubernetes deployments that are observable, resilient, and maintainable
Clear architectural documentation and design rationale
Strong collaboration across engineering, product, and operations

Why Join Us
Work on real production systems at meaningful scale
Own core architecture decisions that directly impact customers
Collaborate with senior engineers, researchers, and product leaders
Build systems that value correctness, performance, and maintainability