Principal Software Engineer, Operational Database Platform

We are seeking a Principal Engineer with a strong background in highly distributed and available database platforms. This role is central to SoFi's operational data infrastructure, where you will lead the architecture, development, and optimization of our database systems to ensure they are secure, reliable, performant, and scalable. You will collaborate with engineering leaders and principal engineers across the organization to support rapid development and seamless data operations, enabling our engineering teams to build and deliver high-quality products at speed.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with deep experience in distributed systems, cloud data infrastructure, and modern database technologies. We are particularly looking for very strong database skills in contributing and operating next-generation database systems like YugabyteDB, CockroachDB, Postgres Citus, and other highly distributed and available open-source databases. You will be responsible for shaping the future of the database platforms at SoFi which scales to meet the evolving needs of the business. 

This role is inherently cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with teams across engineering, product, marketing, risk, compliance, data science, operations, legal, and executive leadership. You will help define, prioritize, and implement a strategic vision that aligns with the broader technical architecture. By delivering solutions that bridge engineering systems across products and teams, you will address a diverse range of challenges—technical, product-related, and operational—while driving your personal and professional growth.

What you'll do:

- Design, build, and maintain operational database platforms, ensuring high availability, reliability, performance, and security.

- Architect and operate modern distributed database systems, focusing on performance, fault tolerance, and horizontal scalability.

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand database requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions.

- Drive the adoption of best practices in database management, including data replication, partitioning, sharding, performance tuning, observability, and disaster recovery.

- Mentor and guide engineers on database technologies, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and innovation.

- Stay ahead of emerging database technologies and industry trends, proactively identifying opportunities to enhance and innovate our platform.

- Lead the development of technical strategies that align the database platform with SoFi's broader architectural vision.

What you'll need:

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical field.

- 12+ years of experience in software engineering, with significant expertise in designing, operating, and scaling highly distributed, next-generation databases

- Proven experience with modern distributed databases like YugabyteDB, CockroachDB, and Postgres Citus as well as familiarity with other open-source database systems

- Deep knowledge of database architecture, data replication, partitioning, sharding, and performance tuning for multi-region, large-scale, high-traffic environments.

- Strong background in cloud database services (e.g., AWS RDS, Google Cloud Spanner, Azure SQL) and experience with deploying and managing databases in cloud environments.

- Strong programming skills and proficiency with automation tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform) for managing database infrastructure.

- Excellent communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Who you are:

- Technically exceptional: You bring deep, hands-on expertise in distributed databases, with a track record of leading complex technical initiatives to improve performance, scalability, and reliability.

- Problem-solver: You excel at diagnosing and resolving complex database issues, ensuring smooth and seamless operations across platforms.

- Collaborative leader: You can unite diverse teams to address complex challenges, driving technical excellence and cross-functional alignment.

- Innovative and proactive: You constantly seek new technologies and approaches to optimize and evolve the database platform, particularly with a focus on next-generation, highly distributed systems.

- Open-source advocate: You have experience contributing to open-source projects and are passionate about engaging with the database engineering community to drive innovation.

- Mentor and coach: You are committed to the growth and development of your team, providing guidance and support to help them advance their technical skills.

- Adaptable and resilient: You thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, quickly adapting to new challenges and priorities.

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