Staff Software Engineer - Apache Iceberg

Business Area:

Engineering

Seniority Level:

Mid-Senior level

Job Description:

At Cloudera, we empower people to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. With as much data under management as the hyperscalers, we're the preferred data partner for the top companies in almost every industry. Powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community, Cloudera advances digital transformation for the world’s largest enterprises.

The Data Platform Pillar is the bedrock of Cloudera’s technology, where we design and build the core components that let our customers store, manage, and process data with unmatched scalability, security, and performance.

Join the forefront of Big Data innovation at Cloudera! We are seeking a visionary Staff Engineer to take ownership of the next generation of our enterprise-grade Apache Iceberg distribution. This is a rare opportunity to architect, design, and scale the system that powers data processing for the world's largest companies, managing petabytes of data across thousands of nodes. If you are an experienced leader in distributed systems and data processing, ready to drive massive impact and define the future of Data Engineering, your mission starts here.

This is your chance to architect solutions that are responsible for managing Petabyte (PB) sized datasets across multi-cloud environments. You will gain deep technical experience in complex big data use cases and seize the unique opportunity to become a core contributor to the vibrant Apache Iceberg open-source community and directly influence the project's evolution.

As a Staff Engineer you will:

Drive the future of data architecture by becoming a core contributor to Apache Iceberg, the open-source project defining modern data lakes.

Bring performance improvements to all of the engines in the Cloudera stack, by implementing new features in Iceberg and working with other teams to leverage them during queries.

Work with Product Managers and Customers to determine ways Iceberg can be improved for Modern Data Lakes.

Develop new features in Java on a modern platforms

Gain a solid understanding and deep technical knowledge of components across the Cloudera stack, but focusing on Iceberg, which you can utilize in your daily tasks.

Get to work on massive-scale distributed systems, spanning from 100s to 1000s of nodes in production clusters, leveraging Iceberg's capabilities for handling PB-scale data architectures.

Debug system level deployment issues, root cause analysis, perform system test analysis and resolve failures.

Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders.

We are excited if you have (Required Experience):

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent, and 6+ years of experience; OR Master’s degree and 4-6 years of experience; OR PhD and 2-4 years of experience

Hands-on programmer with solid data-structures and algorithms

Experience with systems design, development

Strong understanding of at least one of the following languages: Java, Scala, C++, Python. And interested to learn the languages we’re using.

Passionate about programming, clean coding habits, attention to detail, and focus on quality

Strong ability to research and solve problems independently without constant supervision

Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of an international and virtual team

Excellent communication and collaboration skills

(Most importantly) Open-minded attitude, desire to learn new things and build great products

You might have:

Experience with using/developing Apache Iceberg or other related technologies

Experience (or demonstrated interest) in distributed computing or high availability systems

Contributions to open-source projects

Experience with SQL optimization, from analyzing query plans to implementing optimization in SQL engines

Why this role matters:

You will tackle complex distributed systems challenges, crafting the foundational software for the control and data planes that powers CDP and keeps it running at massive scale. Working at the forefront of hybrid and multi-cloud technology, you will empower data scientists, engineers, and analysts with the tools and infrastructure they need for advanced analytics and modeling.

Collaboration is key, you will work alongside brilliant minds across product, data science, and engineering to drive innovation, standardize best practices, and shape the future of enterprise AI and data platforms. This is your chance to build the future of data and see your work make a global impact.

This role is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

The expected base salary range for this role in

Washington is $184,000 - $230,000

The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location

What you can expect from us:

Generous PTO Policy

Support work life balance with Unplugged Days

Flexible WFH Policy

Mental & Physical Wellness programs

Phone and Internet Reimbursement program

Access to Continued Career Development

Comprehensive Benefits and Competitive Packages

Paid Volunteer Time

Employee Resource Groups

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