Principal Data Engineer

Company Description

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior. With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ provides manufacturers and retailers with accurate, actionable insights to innovate and grow.

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Principal Data Engineer to join our global data engineering team. This role will be responsible for designing, building, and optimizing scalable data platforms and pipelines that support advanced analytics and data-driven decision-making.

As a Principal Engineer, you will play a key role in defining architecture, driving engineering best practices, and mentoring other team members while collaborating across global teams.

Key Responsibilities

Design and implement scalable, high-performance data pipelines (batch and near real-time)

Architect and maintain cloud-based data platforms, including data lakes and data warehouses

Own end-to-end data workflows from ingestion, transformation, to delivery

Ensure data quality, reliability, and observability across data systems

Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable data solutions

Drive best practices in Data Engineering, DataOps, and CI/CD pipelines

Lead and mentor engineering teams, providing technical guidance and code reviews

Troubleshoot and resolve data pipeline and performance issues across distributed systems

Contribute to long-term data architecture strategy and platform evolution

Qualifications

6–10+ years of experience in Data Engineering or related roles

Strong programming skills in Python and SQL (required)

Hands-on experience with Big Data frameworks (Spark / PySpark)

Proven experience building and maintaining production-grade data pipelines

Strong background in data modeling (dimensional modeling, lakehouse, medallion architecture)

Experience working with cloud platforms (Azure preferred; AWS/GCP acceptable)

Experience with data orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow)

Familiarity with Snowflake, Databricks, or similar data platforms

Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in distributed data systems

Ability to work in a global, cross-functional environment (English required)

Additional Information

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with streaming technologies (Kafka, Spark Streaming)

Knowledge of DBT, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform)

Experience with data governance, data quality frameworks, and observability tools

Background in large-scale data environments (retail, fintech, or consulting)

Experience mentoring engineers or leading technical initiatives

Our Benefits

Flexible working environment

Volunteer time off

LinkedIn Learning

Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)

NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have questions, require accommodations, or wish to request human review were permitted by law, please contact your local HR representative. For more information, please visit NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/info/niqs-ai-safety-policies/

About NIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. NIQ is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population.

For more information, visit NIQ.com

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Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At NIQ, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities and markets we serve. We believe that embracing a wide range of perspectives drives innovation and excellence. All employment decisions at NIQ are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. We invite individuals who share our dedication to inclusivity and equity to join us in making a meaningful impact. To learn more about our ongoing efforts in diversity and inclusion, please visit the https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/diversity-inclusion