Principal, Data Engineer
About The Position
As a Principal Data Engineer, you'll define the data architecture that powers Operational Intelligence for Marketplace. You'll lead the design of scalable data platforms, pipelines, and analytics that provide trusted engineering metrics, executive scorecards, and AI-ready datasets supporting thousands of engineers. This role combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to transform operational data into actionable intelligence that improves reliability, engineering productivity, and organizational decision making. The Marketplace Platform Reliability team develops and maintains engineering systems that support thousands of engineers in delivering reliable, scalable, and high-performing software. The team manages platforms, operational intelligence, AI capabilities, and engineering standards to enhance productivity and system reliability. Focused on innovation and continuous improvement, members design robust, scalable solutions that support business growth while optimizing operational efficiency. Collaboration, strategic alignment, and effective program management drive technical excellence across the Marketplace organization, ensuring high-quality standards and sustained platform performance.
Requirements
- Experience designing and building large-scale cloud data platforms and distributed data pipelines.
- Strong expertise in data modeling, data architecture, ETL/ELT, streaming data, and modern analytics platforms.
- Experience with cloud-native data technologies, SQL, Python, Spark, Kafka, or similar distributed data frameworks.
- Proven ability to define technical strategy and influence engineering organizations through data architecture and engineering leadership.
- Experience building operational analytics, engineering metrics, executive dashboards, or AI-ready data platforms.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex data challenges into scalable engineering solutions.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and 5 years' experience in software engineering or related field.
- 7 years’ experience in software engineering or related field.
- Master's degree in Computer Science and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related field.
- 4 years' experience in data engineering, database engineering, business intelligence, or business analytics.
Nice To Haves
- Data engineering, database engineering, business intelligence, or business analytics, ETL tools and working with large data sets in the cloud.
- Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field and 5 years' experience in software engineering or related field.
- Background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly.
- Knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.
Responsibilities
- Define the architecture and technical strategy for Marketplace's Operational Intelligence platform.
- Design and build scalable data pipelines, data models, and analytics platforms that power engineering insights and executive scorecards.
- Partner with engineering and platform teams to standardize operational data and establish a source of truth for Operational and Engineering Excellence metrics.
- Drive data quality, governance, and platform scalability while enabling AI-driven analytics and automation.
- Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across data engineering initiatives.
Benefits
- Competitive pay
- Performance-based bonus awards
- Medical coverage
- Vision coverage
- Dental coverage
- 401(k)
- Stock purchase
- Company-paid life insurance
- PTO (including sick leave)
- Parental leave
- Family care leave
- Bereavement leave
- Jury duty leave
- Voting leave
- Short-term disability
- Long-term disability
- Company discounts
- Military Leave Pay
- Adoption expense reimbursement
- Surrogacy expense reimbursement
- PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes.
- Live Better U (Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
