Principal Data Platform Engineer

Duluth Trading Company•,

2d•$160,000 - $185,000•Remote

About The Position

The Principal Data Platform Engineer owns the architecture, reliability, and evolution of the enterprise data platform spanning both the analytical data stack and master data management. This is a senior role responsible for the systems and infrastructure that enable analytics, reporting, AI and operational data integrity across the company.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree
15+ years of IT experience, including extensive data engineering and platform work, with 5+ years at a senior or lead level
Expert-level SQL, Python for data engineering, and data modeling fundamentals (dimensional, SCD, fact/dimension design)
Deep expertise across the modern data stack: GCP, BigQuery, dbt, Fivetran, Airbyte, Looker, Hex, and orchestration tools (Dagster, Airflow)
Strong infrastructure-as-code background, particularly Terraform on GCP
Hands-on experience integrating AI capabilities into analytics platforms (Looker agents, Hex AI)
Experience owning master data platforms (Pimcore or equivalent)
Demonstrated technical leadership of engineering teams and ownership of platform roadmaps
Track record of platform-level decisions with measurable business impact and executive stakeholder partnership
Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Own the architecture and operations of the enterprise data platform: ingestion (Fivetran, Airbyte), transformation (dbt), warehousing (BigQuery), and BI/serving layers (Looker, Hex)
Manage cloud infrastructure as code using Terraform; ensure repeatable, version-controlled platform deployments
Implement and maintain monitoring, observability, and data quality frameworks across the platform
Own the Pimcore MDM platform end-to-end as the canonical source for item and location master data
Define master data architecture standards and govern the item and location data domains
Ensure master data flows correctly between operational systems and the analytical platform
Define and evolve the data architecture roadmap in partnership with engineering leadership
Architect the integration between operational master data (Pimcore) and the analytical platform (BigQuery)
Set technical standards for data modeling, pipeline design, and platform integration
Evaluate and introduce new technologies that improve platform capability or reduce cost
Own the data platform roadmap, including prioritization, sequencing, and alignment with business needs across Customer, Marketing, Merchandining, Product Development, Inventory Control, and Supply Chain
Translate business requirements into platform and analytics deliverables; define success measures and acceptance criteria
Manage the data team's intake and delivery pipeline against business priorities
Communicate roadmap, trade-offs, and delivery status to executive stakeholders
Provide technical leadership for a team of data engineers and Looker developers
Set technical direction and priorities for the data team's work
Review architecture, code, and design decisions across team deliverables
Mentor and grow team members on data platform engineering, data modeling, and BI development practices
Drive cost optimization across the data platform through architecture decisions, vendor consolidation, and infrastructure efficiency
Establish operational practices that improve reliability and reduce manual intervention
Build and maintain AI-ready data: ensure data quality, consistency, and structure across the platform so AI tools and agents can run on trustworthy data
Drive adoption of AI capabilities across the platform (Looker agents, Hex AI) and integrate emerging AI tools into data team workflows
Establish data governance standards across the platform, including data quality, lineage, master data stewardship, and access controls
Define standards and guardrails for AI usage within the data platform, and identify high-value AI use cases for business stakeholders

Benefits

Multiple Medical plan options
Dental & Vision plans
Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Savings Account including company contributions
Company paid Life Insurance and AD&D
Company paid Short-Term Disability
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Long-Term Disability and Supplemental Life Insurance
401(k) Employer Match
Parental Leave
Paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Paid Time Off: take it as you need it policy for exempt employees
Daily pay available
40% Employee Discount
Flexible Fridays
Onsite fitness center