Software Engineer, New Grad - Query Engines

Palantir Technologies•New York, NY

About The Position

Palantir is hiring a new graduate software engineer for its Query Engines team, which applies open-source data technologies to important real-world problems. The team builds and extends the data-processing infrastructure underlying Palantir Foundry, supporting applications and workloads such as no-code pipelines, interactive analysis, and processing that keeps the Ontology up to date. The role works on systems for representing computations, optimizing query plans, executing operators, and efficiently reading and writing data. The team builds on and extends Apache Spark, Apache DataFusion, and Apache Iceberg, incorporating advances in open-source engines and table formats for demanding customer environments. Working with experienced engineers, you will contribute to production systems—for example, by writing a planning rule, adding a capability to a native execution engine, or improving the scan performance of large tables—and carry work through design, code review, testing, and release. Correctness, compatibility, and predictable performance are central to the work. Prior experience with the listed technologies is not required; the team expects new hires to learn them.

Requirements

Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics, or a similar field, or equivalent practical experience.
Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Java, Rust, Scala, C++, or C.
Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and concurrency.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Coursework or projects in databases, compilers, operating systems, or distributed systems.
Contributions to open-source projects.

Nice To Haves

Curiosity about data systems, including query optimizers, execution operators, file formats, and distributed processing.
A high bar for correctness and willingness to investigate system behavior thoroughly.
Comfort following problems across languages, services, and layers of the stack.
A practical, measurement-based approach to performance.
Eagerness to learn, ask questions, and incorporate feedback.
Interest in applying systems engineering to real-world problems with empathy for the people who depend on the software.

Responsibilities

Develop and extend data-processing infrastructure used by Palantir Foundry.
Work on computation representation, query-plan optimization, execution operators, and efficient data reading and writing.
Contribute to production systems, such as by writing planning rules, adding native execution-engine capabilities, or improving large-table scanning performance.
Take work through design, code review, testing, and release.
Learn and apply open-source data technologies and query-engine systems.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents.
Voluntary life insurance; basic life, AD&D, and disability insurance coverage.
Commuter benefits.
Relocation assistance.
Paid time off that is not accrual based.
Two weeks of paid time off built into the end of each year, subject to team and business needs.
Ten paid holidays throughout the calendar year.
Leave of absence program, including time off for military service and medical events.
Paid leave for new parents and subsidized backup care for all parents.
Fertility and family-building benefits, including adoption, surrogacy, and preservation.
Stipend to help with expenses associated with a new child.
401(k) plan enrollment.
Potential restricted stock units, sign-on bonus, and other future incentives.