Data Engineer Flink Jobs in Bothell, WA (NOW HIRING)

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The Analytics Platforms & Experiences (APX) team is at the forefront of revolutionising Data Engineering. We drive significant increases in efficiency and productivity through a flawless ecosystem of frameworks and products that unlock observability, knowledge and enable data quality-driven orchestration at scale. APX is part of the broader Apple Services Engineering division that powers App Store, Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, Fitness+, the iTunes Store and more.
The APX Bedrock team is the foundational platform layer within APX, responsible for building the systems and services that underpin data engineering excellence across the organization. We are seeking a Senior Software Data Engineer who brings deep technical expertise and the strategic thinking to shape the future of our data engineering platform. In this role, you will influence the broader technical vision, drive platform-wide architectural decisions, and establish patterns that raise the engineering bar across the organization. You will bridge hands-on engineering excellence with forward-looking platform thinking, working alongside architects and cross-functional teams to transform how data engineers work at Apple.
Description
As a Senior Software Data Engineer on the APX Bedrock team, you will be a highly impactful technical contributor who combines deep engineering craftsmanship with platform-wide thinking. You will own critical platform components end-to-end while actively shaping the technical direction of the team and influencing the broader organization.
* Lead design and implementation of core platform services supporting data application authoring, metadata management, dataset lifecycle tracking, and orchestration at scale
* Architect and build high-performance Java-based backend services and APIs that form the backbone of the data engineering platform
* Own data modeling and database design decisions, establishing best practices for schema design, indexing strategies, and query optimization across relational and non-relational data stores
* Design and operate scalable data processing pipelines using Apache Spark, Apache Flink, and modern orchestration frameworks
* Proactively identify architectural gaps and drive initiatives that improve platform scalability, reliability, and developer experience
* Define engineering standards and patterns adopted across the broader team and organization
* Evaluate emerging technologies and contribute to strategic decisions that shape the platform roadmap
* Mentor engineers across experience levels and drive a culture of technical excellence
* Leverage AI-powered development tools and help define how AI-augmented workflows are adopted and scaled within the team
Preferred Qualifications
* Experience with non-relational or NoSQL databases and strong intuition for applying the right data storage paradigms
* Proficiency in Scala, Go, or Python as complementary programming languages
* Deep experience with container orchestration tools such as Kubernetes and cloud-native infrastructure patterns
Hands-on experience with AI-powered development tools (e.g., Claude Code, Copilot) and building AI-augmented engineering workflows
Experience architecting data quality monitoring, metadata management, or dataset lifecycle management systems at scale
Strong background in streaming, real-time data processing, and event-driven architectures
Track record of mentoring senior engineers and driving technical excellence across teams
Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex technical strategies to senior leadership
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent professional experience
8+ years of software engineering experience with significant focus on data platform or large-scale distributed systems
Expert-level Java programming with a strong track record of architecting and delivering complex, production-grade backend services
Deep experience with relational databases including advanced data modeling, schema design, and query optimization at scale
Expert-level experience with Apache Spark and Apache Flink, and distributed data technologies including Hadoop, HDFS, and Kafka
Extensive experience designing and operating workflow orchestration systems such as Apache Airflow at enterprise scale
Proven ability to drive end-to-end technical ownership of complex platform initiatives and influence technical direction beyond immediate team scope
Pay & Benefits
At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $142,300 and $263,300, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits
Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.