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Principal Data Engineer Jobs in Boston, MA (NOW HIRING)

American Tower

Principal, Data Engineer

Woburn, MA · On-site

$170K - $213K/yr

The Team We are seeking a Principal Data Engineer to join American Tower's Information Technology organization's Data & Analytics team. The team architects, builds, and optimizes cloud-native data ...

CodaMetrix

Principal Data Engineer

Boston, MA · Remote

Overview The Principal Data Engineer is a member of the Data Platform team, reporting to the Director of Machine Learning Engineering and Data. The Data Platform team is responsible for executing the ...

SS&C Technologies

Principal Data Engineer

Waltham, MA · On-site

Principal Data Engineer Locations: Waltham, MA - Hybrid About the Role We are seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Principal Data Engineer to lead the design, and development of scalable real-time ...

Waters Corporation

Principal Data Engineer

Milford, MA · On-site

As a Principal Data Engineer , you will be a senior technical contributor who partners closely with data, analytics, and product teams. You will bring deep technical expertise, operate with a high ...

Waters Corporation

Principal Data Engineer

Milford, MA · Hybrid

As a Principal Data Engineer , you will be a senior technical contributor who partners closely with data, analytics, and product teams. You will bring deep technical expertise, operate with a high ...

Waters Corporation

Principal Data Engineer

Milford, MA · Hybrid

As a Principal Data Engineer , you will be a senior technical contributor who partners closely with data, analytics, and product teams. You will bring deep technical expertise, operate with a high ...

Motion Recruitment

Principal Data Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

We're hiring a Principal Data Engineer to join a fast-growing, mission-driven healthcare technology company transforming how life sciences organizations access and leverage regulatory data. This is a ...

Geode Capital Management

Principal Data Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site +1

$170K - $200K/yr

Geode Capital Management, LLC is seeking a full-time Principal Data Engineer to join our Data team. Reporting to the Director of Data Engineering, this highly visible role will lead the design and ...

Motion Recruitment

Principal Data Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

Full-time, hybrid opportunity for a Principal Data Engineer based in Boston, MA (3 days/week onsite in Back Bay). This role offers the opportunity to build and scale the data infrastructure behind a ...

Motion Recruitment

Principal Data Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

A global financial technology leader is hiring a Principal Data Engineer to join its hybrid engineering team in Waltham, MA. This full-time role focuses on designing and building enterprise-scale ...

Motion Recruitment

Principal Data Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

A rapidly growing financial technology company is hiring a Principal Data Analytics Engineer to lead the evolution of its cloud-native data platform supporting one of the world's largest structured ...

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Showing results 1-20

All JobsPrincipal Data Engineer JobsPrincipal Data Engineer Jobs in Boston, MA

Principal Data Engineer information

See Boston, MA salary details

$80.4K

$159.9K

$230.8K

How much do principal data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal data engineer in Boston, MA is $159,931.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $128,700.00 and $187,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a principal data engineer?

As a Principal Data Engineer, your day-to-day responsibilities generally include designing and optimizing large-scale data pipelines, developing architectural strategies, and overseeing the implementation of robust data solutions. You'll collaborate closely with data scientists, analysts, and software engineers to ensure the organization's data infrastructure is efficient, scalable, and secure. You may also mentor junior team members, review code, and set data engineering best practices. This role frequently requires balancing hands-on technical work with strategic planning and stakeholder communication to align data initiatives with business goals.

What is a principal data engineer?

A Principal Data Engineer is a senior-level technical role responsible for designing, building, and maintaining large-scale data infrastructure. They lead data engineering teams, establish best practices, and ensure efficient data pipelines to support analytics and machine learning. This role involves working with cloud platforms, big data technologies, and distributed systems to optimize data processing. Principal Data Engineers collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and business stakeholders to drive data-driven decision-making. Their work is critical in enabling organizations to leverage data effectively for insights and innovation.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal data engineer?

To thrive as a Principal Data Engineer, you need a deep understanding of data architecture, data modeling, ETL development, and distributed computing, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Proficiency with technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, Python, SQL, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud), as well as certifications in relevant tools or data engineering, is highly valuable. Strong leadership, problem-solving skills, and effective cross-functional communication are essential soft skills for this role. These combined abilities enable Principal Data Engineers to design scalable data solutions, drive engineering best practices, and lead complex projects to successful completion.

What are popular job titles related to Principal Data Engineer jobs in Boston, MA? For Principal Data Engineer jobs in Boston, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Principal Data Engineer jobs in Boston, MA look for? The top searched job categories for Principal Data Engineer jobs in Boston, MA are:
Principal Data Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Data Engineer job openings in Boston, MA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 75% In-person, 10% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $159,931 per year, or $76.9 per hour.

Principal, Data Engineer

American Tower

Woburn, MA • On-site

$170K - $213K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 28 days ago

American Tower rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

52nd of 96 rated telecommunications companies

Job description


The Team
We are seeking a Principal Data Engineer to join American Tower's Information Technology organization's Data & Analytics team. The team architects, builds, and optimizes cloud-native data foundations that enable analytics, artificial intelligence ("AI"), and enterprise-scale data products.
Day to day you will design and evolve the enterprise data platform, lead complex solution design, and embed governance enforcement through technical controls. As a Principal Data Engineer, you will set engineering standards, mentor engineers, and collaborate extensively with decentralized analytics teams across the Global Operations, Finance, and Sales departments to accelerate value delivery.
Responsibilities
What You Can Offer Us
  • Architect and evolve the enterprise data platform including ingestion, transformation, storage, orchestration, and serving layers for batch and streaming use cases.
  • Design and implement end-to-end data pipelines, reusable frameworks, and enterprise data models (dimensional, data vault, domain-oriented) to power analytics, AI, and operational use cases.
  • Define and operationalize the semantic data layer and embed governance enforcement through technical controls (data quality, validation, lineage, metadata, access).
  • Establish engineering standards for coding, testing, version control, documentation, and continuous integration/continuous delivery ("CI/CD"); optimize cost, performance, and scalability using FinOps principles.
  • Lead design reviews, root cause analyses, and incident responses; partner with the Data Science team to productionize models and enable real-time/batch inference.
  • Collaborate with Data Products, IT, security, and architecture teams to deliver secure, resilient, and compliant data products with strong service level agreements.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies, guide build-versus-buy decisions, and mentor engineers through code reviews, technical talks, and best practices.
  • Engage decentralized analytics teams to share standards and reusable components while avoiding duplication of efforts.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
What You Need to Succeed
  • Bachelor's degree required, with a concentration in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative field preferred.
  • Master's degree in a related field preferred.
  • A minimum of 8 years of data engineering or data platform development experience with at least 5 years as a senior or principal-level technical leader required.
  • Expert-level proficiency in Structured Query Language, Python programming language, and large-scale processing with Apache Spark or PySpark.
  • Deep experience with major cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform, and with modern data platforms such as Databricks or Snowflake.
  • Strong understanding of streaming technologies such as Apache Kafka or Amazon Kinesis, orchestration tools such as Apache Airflow, and transformation frameworks such as Data Build Tool.
  • Mastery of data modeling, semantic modeling, and performance tuning across data warehouse, lakehouse, and streaming architectures.
  • Ability to implement technical governance (data quality, lineage, metadata, access management, and privacy controls) and establish engineering standards (CI/CD, infrastructure as code, and automated testing).
  • Ability to lead complex technical design, influence without authority, and mentor engineers to raise the technical bar.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and suggestions clearly and effectively.
  • Ability to work with different functional groups and levels of employees to effectively and professionally achieve results.
  • Strong organizational skills; ability to accomplish multiple tasks within the agreed-upon timeframes through effective prioritization of duties and functions in a fast-paced environment.

About Us
American Tower is a global digital infrastructure company serving customers through tower sites and other real estate solutions that support connectivity and opportunity, focused on achieving our vision of Building a More Connected World. Our success is rooted in the potential of our people and the power of local teams at our offices and sites across 25 countries.
We are one of the largest global Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and a publicly traded (NYSE:AMT), Fortune 500 Company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The next decade will be an exciting time as we evolve our infrastructure to meet tomorrow's needs and position our people to elevate their impact, their potential, and our shared success. Come grow your career with us!
For more information about how American Tower is building a more connected world, visit americantower.com
American Tower is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee based on age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, creed, religion, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, marital status, familial status, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, reproductive decisions, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
American Tower is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, skills, certifications, job level, and location. For U.S.-based candidates only, please see the base salary range for this position listed below. This position is also eligible for annual bonus, and annual equity award and participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). For candidates outside of the U.S., salary and benefits are based upon local market practice.
American Tower also offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes healthcare coverage, a 401(k) savings plan, paid time off, company holidays, sick leave, parental leave, and access to an Employee Assistance Program focused on mental and financial wellness, please click here to learn more.

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