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Senior Principal Data Engineer Jobs in California

Role DescriptionAs a Principal Data Engineer for AgentExchange, you will serve as the chief data architect and technical authority powering our next-generation product analytics and AI platform. In ...

We are looking for a Principal Data Engineer to shape the future of data at Prodege.This is a high-impact role for someone who wants to own more than pipelines. You will help build the next ...

We are looking for a Principal Data Engineer to shape the future of data at Prodege.This is a high-impact role for someone who wants to own more than pipelines. You will help build the next ...

We are looking for a highly skilled Senior Data Engineer / Data Architect with deep hands-on ... Principal-level solution architecture design * Cross-functional stakeholder collaboration

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer - Agentic Data Platforms The Mission As a Principal Data Engineer , you are ... Mentor and guide Staff Engineers and Senior Engineers. * Lead design reviews and steward ...

Principal Data Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$267K - $288K/yr

Principal Data Engineer Job Requisition: 1010.1323.7 / R265296 Job Location: San Jose, California Job Type: Full Time Rate of Pay: $267,800 - $288,558 per year Duties: * Lead enterprise data ...

Principal Data Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$267K - $288K/yr

Principal Data Engineer Job Requisition: 1010.1323.7 / R265296 Job Location: San Jose, California Job Type: Full Time Rate of Pay: $267,800 - $288,558 per year Duties: * Lead enterprise data ...

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Senior Principal Data Engineer information

What is a senior principal data engineer?

Senior Principal Data Engineers are experienced professionals who design, develop, and oversee large-scale data systems and architectures for organizations. They lead teams in building robust data pipelines, ensure data quality, and implement best practices for data storage, processing, and security. Their role often involves collaborating with data scientists, analysts, and other stakeholders to support data-driven decision-making. They also mentor junior engineers and help set the technical vision for data engineering projects.

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

To thrive as a Senior Principal Data Engineer, you need deep expertise in data architecture, data modeling, distributed systems, and strong proficiency in programming languages like Python, Java, or Scala, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, Spark, Kafka), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and relevant certifications such as AWS Certified Data Analytics or Google Professional Data Engineer is highly valuable. Leadership, strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills help you guide teams and align data solutions with business goals. These capabilities are crucial for designing scalable, robust data infrastructure and driving data-driven decision-making at an organizational level.

How does a senior principal data engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams on large-scale projects?

Senior Principal Data Engineers often serve as technical leaders, working closely with data scientists, software engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders to design and implement robust data architectures. They facilitate communication across teams to ensure data solutions align with both technical requirements and business goals. Collaboration may involve leading design discussions, reviewing code, mentoring junior engineers, and establishing best practices for data quality and scalability. Their role is crucial in bridging gaps between technical and non-technical teams, ensuring successful project delivery.

What is the difference between Senior Principal Data Engineer vs Lead Data Engineer?

AspectSenior Principal Data EngineerLead Data Engineer
CredentialsAdvanced degrees (MSc/PhD), extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's, significant data engineering experience
Work EnvironmentStrategic, architecture design, cross-team collaborationProject execution, team coordination, technical leadership
Industry UsageUsed in large organizations for high-level technical rolesCommon in tech companies and data-driven industries

The Senior Principal Data Engineer focuses on strategic architecture and high-level technical decisions, often working across teams. In contrast, the Lead Data Engineer manages project execution and team coordination. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Senior Principal typically has more experience and a broader scope of responsibilities.

How much does a senior principal data engineer make?

A senior principal data engineer typically earns between $130,000 and $180,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. They often have advanced skills in data architecture, cloud platforms, and programming languages like Python or Scala, which can influence compensation levels.

What are the most commonly searched types of Principal Data Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Principal Data Engineer jobs in California are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Principal Data Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Principal Data Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution.

Principal Data Engineer

San Francisco, CA • On-site


Salesforce, Inc.

8.1

Company rating: 8.1 out of 10

Based on 58 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

114th of 246 rated software companies

People enjoy working here

Good employer

Paid breaks


$197 - $314/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 24 days ago


Job description

## Principal Data EngineerApplyremote type: Office Tech-Flexiblelocations: California - San Francisco: Washington - Seattletime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todayjob requisition id: JR352975*To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.*Job CategorySoftware EngineeringJob Details****About Salesforce****Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.Department Overview Data Solutions is the force that propels Salesforce into the AI era, informing—through trusted data and artificial intelligence—the path forward to be smarter in every dimension. Delivering everything from financial forecasting and customer health to adoption insights and curated data, Data Solutions serves as the unbiased partner to every data trailblazer across Salesforce. As part of this organization, Cloud Analytics operates as the strategic product analytics engine, partnering directly with cloud leadership to drive high-stakes decision-making through rigorous metrics and insights. Sitting within Cloud Analytics as a forward-deployed partner to the AgentExchange and Partner Ecosystem business, this role collaborates hand-in-hand with product, engineering, and data leadership to co-build the foundations, core metrics, strategic insights, and autonomous agents driving the product forward.Role DescriptionAs a Principal Data Engineer for AgentExchange, you will serve as the chief data architect and technical authority powering our next-generation product analytics and AI platform. In this high-leverage position, you will design, scale, and maintain the enterprise-grade data infrastructure, real-time pipelines, and feature stores that feed both high-stakes decision systems and autonomous AI agents. Operating on the front lines alongside decision scientists, software engineers, and product leaders, you will transform high-volume data streams into pristine, reliable, and high-performing technical foundations.Responsibilities* Data Architecture & Strategy: Architect, build, and scale the foundational data platforms, lakehouses, and high-throughput pipelines that power AgentExchange product analytics, metrics, and agentic workflows.* Agentic Infrastructure & Orchestration: Design and deploy production-grade data pipelines, feature stores, and event-driven architectures that enable autonomous AI agents to operate reliably at enterprise scale.* Platform Excellence & Reliability: Establish end-to-end data governance, quality frameworks, lineage tracking, and performance monitoring to ensure zero-downtime reliability for mission-critical data assets.* Cross-Functional Engineering Leadership: Serve as the principal technical authority on data architecture, partnering seamlessly with decision scientists, software engineers, and product managers to translate complex business needs into elegant technical systems.* Technical Roadmap Ownership: Co-own the long-term data technology roadmap for AgentExchange, anticipating scale bottlenecks and driving architectural evolution ahead of product growth.* Mentorship & Engineering Rigor: Elevate the engineering bar across Cloud Analytics by establishing standards for code quality, testing, CI/CD, and system design, while mentoring engineers across the broader organization.Required Skills* Proven Experience: 7+ years of hands-on data engineering experience building complex, enterprise-scale data platforms, distributed systems, and real-time data pipelines. Must have a track record of actively shipping production code alongside architectural leadership.* Systems Architecture & Data Engineering: Mastery of modern distributed computing, data lakehouse architectures, and cloud data warehouses, alongside deep expertise in orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow, Dagster).* AI & Agentic Infrastructure: Demonstrated experience engineering data systems for LLMs, agentic workflows, feature stores, or vector retrieval pipelines. You build the data plumbing that makes AI systems fast, accurate, and scalable.* Software Engineering Mastery: Expert proficiency in Python, Scala, or Java, alongside expert-level SQL tuning and deep familiarity with software engineering best practices (Docker, Git, CI/CD, IaC).* Technical Foundation: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent practical impact).* Architectural Influence: Strong communication skills with a proven track record of distilling complex system architecture decisions into clear business trade-offs for technical and non-technical executives alike.Unleash Your PotentialWhen you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and *be your best*, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can *do your best*. Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.AccommodationsIf you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.Posting StatementSalesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.### ### ### ### At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions.The typical base salary range for this position is $197,300 - $313,700 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $237,700 - $344,700 annually.The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.### ### ### ###### About UsWe're Salesforce, the Customer Company, inspiring the future of business with AI + Data + CRM. Leading with our core values, we help companies across every industry blaze new trails and connect with customers in a whole new way. And, we empower you to be a Trailblazer, too — driving your performance and career growth, charting new paths, and improving the state of the world. If you believe in business as the greatest platform for change and in companies doing well *and* doing good – you've come to the right place. #J-18808-Ljbffr

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