1

Senior Principal Data Engineer Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Principal Data Engineer

Denver, CO ยท On-site

$210K - $290K/yr

Mentor Junior and Senior Data Engineers and provide technical guidance across the engineering teams ... This is a hands-on Principal level engineering role. The successful candidate should be comfortable ...

New

Principal Data Engineer

Boulder, CO ยท On-site

$140K - $187K/yr

... We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer (Data) with deep roots in adtech data ... Drive technical standards, design reviews, and engineering best practices across a senior team

Principal Data Engineer

Boulder, CO ยท On-site

$128K - $153K/yr

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will lead a team in building and maintaining scalable, reliable data pipelines that bridge on-premises and cloud environments. You'll leverage your expertise in data ...

Data Engineer, Principal

Denver, CO ยท On-site

$117.10 - $130.87/hr

... hire a Data Engineer, Principal for its Data Services team. This organization provides the ... This role reports to a Senior Manager, Data Solutions, or Director, and partners with Enterprise ...

Data Engineer, Principal

Denver, CO ยท On-site +1

$85 - $95/hr

... hire a Data Engineer, Principal for its Data Services team. This organization provides the ... This role reports to a Senior Manager, Data Solutions, or Director, and partners with Enterprise ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

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 popular job titles related to Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs in Colorado?

For Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs in Colorado, the most frequently searched job titles are:

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

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

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

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

Infographic showing various Senior Principal Data Engineer job openings in Colorado as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution.

Principal Data Engineer

Denver, CO โ€ข On-site

True Anomaly
Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturingย โ€ขย 11 - 50 employees

$210K - $290K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 2 days ago

New


Job description

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.
OUR MISSION
True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors - enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.
OUR VALUES
  • Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.
  • What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.
  • It's the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.

YOUR MISSION
We are looking for a Principal Data Engineer to provide hands-on technical leadership in designing, building and evolving scalable data platforms. This role will be responsible for solving complex data engineering challenges, establishing engineering standards, and guiding the technical direction of True Anomaly's Enterprise Data Platform.
The ideal candidate is a strong hands-on engineer with deep experience in Python, SQL, and modern cloud data platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks or Redshift.
This role will embrace the use of AI to aid data engineering and improve productivity, including leveraging AI-assisted development tools, automation and systems to accelerate pipeline development, improve code quality and optimize workflows.
RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Design, develop and maintain scalable data pipelines and data products using Python, SQL and modern data engineering practices, supporting batch, streaming, analytics, and AI/ML workloads
  • Build and optimize ELT/ETL processes and data models using cloud data platforms with a focus on performance, scalability, reliability and cost efficiency
  • Establish and apply engineering best practices for data quality, testing, monitoring, observability, CI/CD, version control, security, and production reliability
  • Own data engineering projects end-to-end, from technical design and development through deployment, production support, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement
  • Collaborate across engineering, AI/ML, analytics, product and business teams to translate requirements into reliable, scalable data solutions and products and contribute to technical design decisions
  • Leverage AI-assisted engineering tools while contributing to data engineering technical excellence through code reviews, reusable frameworks, documentation, knowledge sharing, and mentoring other data engineers
  • Mentor Junior and Senior Data Engineers and provide technical guidance across the engineering teams

QUALIFICATIONS
  • 10+ years of experience in data engineering and software engineering field
  • Strong hands-on Python and SQL experience
  • 3+ years of experience with Snowflake, Databricks, or both
  • Strong understanding of data engineering, data architecture, data modelling and ELT/ETL
  • Strong understanding of software engineering practices including Git, testing, CI/CD and code reviews
  • Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership and mentor other engineers
  • Adopt AI-assisted engineering tools to improve productivity and delivery speed

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience with AWS, Azure or GCP
  • Experience with Airflow, dbt, Kafka or similar technologies
  • Experience building out Lakehouse architectures
  • Experience with data governance, lineage and observability

What we are looking for:
This is a hands-on Principal level engineering role. The successful candidate should be comfortable writing code, designing architecture, solving difficult technical problems, and influencing best data practices across the company
COMPENSATION
  • Base Salary: Denver - $200,000 - $280,000, Long Beach - $210,000 - $290,000
  • Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
  • Work Location- Long Beach, CA, or Denver, CO. While we observe a hybrid work environment, you will need to be onsite as the business needs require. Onsite requirements are subject to change, particularly when work on classified systems is required. On an average week, you can expect to spend at least 3 days per week in office.
  • Work environment-the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
  • Physical demands-the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below. #LI-Onsite
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us.