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Senior Principal Data Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Data Engineer Senior Principal (Hybrid)

Fort Liberty, NC · Hybrid

$122K - $168K/yr

Iron EagleX is looking for a Data Engineer Sr. Principal to support the USASOC OTA Program who knows how hardware and software components fit together and integrate with cloud-based resources, to ...

Job Title Principal Engineer Summary The Principal Data Engineer at Cushman & Wakefield is a senior, high-impact technical leader responsible for solving complex data engineering challenges and ...

Job Title Principal Engineer Summary The Principal Data Engineer at Cushman & Wakefield is a senior, high-impact technical leader responsible for solving complex data engineering challenges and ...

$120 - $160/hr

Principal Data Engineer Principal Data Engineer Job Type: Contract W2 Location: Johnston, RI or Charlotte, NC or Boston, MA Role Overview Principal-level Java engineer to design and build enterprise ...

Principal Data Engineer

Houston, TX · On-site

$106K - $127K/yr

Principal Data Engineer Location: Houston, TX - 4 days/week onsite Duration: Full time / Direct Hire The Principal Data Engineer within the Data Science and Analytics team, plays a crucial role in ...

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and implementing ... This is a senior-level position that requires exceptional technical expertise, strong leadership ...

Overview The Principal Data Engineer is a senior technical individual contributor (no direct people management required) responsible for driving technical excellence, architectural direction, and ...

Principal Data Engineer

Charlotte, NC · On-site

$100K - $110K/hr

Principal Data Engineer - Principal Data Engineer Job Type: Contract W2 Location: Johnston, RI or Charlotte, NC or Boston,MA Role Overview: Principal-level Java engineer to design and build ...

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and implementing ... This is a senior-level position that requires exceptional technical expertise, strong leadership ...

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and implementing ... This is a senior-level position that requires exceptional technical expertise, strong leadership ...

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and implementing ... This is a senior-level position that requires exceptional technical expertise, strong leadership ...

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and implementing ... This is a senior-level position that requires exceptional technical expertise, strong leadership ...

As a Principal Data Engineer, you will be responsible for architecting, designing, and implementing ... This is a senior-level position that requires exceptional technical expertise, strong leadership ...

Showing results 21-40

Senior Principal Data Engineer information

See salary details

$82K

$155.4K

$214.5K

How much do senior principal data engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior principal data engineer in the United States is $155,430.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $125,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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.
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What cities are hiring for Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Senior Principal Data Engineer job openings:

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

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What states have the most Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Senior Principal Data Engineer jobs include:

Infographic showing various Senior Principal Data Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 85% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $155,430 per year, or $74.7 per hour.

Data Engineer Senior Principal (Hybrid)

GDIT

Fort Liberty, NC • Hybrid

$122K - $168K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 15 hours ago


General Dynamics Information Technology rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 63 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

87th of 224 rated it services


Job description

Type of Requisition:

Regular

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess:

Secret

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain:

Secret

Public Trust/Other Required:

None

Job Family:

Data Science and Data Engineering

Job Qualifications:

Skills:

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Big Data, Data Analytics, Data Architecture Development, Technical Solutions

Certifications:

None

Experience:

10 + years of related experience

US Citizenship Required:

Yes

Job Description:

YOUR IMPACT

Own your opportunity to work with the largest government agency in the nation. Make an impact by advancing the Department of War's mission to keep our country safe and secure.

OUR COMPANY

Iron EagleX (IEX), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), delivers agile IT and Intelligence solutions. Combining small-team flexibility with global scale, IEX leverages emerging technologies to provide innovative, user-focused solutions that empower organizations and end users to operate smarter, faster, and more securely in dynamic environments.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Iron EagleX is looking for a Data Engineer Sr. Principal to support the USASOC OTA Program who knows how hardware and software components fit together and integrate with cloud-based resources, to help us modernize a DoW client's data architecture. We are seeking an engineer who is comfortable stepping outside of their comfort zone and learning new technologies to propel our command into the future.

This is a hybrid position, 50% remote and 50% onsite, in and around Fort Bragg, NC.

MEANINGFUL WORK AND PERSONAL IMPACT

As a Senior Principal Data Engineer, you will design and deliver advanced data solutions that directly enhance warfighter readiness and decision-making. In this role, you will also provide technical leadership and mentorship to a growing, dynamic engineering team, working in close partnership with a government Project Manager to ensure mission-focused, high-impact outcomes.

JOB DUTIES (INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO)

  • Leverage expertise in cloud-based data architectures to support mission-critical operations.
  • Recommend tools and capabilities based on your research of the current environment and knowledge of various on-premises, cloud based, and hybrid resources.
  • Work with the client's migration teams to implement strategy and architecture design.
  • Function as Team Lead for a small but growing team developing technical deliverables utilizing live data to create dynamic, visual dashboards based on customer direction. Work with government PM to establish sprint cadence and update status dashboards.
  • This is a hybrid position, 50% remote and 50% onsite at customer location/s on or around Fort Bragg, NC.
  • Quarterly travel.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

  • SQL Database experience
  • S3/Block Storage integration
  • Python scripting
  • 3-5 years of experience with non-proprietary big data technologies (Presto, Hive, Spark, Flink, etc) - Presto/Trino is preferred.
  • 3-5 years of experience with demonstrated strength in data lake/warehouse technical architecture, infrastructure components, and ETL/ELT pipelines
  • 3-5 years of experience with workflow management engines (i.e. Airflow, AWS Step Functions, Prefect)
  • Experience understanding requirements, analyzing data, discovering opportunities, addressing gaps and communicating them to multiple individuals and stakeholders.
  • 3-5 years of experience in software development, infrastructure, or Cloud operations role
  • Experience with multiple operating systems, including LINUX, UNIX, and Windows-based operation systems
  • Experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure
  • Experience with deploying containerized microservices in Kubernetes infrastructure
  • 10+ years' experience required
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen

DESIRED SKILLS:

  • Experience with applying DoW security technical implementation guides (STIGs) and automating that process
  • Experience working in defense or intelligence community cloud environments is a plus
  • PowerBI Ecosystem (primarily concerned with establishing & maintaining DataFlows)
  • Experience with optimizing cloud environments, including leveraging native cloud capabilities, right-sizing servers, expanding storage, and tracking cost efficiencies at the microservice level
  • Experience with configuring and aggregating logs for data analysis using Splunk or ELK solutions
  • Experience managing data pipelines between networks and TAK infrastructure

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO SUCCEED

  • Clearance: Current DoW Secret Clearance is required
  • Experience: 10 years of related experience
  • Education: Master's degree in computer science or related field
  • Role requirements: Hybrid work environment with 2-3 days on site at Fort Bragg and 2-3 days' remote.
  • Due to US Government Contract Requirements, only US Citizens are eligible for this role

GDIT IS YOUR PLACE
At GDIT, the mission is our purpose, and our people are at the center of everything we do.

  • Growth: AI-powered career tool that identifies career steps and learning opportunities
  • Support: An internal mobility team focused on helping you achieve your career goals
  • Rewards: Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages, 401K with company match, competitive pay and paid time off
  • Community: Award-winning culture of innovation and a military-friendly workplace


OWN YOUR OPPORTUNITY
Explore a career at GDIT and you'll find endless opportunities to grow alongside colleagues who share your passion for the mission and delivering results. #iexjobs

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans

The likely salary range for this position is $144,500 - $195,500. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Travel Required:

10-25%

Telecommuting Options:

Hybrid

Work Location:

USA NC Fort Bragg

Additional Work Locations:

Total Rewards at GDIT:

Our benefits package for all US-based employees includes a variety of medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts, dental plan options, a vision plan, and a 401(k) plan offering the ability to contribute both pre and post-tax dollars up to the IRS annual limits and receive a company match. To encourage work/life balance, GDIT offers employees full flex work weeks where possible and a variety of paid time off plans, including vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement and jury duty leave. To ensure our employees are able to protect their income, other offerings such as short and long-term disability benefits, life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness and business travel and accident insurance are provided or available. We regularly review our Total Rewards package to ensure our offerings are competitive and reflect what our employees have told us they value most.

Our Identity Verification Process:

As part of the hiring process, we will ask you to complete an identity verification process that leverages advanced biometrics and artificial intelligence to ensure authenticity and protect against identity fraud. You are expected to be on camera during virtual interviews. We reserve the right to take your picture to verify your identity and prevent fraud. By proceeding, you authorize the collection, processing, and use of your biometric data for identity verification and security purposes.

About Our Work:

We are GDIT. A global technology and professional services company that delivers technology solutions and mission services to every major agency across the U.S. government, defense and intelligence community. Our 26,000 experts extract the power of technology to create immediate value and deliver solutions at the edge of innovation. We operate across 50+ countries worldwide, offering leading mission-ready capabilities in AI, cloud, cyber and software development.Join our Talent Community to stay up to date on our career opportunities and events at

gdit.com/tc.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans

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About General Dynamics Information Technology

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

GDIT is a global technology and professional services company that delivers technology solutions and mission services to every major agency across the U.S. government, defense, and intelligence community. Its 30,000 experts extract the power of technology to create immediate value and deliver solutions at the edge of innovation. The company operates across 50+ countries worldwide, offering leading capabilities in digital modernization, AI/ML, cloud, cyber, and application development.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Falls Church, VA, US