Principal Engineer, Big Data Platform
Lead the strategy and technical direction of Pinterest’s data infrastructure for big data and AI applications.
Posted by employer 1 month ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 month ago
Last verified on the company career page 10 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
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Requirements
- Experience
- 12+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
Not disclosed in this posting: visa sponsorship.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In this role, the Principal Engineer for Big Data Platform at Pinterest will lead the development and scaling of data infrastructure that supports critical big data and AI applications. The position requires extensive experience with technologies like Kubernetes, Flink, and Spark, along with strong programming skills in languages such as Java or Python. Ideal candidates will have over a decade of industry experience and a proven ability to collaborate across teams while navigating complex technical challenges. Pinterest emphasizes innovation and teamwork, making this role suitable for seasoned professionals eager to influence the company's data strategy.
Joblaze insights
- Listed about a month ago — first seen on Joblaze September 3, 2026. Last confirmed on Pinterest's careers page October 27, 2026.
- Salary band is above the typical range for Data Engineering roles (median ~$180,656).
Quick facts
- Is the Principal Engineer, Big Data Platform role remote?
- It's hybrid — Pinterest expects some on-site time in San Francisco, CA, US; Remote, US.
- What's the salary range?
- Pinterest lists $242,634–$499,541 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 12 years of relevant experience for this Principal Engineer, Big Data Platform role.
- Where is the role based?
- Pinterest is hiring for this position in San Francisco, CA, US; Remote, US.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Flink, Go, Java, Kubernetes, Presto, PyTorch.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Pinterest targets principal-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Principal Engineer, Big Data Platform role at Pinterest.
From the original posting
About Pinterest:
We’re looking for a principal software engineer to lead the next generation of data infrastructure at Pinterest which powers mission critical big data and AI applications. You’ll be working on some of the most exciting big data and AI open source technologies (Flink, Spark, Kubernetes, etc.), at the scale of exabytes of data to help Pinners discover and do what they love.
What you’ll do:
- Lead the strategy and technical direction of Pinterest’s data infrastructure for big data and AI applications
- Build and scale data infra frameworks and infrastructure to process petabytes-scale datasets, including compute engines, job management, resource management, scheduling and remote shuffling
- Work with internal customers on critical business use cases that rely on big data
- Provide thought leadership to the entire company on how data should be processed and stored more reliably, quickly and efficiently at scale
- Contribute to the team’s technical vision and long-term roadmap
What we’re looking for:
- 12+ years of industry experience with a proven track record of technical excellence
- 8+ years of experience of building and support large scalable Kubernetes or big data platform
- Deep knowledge of big data / ML technologies (e.g. Flink, Spark, Presto, Kubernetes, Ray, PyTorch/TensorFlow)
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages (Java, Go, Scala, Python)
- Experiences in Kubernetes and AWS technologies
- Exceptional collaboration skills with cross-functional partners, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, make tradeoffs, and keep stakeholders aligned on priorities and progress.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
In-Office Requirement Statement:
- We let the type of work you do guide the collaboration style. That means we're not always working in an office, but we continue to gather for key moments of collaboration and connection.
- This role will need to be in the office for in-person collaboration 1-2 times/quarter and therefore can be situated anywhere in the country.
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At Pinterest we believe the workplace should be equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. In an effort to provide greater transparency, we are sharing the base salary range for this position. The position is also eligible for equity. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise.
Our Commitment to Inclusion:
Standard company text repeated across Pinterest's postings is omitted here.