Principal Data Engineer at Siteminder

At SiteMinder we believe the individual contributions of our employees are what drive our success. That’s why we hire and encourage diverse teams that include and respect a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Our diverse and inclusive culture enables our employees to bring their unique selves to work and be proud of doing so. It’s in our differences that we will keep revolutionising the way for our customers. We are better together! What We Do… We’re people who love technology but know that hoteliers just want things to be simple. So since 2006 we’ve been constantly innovating our world-leading hotel commerce platform to help accommodation owners find and book more guests online - quickly and simply.   We’ve helped everyone from boutique hotels to big chains, enabling travellers to book igloos, cabins, castles, holiday parks, campsites, pubs, resorts, Airbnbs, and everything in between.   And today, we’re the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform, supporting 50,000 hotels in 150+ countries - with over 130 million reservations processed by SiteMinder’s technology every year. The Role We are seeking a highly technical, hands-on Principal Data Engineer to serve as the backbone of our data platform. In this high-visibility role, you will bridge the gap between executive strategy and technical execution, working closely with the Chief Data Officer and VP of Data & Business Systems.. The ideal candidate is a master of the modern data stack, specifically Databricks and dbt, with a deep-rooted obsession for clean Kimball-style data modeling and the Medallion Architecture. You aren't just an individual contributor; you are a mentor and a coach who takes pride in elevating the engineering standards of the entire team. Key Responsibilities - Architect & Build: Design and implement robust end-to-end data pipelines within Databricks using the Medallion Architecture - Data Modeling Excellence: Act as the ultimate authority on data modeling. Implement Kimball best practices (Star Schemas, Dimensional Modeling) to ensure data is optimized for both performance and usability. - dbt Development: Lead the implementation and optimization of dbt projects, ensuring modularity, documentation, and rigorous testing. - Performance Tuning: Deep-dive into Spark clusters and SQL queries to identify bottlenecks, optimize costs, and ensure sub-second latency for critical workloads. - AI Integration: Collaborate with Data Science teams to build feature stores and production-grade pipelines that power LLMs and machine learning models. - Leadership & Coaching: Act as a "player-coach." Review code, establish engineering standards, and provide hands-on mentorship to junior and senior engineers. - Executive Collaboration: Translate high-level business goals from the CDO and CTO into technical roadmaps and deliverable milestones. Required Technical Skills - Expert SQL & Python: Mastery of advanced SQL (window functions, CTEs, performance optimization) and Python for data engineering. - Databricks Specialist: Expert-level knowledge of Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Photon, and Spark optimization. - dbt Power User: Proven experience managing complex dbt environments, including macros, packages, and CI/CD integration. - Modeling Mastery: Deep expertise in Kimball methodology and the ability to design scalable, intuitive data warehouses. - AI/ML Foundations: Familiarity with the AI lifecycle, including vector databases, model deployment, and MLOps. Soft Skills & Leadership - Exceptional Communicator: Ability to explain complex technical debt or architectural trade-offs to non-technical executive stakeholders. - Mentorship Mindset: A genuine passion for teaching others and a "rising tide lifts all boats" philosophy. - Ownership: A proactive "get it done" attitude with the ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast-paced environment. Qualifications - 9+ years in Data Engineering, with at least 2+ years in a Lead or Principal capacity. - Significant experience working within a Lakehouse environment (Databricks). [Databricks certification is preferred] - Proven track record of delivering enterprise-scale data models from scratch. Why Join Us? You will have a seat at the table with the company’s technical leadership, influencing the future of our data strategy. You will be given the autonomy to build things "the right way" and the resources to stay on the cutting edge of AI and data technology. Does this job sound like you? If yes, we'd love for you to be part of our team! Please send a copy of your resume and our Talent Acquisition team will be in touch. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any adjustments you may need during the interview process. We encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply.