Principal Engineer – Platform & Data

About This Opportunity

We are representing a confidential transit technology client in their search for a Principal Engineer to join their Platform & Data Architecture team. This is a senior technical leadership role focused on shaping platform direction, strengthening data architecture, and operating across engineering teams in a fully remote capacity from Romania.

You'll combine deep technical expertise with strong judgment, moving between system-level thinking and hands-on implementation. A key focus will be evolving how our client structures, stores, and leverages platform-generated data to support their global operations.

Responsibilities

• Shape platform architecture including blueprint definition, standards, and best practices
• Define and evolve data architecture strategy, including how data is structured, stored, and utilized across the platform
• Design and deliver scalable, robust, cost-efficient services aligned with platform standards
• Stay hands-on in code and technical delivery, including reviews and targeted contributions
• Identify and resolve complex platform challenges related to scalability, performance, resilience, and cost
• Act as senior technical advisor across engineering teams, influencing decisions and ensuring standards are followed
• Shape technical roadmap planning and prioritization of platform improvements
• Support RFP estimation and technical scoping for complex initiatives
• Produce clear technical documentation and architecture artifacts
• Contribute to technical forums and working groups, including API and architecture governance

What We're Looking For

Required Experience:

• Strong experience designing and evolving distributed systems and microservices architectures
• Principal or Staff level experience shaping technical direction across multiple teams or domains
• Comfortable staying hands-on, contributing in code, design, and delivery when needed
• Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred) and modern infrastructure practices
• Experience working on systems where scale, reliability, performance, and cost trade-offs matter
• Proven experience in data architecture (data platforms, pipelines, warehousing, or data lakes) and products built on large data stores
• Ability to turn loosely defined business or technical problems into clear, actionable technical approaches
• Strong communication skills and ability to produce structured documentation for technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience contributing to engineering standards, architecture patterns, or platform direction
• Strong REST API design experience in complex, multi-service environments

Preferred Background:

• Experience breaking monolithic applications into microservices architectures
• Experience with event-driven architectures (Kafka, schema governance)
• Experience improving cloud cost and system efficiency at scale
• Familiarity with: Kotlin, Java, DynamoDB, MySQL, Snowflake, Databricks, Spark, Terraform, GitLab CI/CD
• Interest in or exposure to AI-enabled systems and architectural implications in production

How We Work With You

When you apply through Get A Job.ai, our recruiting team will review your background and conduct an initial screening. If there's a strong match, we'll submit your profile to our client for consideration. Throughout the process, we'll be your advocate and main point of contact.

Please apply exclusively through Get A Job.ai and do not contact the client directly. Our team will coordinate all communications and next steps.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the screening process based on experience level and market conditions.

Get A Job.ai is an equal opportunity recruiter. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences, and we're committed to supporting you throughout the hiring process.