Principal Data Platforms Engineer
Simple Machines10 months ago
Sydney, AustraliaStaff+
Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end architecture of cloud-native data platforms and make decisions across ingestion, storage, processing, and access layers.
- Design and deliver greenfield data platforms, data mesh architectures, data products, data contracts, and consumer-oriented data access.
- Build and optimise batch, real-time, streaming, and event-driven data pipelines.
- Process and transform large datasets and optimise storage formats, access patterns, and production performance.
- Work across relational, NoSQL, and analytical data stores.
- Implement secure, compliant, governed, and production-grade data solutions.
- Consult directly with clients, translate business needs into engineering decisions, and act as a trusted technical advisor.
- Set engineering standards, review designs and code, mentor engineers, and improve data quality, testing, observability, and operational excellence.
Requirements
- Strong Python and SQL skills.
- Deep experience with Spark and modern data platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake.
- Solid experience with cloud data services on AWS or GCP.
- Demonstrated ownership of large-scale data platform architectures and production data pipelines.
- Strong data modelling and architectural decision-making skills, including balancing performance, cost, and complexity.
- Experience with multiple storage technologies and data formats.
- Infrastructure-as-code experience with Terraform or Pulumi.
- Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions or ArgoCD.
- Experience with data testing and quality frameworks such as dbt, Great Expectations, or Soda.
- Consulting or professional services experience and the ability to guide clients toward effective outcomes.
- Ability to mentor senior engineers and influence technical culture.
Benefits
- Hybrid workplace in Sydney, Australia.
- Work on interesting, high-impact data and engineering problems.
- Build modern platforms rather than maintain legacy systems.
- Work alongside experienced senior engineers.
- Autonomy, influence, and room for professional growth.
Tech Stack
Apache AirflowApache CassandraApache FlinkApache KafkaApache SparkAWSDatabricksdbtGitHub ActionsGoogle BigQueryGoogle Cloud PlatformMongoDBPostgreSQLPythonSnowflakeSQLTerraform
Categories
Data Engineering
About Simple Machines
Simple Machines is a privately held consulting and engineering firm that designs and builds data platforms, machine-learning/AI systems, and bespoke software for enterprises and public-sector clients. The company provides architecture, data engineering, and scalable distributed systems expertise across AWS, GCP, Azure, Databricks, Snowflake, and Confluent. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Sydney, it operates globally with teams in Australia, the UK, Europe, and New Zealand.