Principal Data Engineer

About Us

Observe.AI is transforming customer service with AI agents that speak, think, and act like your best human agents—helping enterprises automate routine customer calls and workflows, support agents in real time, and uncover powerful insights from every interaction.

With Observe.AI, businesses boost automation, deliver faster, more consistent 24/7 service and build stronger customer loyalty. 

Trusted by brands like Accolade, Prudential, Concentrix, Cox Automotive, and Included Health, Observe.AI is redefining how businesses connect with customers—driving better experiences and lasting relationships at every touchpoint.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Principal Data Engineer to lead the design, development, and scaling of our next-generation data infrastructure. You will play a critical role in setting the technical direction for our data ecosystem, enabling high-quality, reliable, and performant data systems that empower analytics, machine learning, and product teams across the company.

You will partner cross-functionally with engineering, product, data science, and infrastructure teams to build systems that handle data at massive scale. If you’re passionate about building elegant data platforms and shaping the future of data architecture in a high-impact environment, we want to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing

• Design and evolve scalable, secure, and reliable data infrastructure (e.g., data lakes, data warehouses, streaming platforms).
• Drive technical strategy and long-term vision for data architecture across the company.
• Lead by example through hands-on architecture, design, and implementation of core data systems.
• Partner with ML engineers and data scientists to build infrastructure that supports experimentation, model training, and inference at scale.
• Define and promote best practices for data governance, lineage, privacy, and quality across teams.
• Mentor senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Evaluate and adopt new technologies where appropriate, and influence build-vs-buy decisions.
• Collaborate with leadership to align data infrastructure with business goals.

What you bring to the role

• 10+ years of experience in data engineering or backend infrastructure roles, with a strong focus on distributed data systems.
• Proven track record of designing and operating large-scale data platforms in a high-growth or consumer-scale environment (e.g., serving millions of users).
• Deep expertise in technologies such as Spark, Kafka, Airflow, Flink, Snowflake, Redshift, or similar.
• Strong programming skills in Python, Scala, or Java.
• Experience working with privacy-sensitive data and knowledge of compliance standards like GDPR or HIPAA.
• Extensive experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure), particularly in deploying and operating data services.
• Solid understanding of data modeling, ETL/ELT frameworks, and data governance.
• Experience mentoring engineers and influencing cross-org technical decisions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

What you can expect

• Competitive compensation including equity
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Flexible time off 
• 10 Company holidays + Winter Break and up to 16-weeks of parental leave
• 401K plan
• Quarterly Lifestyle Spend
• Monthly Mobile + Internet Stipend
• Pre-tax Commuter Benefits

Salary Range

The base salary compensation range targeted for this full-time position is $204,000-$261,000 per annum. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives and equity (in the form of options). This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the Company’s compensation practices.

Our Commitment to Inclusion and Belonging

Observe.AI is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that proudly pursues and hires a diverse workforce. Observe AI does not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws or prohibited by Company policy. Observe.AI also strives for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibits harassment of any kind.

We welcome all people. We celebrate diversity of all kinds and are committed to creating an inclusive culture built on a foundation of respect for all individuals. We seek to hire, develop, and retain talented people from all backgrounds. Individuals from non-traditional backgrounds, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you are ambitious, make an impact wherever you go, and you're ready to shape the future of Observe.AI, we encourage you to apply. For more information, visit www.observe.ai.