The Principal Data Engineer will lead the data engineering team to innovate and implement the newest data engineering trends and best practices to create complex data pipelines within UT's cloud data ecosystem in support of academic and administrative needs.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.
- 5+ years of experience designing, implementing, and maintaining complex, production-grade data pipelines and enterprise data platforms.
- Experience with cloud-based data engineering, preferably in Amazon Web Services (AWS), with strong command of services such as Glue, S3, Lambda, Redshift, and EMR.
- Deep expertise with Databricks Lakehouse Platform, including Delta Lake, Delta Live Tables, and Unity Catalog, for scalable data ingestion, transformation, and governance.
- Proficiency in Python, PySpark, and SQL, with demonstrated experience in building ETL/ELT workflows across structured and unstructured data sources.
- Proven ability to design and implement high-performance, AI-ready data architectures supporting analytics, machine learning, and real-time data processing.
- Experience developing and deploying Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines for data engineering using tools such as Databricks Repos, GitHub Actions, or Terraform.
- Strong foundation in test-driven data engineering, including automated data quality, validation, and observability frameworks.
- Advanced knowledge of data governance, metadata management, and security compliance in cloud and Databricks environments.
- Excellent systems analysis, design, and troubleshooting skills with the ability to address performance bottlenecks in distributed data systems.
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Proven experience leading and mentoring teams, fostering technical excellence and innovation.
Benefits
- Competitive health benefits (Employee premiums covered at 100%; family premiums at 50%)
- Vision, dental, life, and disability insurance options
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
- Teachers Retirement System of Texas (a defined benefit retirement plan)
- Additional voluntary retirement programs: tax sheltered annuity 403(b) and a deferred compensation program 457(b)
- Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
- Training and conference opportunities
- Tuition assistance
- Athletic ticket discounts
- Access to UT Austin's libraries and museums
- Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Capital Metro buses with staff ID card
