Principal Cloud Data Platform Engineer at Northern Trust

Chicago, Illinois, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Financial ServicesIndustries

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred)
7+ years of experience in data engineering, cloud engineering, or platform engineering
Hands-on experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
Strong experience with big data and data processing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Databricks, Flink)
Proven expertise in building data pipelines with tools like Apache Airflow, dbt, Kafka, or similar
Proficiency in SQL and one or more programming languages (Python, Java, or Scala)
Deep understanding of cloud-native data services (e.g., AWS Redshift, Glue, S3, Athena; Azure Synapse, Data Factory; GCP BigQuery, Dataflow)
Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation, Pulumi)
Knowledge of FinOps principles for cost-efficient data platform design
Strong problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain cloud-native data platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
Develop and optimize data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and processing of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data
Build reusable frameworks and automation for data workflows, monitoring, and scaling
Ensure data storage and compute solutions are optimized for performance, security, and cost efficiency
Integrate cloud data services with enterprise applications, APIs, and third-party tools
Implement data quality, lineage, and cataloging solutions across the data platform
Enforce governance, security, and compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2)
Work with architects and security teams to implement role-based access, encryption, and audit controls
Support metadata management, data discoverability, and enterprise-wide data democratization
Manage the operational health of the cloud data platform, including monitoring, alerting, and troubleshooting
Establish CI/CD pipelines for data services and platform components
Implement disaster recovery, backup, and failover strategies
Continuously optimize platform performance, cost, and scalability
Partner with data scientists, BI teams, and application developers to enable advanced analytics and AI/ML workloads
Evaluate emerging cloud data services and recommend adoption based on enterprise needs
Provide technical expertise in designing cloud-based data architectures and solutions
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in cloud engineering and data development

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

AWSAzureGCPData PipelinesETLData IngestionData TransformationData GovernanceData LineageData CatalogingGDPRHIPAASOC2RBACEncryptionCloud-NativeAutomationMonitoringScaling

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What experience level is required for this Principal Cloud Data Platform Engineer role?

The role requires 7+ years of experience along with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).

What cloud platforms should candidates be experienced with?

Candidates need experience designing, implementing, and maintaining cloud-native data platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.

What key technical skills are needed for this position?

Essential skills include developing data pipelines for ingestion, transformation, and processing of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data, implementing data governance and security standards like GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2, and managing CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and disaster recovery.

Is this a remote position or does it require office work?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What is the salary or compensation for this role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What does the company culture emphasize at Northern Trust?

Northern Trust emphasizes enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity, with over 22,000 partners serving sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

What makes a strong candidate for this Principal Cloud Data Platform Engineer position?

Strong candidates will have 7+ years of experience, a relevant degree, expertise in cloud platforms like AWS/Azure/GCP, data pipeline development, governance, and a collaborative mindset for mentoring and partnering with data scientists and stakeholders.