Principal Software Engineer II, Horizon Catalog at Snowflake

Menlo Park, California, United States

Snowflake Logo
$304,000 – $437,000Compensation
Expert & Leadership (9+ years), Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Technology, Data Management, AIIndustries

Requirements

  • 15+ years experience designing and building large-scale distributed services
  • Deep expertise in metadata management and designing architectures to unify data from heterogeneous sources for governance
  • Proven ability to architect fine-grained access control and audit systems
  • Track record of translating high-level business strategy into actionable engineering roadmaps and influencing technical direction across multiple teams
  • Fluency in Java or another similar procedural object-oriented language
  • BS, Masters or PhD in Computer Science
  • Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience leveraging semantic metadata to power AI experiences, such as RAG for discovery
  • Ability to articulate architectural differentiation against key competitors
  • Solid understanding of RBAC and ABAC principles applied to scalable permissioning layers
  • Experience exposing catalog/search tools via Multi-Cloud Platforms for third-party agents, including safety and policy integration

Responsibilities

  • Set Technical Vision: Lead strategic planning for the Horizon Catalog, translating complex business goals into technical architecture, and developing high-impact engineering roadmaps
  • Drive Product Influence: Actively influence and co-develop the product roadmap in partnership with the PM team
  • High velocity execution: Directly lead execution of high complexity initiatives, and guide the execution of other initiatives in the team
  • Technical Mentorship: Mentor and grow senior engineers

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

distributed systemsmetadata managementdata governanceaccess controlaudit systemstechnical leadershipsystem architectureroadmap planning

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for the Principal Software Engineer II position?

The salary range is $304K - $437K.

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

This information is not specified in the job description.

What are the key skills required for this role?

Candidates need 15+ years experience designing large-scale distributed services, deep expertise in metadata management, proven ability in governance and access control architectures, strategic leadership in roadmaps, and fluency in Java or similar language.

What is the company culture like at Snowflake?

Snowflake has a culture focused on impact, innovation, and collaboration, empowering enterprises and people to reach their full potential while building big, moving fast, and advancing technology and careers.

What makes a strong candidate for this Principal Software Engineer II role?

A strong candidate will have 15+ years of experience in large-scale distributed services, expertise in metadata and governance, strategic leadership, Java fluency, and preferred skills like AI/semantic architecture, modern access control, and experience with multi-cloud platforms.

Snowflake

Data management and analytics platform

About Snowflake

Snowflake provides a platform called the AI Data Cloud that helps organizations manage and analyze their data. This platform allows users to store and process large amounts of data efficiently, offering services like data warehousing, data lakes, data engineering, data science, and data sharing. Snowflake's system works by uniting data from different sources, enabling secure sharing and performing various types of analytics. What sets Snowflake apart from its competitors is its ability to operate seamlessly across multiple public clouds, allowing users to access their data from anywhere. The company's goal is to help businesses leverage their data for better decision-making by providing a flexible subscription-based service that scales according to their needs.

Bellevue, WashingtonHeadquarters
2012Year Founded
$1,341.3MTotal Funding
IPOCompany Stage
Data & Analytics, Enterprise Software, AI & Machine LearningIndustries
5,001-10,000Employees

Benefits

We've got your back - We offer comprehensive health insurance plans, health savings accounts, robust retirement plans, and generous life and disability insurance.
A Balanced Lifestyle - All Snowflakes have access to our weekly online lunch and learns, virtual workout classes, and ergonomic work-from-home equipment. We offer on-demand mental health and wellness programs to support our employees and their families.
Your People Matter - Help offset the cost of growing your family with our fertility benefits and family planning resources. Count on our generous time-off and various leave plans for you to rest, refuel, and sustain a great work-life balance.
Global Snowflake Team - No matter where you are in the world, we will get you connected and supported with a work-from-home setup.
Treat Yourself - Personalize your Snowflake benefits by tapping into our employee discounts and pre-tax selections.
Invest In Your Future - Eligible employees enjoy new hire equity, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), and a quarterly bonus or commission program.

Risks

Integration challenges from Datavolo acquisition may disrupt operations and customer service.
Increased competition from Mistral AI could challenge Snowflake's market position.
Convertible senior notes pricing may increase financial pressure if market conditions worsen.

Differentiation

Snowflake offers a unified platform for diverse data workloads, unlike traditional solutions.
The AI Data Cloud enables near-unlimited scale and performance for data mobilization.
Snowflake's seamless multi-cloud experience ensures efficient data operations across locations.

Upsides

Acquisition of Datavolo enhances Snowflake's open data integration capabilities.
Investment in Metaplane boosts AI-driven data quality solutions for Snowflake users.
Snowflake Ventures' investment in Hex expands accessibility of data tools to non-technical users.

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