Staff Software Engineer (Backend)

Business Area:

Seniority Level:

Job Description: 

At Cloudera, we empower people to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. With as much data under management as the hyperscalers, we're the preferred data partner for the top companies in almost every industry.  Powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community, Cloudera advances digital transformation for the world’s largest enterprises.

At Cloudera, our Data Services Pillar is the heart of data innovation. We create seamless, enterprise-grade experiences for data engineering, warehousing, streaming, and AI.

Cloudera Data Engineering (CDE) is our next-generation, cloud-native service built on Apache Spark and Apache Airflow. It allows customers to run large-scale workflows with just a few clicks across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. We are looking for an exceptional Staff Software Engineer to lead the evolution of this platform, ensuring it remains the only toolset purpose-built for enterprise-scale ETL and orchestration.

As a Staff Software Engineer you will:

• Architect & Scale Core Systems: Design and evolve high-performance systems within the Data Engineering platform, focusing on the Spark ecosystem and surrounding cloud-native technologies.

• Solve Complex Challenges: Address non-routine technical problems requiring high levels of creativity and a deep understanding of distributed systems architecture.

• Own the Spark Experience: Build features that enhance Spark’s scale and reliability across production clusters ranging from hundreds to thousands of nodes.

• Provide Technical Leadership: Drive architectural discussions and provide technical direction for major projects, influencing both your immediate team and broader organizational initiatives.

• Lead Projects & Delivery: Act as the primary technical lead for domain-specific projects, managing priorities across complex modules while ensuring high-quality execution.

• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work with Product Management, UI/UX, and Field Engineering to translate customer insights into successful technical executions.

• Mentor & Develop Talent: Coach junior and senior engineers, participate in hiring efforts, and conduct high-level technical interviews for system design and coding.

We’re excited about you if you have:

• 8+ years of experience building enterprise-grade infrastructure or platform software with deep expertise in distributed systems.

• Spark & Big Data Expertise: Hands-on experience developing Apache Spark or related technologies, with a strong understanding of system architecture and component interfaces.

• Kubernetes & Containers: Production experience operating containerized workloads on Kubernetes (K8s) and Docker at scale.

• Strong Programming Foundations: Advanced proficiency in data structures and algorithms, with a command of Java, Scala, Go, or Python.

• Cloud Platform Knowledge: Experience with private cloud platforms (OpenShift/Rancher) and public cloud providers (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

• Proven Leadership: Ability to influence technical planning and decision-making at a program level while maintaining excellent verbal and written communication.

• Education: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related field.

You may also have:

• Experience using AI-assisted development tools to improve engineering efficiency.

• Active contributions to open-source projects within the Apache Software Foundation or CNCF.

• Experience with modern UI patterns and responsive design (for full-stack scope).

What you can expect from us:

• Generous PTO Policy 

• Support work life balance with Unplugged Days

• Flexible WFH Policy 

• Mental & Physical Wellness programs 

• Phone and Internet Reimbursement program 

• Access to Continued Career Development 

• Comprehensive Benefits and Competitive Packages 

• Paid Volunteer Time

• Employee Resource Groups

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