Principal Data Engineer

About the Role

Realtor.com® is seeking a motivated and energetic Principal Data Engineer to shape and lead its technical strategy. In this hands‑on leadership position you will drive the next phase of growth and innovation within the Data community, ensuring data governance, security, compliance, and efficient management for optimal performance and cost.

Top Reasons to Apply

• Architect the future of data at Realtor.com, owning end‑to‑end architecture of the entire data landscape.
• Bridge the gap between technology and business as a strategic partner, delivering pragmatic, value‑driving solutions.
• High autonomy and high impact – make critical technical decisions across multiple squads and future‑proof data capabilities at enterprise scale.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical leader across multiple squads, aligning the data roadmap with business needs and OKRs.
• Drive the maturation of data pipelines, implementing best‑in‑class tooling for both technical and business partners.
• Design advanced, scalable data architectures and enterprise‑grade data models.
• Make strategic recommendations and steer technical decision‑making across empowered teams.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative environment focused on excellence in people and products.
• Mentor talented engineers and champion continuous improvement within the Data community.

What We’re Looking For

• Technical leadership and data architecture expertise: champion data best practices, develop modern, scalable enterprise Data and AI architectures, and balance existing systems with innovative solutions.
• Establish robust data governance, security, and compliance policies while optimizing data for efficient management, analysis, and cost control.
• Strategic technical decision‑making: influence direction and execution across multiple squads.
• Data strategy and roadmap leadership: align data initiatives directly with core business objectives.
• Real‑time data platform expertise: deep experience building modern, real‑time data platforms.
• Data fundamentals mastery: expert knowledge of SQL, data structures, algorithms, and schema design best practices.
• Stakeholder collaboration: work closely with business partners to understand and fulfill data needs.
• Technical problem‑solving: dive into complex challenges, debug issues, and provide guidance to engineers.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of architectural and design experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).

How We Work

We balance creativity and innovation on a foundation of in‑person collaboration. Most roles work four or more days per week in our offices, allowing teams to collaborate face‑to‑face, enrich our culture, and knit together stronger relationships.

Benefits

• Inclusive and competitive medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage
• Family‑forming benefits
• 13 paid holidays
• Flexible Time Off
• 8 hours of paid volunteer time off
• Immediate eligibility for a 401(k) plan with a 3.5% company match
• Tuition reimbursement for degree and non‑degree programs
• 1:1 personalized financial planning sessions
• Student debt repayment assistance
• Retirement savings match program
• Free snacks and refreshments in each office location