Principal Data Engineer

We’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer (Data) with deep roots in adtech data infrastructure and a genuine conviction about what AI-native data engineering looks like in practice. This is a specialized principal-level engineering role - one that carries all the architectural ownership and technical leadership expectations of a Principal Software Engineer, focused on Sovrn’s Data Collective.

From a generative/agentic AI capabilities standpoint, we already use LLMs and agentic tooling across our data stack and, we’re looking for is someone who can help us take that from general adoption to intentional practice - who has strong opinions about where AI creates real leverage in a high-throughput adtech environment, and who can bring the rest of the engineering organization along with them.

Languages/components/tools in our stack: Python, Pyspark, Kafka, Databricks, AWS

What you’ll be doing:

Data Platform & Architecture

• Own the design and evolution of data platform systems that operate at exchange scale; high throughput, real-time streaming, and always-on batch pipelines
• Lead architectural decisions across data infrastructure: pipeline design, data modeling, lakehouse architecture, and data services layers
• Specify data platform components and configurations required for pipeline implementation; define pipeline observability to understand and improve performance at massive scale
• Research, implement, and evolve methods to process and democratize data across the organization
• Drive technical standards, design reviews, and engineering best practices across a senior team
• Partner with product, data science, and platform teams to ship end-to-end

AI & Agentic Engineering Leadership

• Establish and champion AI engineering practices across the team, from prompt engineering and RAG patterns to agentic workflow design, LLM evaluation, and progressive implementation of agentic design patterns
• Identify high-leverage opportunities to apply AI in our data stack: intelligent pipeline optimization, anomaly detection, automated data quality, forecasting, and LLM-powered data services
• Lead the evolution of our existing LLM and agentic tooling from passive use to intentional, well-architected integration within our data platform
• Set standards for how we evaluate, trust, and operate AI-powered systems in production, including observability, fallback behavior, and model governance
• Help the broader engineering team build fluency and confidence with AI tooling, not just tolerance of it

Collaboration & Mentorship

• Provide domain expertise across the organization to enable business growth through data services and data models
• Provide counsel to all consumers and stakeholders of data to enable efficient and impactful use of our data assets
• Mentor and level up engineers through code review, design collaboration, and hands-on guidance; foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning
• Operate with high autonomy across ambiguous, high-impact problems, Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status)?* Select… Are you currently working in the US on a temporary visa?* Select… Do you have adtech experience (SSP, DSP, exchange, or ad server environments)? * Select… Describe your experience in operating at the forefront of applied AI, especially in exploring, prototyping, evaluating, and deploying cutting-edge generative AI technologies.*

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with a strong data engineering and backend track record
• 5+ years working specifically in adtech data infrastructure, SSP, DSP, exchange, or ad server environments
• Deep fluency in the programmatic ecosystem: OpenRTB, bid request/response flows, auction mechanics, supply path optimization, or similar
• Excellent understanding of real-time streaming and batch pipelines, big data, and data lakes; hands-on experience in distributed data processing in the AWS ecosystem
• Strong understanding of second-layer big data platforms such as Snowflake and Databricks, applicable use cases, best practices, implementation, and support considerations
• Strong experience in structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data techniques; metadata management, data lineage, and data governance
• Experience with data security and compliance (PII, CCPA, GDPR, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience leading AI or agentic engineering efforts in production environments; not just experimentation, but shipped, operated, and iterated on
• Hands-on experience with LLM integration patterns: RAG, vector DBs, tool use, multi-step agentic workflows, prompt engineering, and evaluation frameworks
• Ability to clearly document and communicate architectural concepts at multiple levels; ability to lead problem definition, solution designs, and implementation work plans
• Understanding of DevOps and SRE practices
• Comfort driving technical decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• A point of view on where AI is and isn’t the right too, and the credibility to make that case

Location: Location: Sovrn offices are located in Boulder, CO and New York, NY. We believe collaboration and shared purpose lead to deeper relationships, more creative problem-solving, and more learning, faster. For employees located near one of our offices, working in-person is our default. We trust people to use personal agency when focused work or life circumstances call for flexibility.. For exceptional candidates we would consider remote locations in these states: AZ, CA, CO, GA, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OK, TX, UT, WA. #LI-Remote, #LI-Hybrid

We understand that no candidate is perfectly qualified for any job. Experience comes in different forms; many skills are transferable; and passion goes a long way. Even more important than your resume is a clear demonstration of accountability and the ability to thrive in a fluid and collaborative environment. We expect you to learn new things in this role and encourage you to apply if your experience is close to what we’re looking for.

The base pay range for this position is $200,000 to $240,000 annually. In addition to the base salary, the total compensation package includes bonus, equity, and benefits. Actual earnings may vary depending on the candidate’s direct experience, skills, industry knowledge, and location.

Sovrn offers a full slate of benefits from competitive salaries, stock options, medical, dental, and vision coverage, short and long-term disability, life insurance, 11 paid holidays, flexible vacation, commuter benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, and a paid parental leave program., As set forth in Sovrn’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. Gender Select… Are you Hispanic/Latino? Select… Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. Veteran Status Select…

About Sovrn

Every interesting company solves important problems for other people. Sovrn is a Software and Data business that helps Open Web businesses be and remain independent. We help them understand their business better, operate more efficiently, and make & keep more money.

• We believe in the freedom and free-flow of information.
• We believe the Open Web is the largest source of this information.
• We believe in helping Open Web businesses be and remain Independent.

Through Software products and Data solutions we help our customers:

• Understand their business better, so they can make better decisions
• Operate their business more efficiently, so they can invest in what matters most
• Make (and Keep) more money, so they control their own destiny