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# Principal Data Engineer (Java/Spark)

- **Company:** CITIZENS INC
- **Location:** Johnston, RI, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $150,000.0 - $180,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Amazon Web Services, Amazon S3, Cloud Computing, Data Governance, Data Integration, Extract Transform Load (ETL), IBM InfoSphere DataStage, Software Debugging, Distributed Computing Environment, Distributed Systems, IntelliJ IDEA, Java Architectures, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Spring Framework, Python (Programming Language), Object-Oriented Software Development, Performance Tuning, Software Deployment, Software Engineering, SQL Databases, Data Streaming, Talend, Web Application Frameworks, Enterprise Data Management, Data Processing, Scripting, Java Application Server, Data Ingestion, Concurrency, Apache Spark, Reliability of Systems, Backend, Event Driven Architecture, Data Lakes, Information Technology, Integration Frameworks, Apache Kafka, Data Management, Data Pipelines, Microservices
- **Published:** June 23, 2026
- **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/07E3D056AB224960B2CA9F976FCD34EF/job/

## About the Role

The Enterprise Data Platforms and Engineering team is seeking a Principal level Java focused software engineer who designs and builds large scale, distributed data processing systems using Java, Spark, and Kafka. This role is intentionally designed for senior backend engineers with deep core Java expertise who apply traditional software engineering practices to high volume, data intensive platforms.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience building production grade Java applications using modern frameworks, IntelliJ based development workflows, and strong object oriented design principles, paired with hands on experience delivering Spark based data processing and Kafka driven event streaming solutions. You will operate as a senior technical leader, owning architecture and implementation of enterprise data platforms while remaining close to the code.

This role requires strong Java design, debugging, performance tuning, and production support experience, along with the ability to engineer scalable, resilient data pipelines in regulated, high reliability environments., * 8+ years of experience as a Java software engineer building backend or distributed systems

 * Deep hands on expertise in core Java, object oriented design, concurrency, and performance tuning

 * Strong experience developing production applications using Java frameworks and modern IDE based workflows such as IntelliJ

 * Hands on experience building Spark applications in Java for batch and streaming data processing

 * Strong experience with Apache Kafka and event driven architectures

 * Experience designing and building distributed systems in cloud based environments

 * Proficiency in SQL and data modeling concepts used within data processing platforms

 * Experience with AWS based data platforms and services such as S3, Glue, Redshift, and Lake Formation

 * Solid understanding of data platform architecture, data lakes, and master data management principles

 * Experience operating in regulated environments with strong data governance and compliance requirements

Preferred Experience

 * Experience with additional JVM or scripting languages such as Scala or Python in a data context

 * Experience with ETL or data integration tools such as Talend or DataStage

 * Experience designing microservices and APIs that support data platforms

 * Experience supporting and operating large scale production systems, * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technology field

## Description

* Architect, design, and implement enterprise grade Java based data frameworks and distributed processing platforms

 * Build and maintain production ready Spark applications written primarily in Java

 * Design and evolve Kafka based event streaming and data ingestion solutions

 * Lead technical architecture decisions for enterprise data platforms, ensuring scalability, reliability, and regulatory alignment

 * Apply strong object oriented design and software engineering practices to data processing systems

 * Mentor and guide engineers on Java development standards, performance optimization, and production readiness

 * Design and implement master data management solutions, including match, merge, and survivorship logic using modern MDM platforms

 * Partner with product, business, and engineering stakeholders to translate requirements into robust technical solutions

 * Ensure data quality, system reliability, and operational stability through testing, monitoring, and observability practices

 * Support production deployments, change management, and operational handoffs for critical data platforms


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