Senior Principal Data Engineer

Why UKG At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. Thatu2019s what we do. We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, youu2019ll get flexibility thatu2019s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work mattersu2014and so do you. About the Role As a Senior Principal Data Engineer within the Enterprise Data & Analytics Office, you will lead the design, evolution, and operational excellence of Nexus, UKGu2019s unified, GCP-based data platform, enabling analytics, AI, and enterprise decision-making at scale. You will translate architectural vision into reliable, scalable, cost-efficient data systems, lead platform modernization efforts, and set the engineering bar for data ingestion, transformation, and operational analytics across UKG. Key Responsibilities: Enterprise Data Engineering Leadership u2022 Drive the implementation of standardized medallion architecture (Bronzeu2013Silveru2013Gold) across all domains. u2022 Establish and enforce engineering patterns for batch, streaming, CDC, and event-driven pipelines. u2022 Drive design patterns for Fact and Dimension modeling, data mesh, and change data capture (CDC). Platform & Pipeline Excellence u2022 Design and evolve scalable data pipelines using GCP-native services (BigQuery, GCS, Composer, Pub/Sub, Dataflow) and Databricks (Delta Lake, DLT). u2022 Ensure platform reliability, performance, and scalability for petabyte-scale analytics workloads. u2022 Lead engineering decisions around partitioning, clustering, query optimization, and cost controls (FinOps). u2022 Own observability standards (freshness, SLAs, error handling, monitoring). Engineering Standards, Quality & Governance u2022 Define and enforce engineering standards for data quality, testing, CI/CD, and production readiness. u2022 Implement automated data quality frameworks, lineage, and metadata integration in partnership with Data Governance and Architecture teams. u2022 Ensure all pipelines meet SOX, security, and auditability requirements. u2022 Partner with Architects to ensure engineering implementations align to enterprise reference architectures. Cross-Functional Delivery & Influence u2022 Partner with Product Managers, Product Owners, Architects, and Analytics leaders to deliver high-impact data capabilities. u2022 Act as the technical escalation point for complex production issues and platform risks. u2022 Influence roadmap decisions by balancing technical feasibility, delivery velocity, and long-term sustainability. u2022 Support ESE Agile delivery by enabling architecture runway and reducing technical blockers. Mentorship & Organizational Impact u2022 Mentor Principal, Senior, and Mid-level Data Engineers, raising the overall engineering maturity of the organization. u2022 Lead by example through design reviews, code reviews, and engineering forums. u2022 Build reusable frameworks, libraries, and accelerators that scale engineering productivity. u2022 Foster a culture of ownership, quality, and continuous improvement. Basic Qualifications: u2022 15+ years of experience in data engineering, data platforms, or large-scale analytics systems. u2022 Proven leadership delivering enterprise-scale data platforms and migrations. u2022 Deep hands-on experience large (Petabyte) scale operating data platforms . Technical Expertise u2022 GCP (required): BigQuery, GCS, Cloud Composer, Pub/Sub, Dataflow, Dataform, Dataproc, Dataplex u2022 Databricks: Delta Lake, Delta Live Tables, Spark, Unity Catalog u2022 Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, Spark, and distributed systems u2022 Expertise in data modeling, ELT patterns, CDC, and streaming architectures u2022 Experience supporting AI/ML pipelines, feature stores, and analytics consumption u2022 Strong understanding of Dimensional Modeling, ELT and modern data lakehouse patterns. Leadership & Collaboration u2022 Proven ability to influence without authority across engineering, product, and architecture teams. u2022 Strong communication skills with both technical and executive audiences. u2022 Track record of mentoring senior engineers and leading complex initiatives. Preferred Qualifications: u2022 Experience modernizing legacy warehouses and ETL platforms. u2022 Familiarity with Data Mesh execution and domain-aligned data products. u2022 Experience implementing FinOps practices for analytics platforms. u2022 Exposure to AI/ML enablement, feature engineering, or agent-driven analytics. u2022 Google Cloud certifications (Data Engineer, Architect) preferred Company Overview: UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry u2014 because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at . Equal Opportunity Employer UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories. View The EEO Know Your Rights poster ( UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here (. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email . The pay range for this position is $184,300.00 to $230,000 however, base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and location. This position is also eligible for a short-term incentive and a long-term incentive as part of total compensation. Information about UKGu2019s comprehensive benefits can be reviewed on our careers site at is the policy of Ultimate Software to promote and assure equal employment opportunity for all current and prospective Peeps without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, veteran status, and any other legally protected status entitled to protection under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws. This policy governs all matters related to recruitment, advertising, and initial selection of employment. It shall also apply to all other aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-offs, terminations, leave of absence, and training opportunities.

Created: 2026-01-12