{"id":1258262,"url":"https://alion.io/job/rocket-software-senior-principal-software-engineer-vertica","title":"Senior Principal Software Engineer, Vertica","company":{"id":176188,"name":"Rocket Software","domain":"rocketsoftware.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/rocket-software","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":null},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"remote","remote_scope":"stated_countries","remote_scope_basis":"board_field","remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Waltham, United States","United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":["US"],"hiring_countries_total":1,"salary":{"min":143000,"max":193050,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":true,"usd_annual":193050},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":12,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"SQL","optional":false},{"name":"Vertica","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-25T19:38:07Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-25","last_verified_at":"2026-09-27T08:05:48Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!\nJob Description Summary:\nThe Senior Principal Software Engineer serves as a technical leader for the Vertica database platform, defining and driving the architecture, design, and implementation of strategic innovations across the core server. This role is responsible for advancing Vertica's foundational database technologies, including query optimization, distributed execution, storage, scalability, and performance, while influencing the long-term technical direction of the product.As a recognized subject matter expert, the Senior Principal Software Engineer combines deep expertise in database internals with a proven track record of delivering innovative technologies that improve performance, reliability, and competitive differentiation in large-scale analytical data platforms. The role partners closely with Engineering, Product Management, Support, Sales Engineering, and customers to identify opportunities, define technical strategy, and deliver high-impact capabilities that strengthen Vertica's position in the market.\nThis role is particularly well suited for engineers who have previously driven major innovations in commercial analytical database systems and can leverage deep domain expertise to shape the next generation of Vertica’s core platform.\nKey Responsibilities\nActs as the subject matter expert across multiple Vertica core server domains, including query optimization, distributed query execution, storage, concurrency, and database infrastructure.\nResponsible for the technical direction and architecture of one or more critical components of the Vertica database engine.\nSynthesizes customer requirements, market trends, product strategy, and engineering input into technical direction and product requirements.\nAdvises on architectural decisions and their impact on product capabilities, scalability, performance, reliability, and business outcomes.\nDefines and drives the long-term architectural vision for core database technologies.\nResearches and evaluates state-of-the-art database algorithms, distributed systems techniques, and emerging technologies, driving their practical application within the Vertica platform.\nIdentifies opportunities for innovation and delivers foundational enhancements that improve performance, scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency.\nArchitects complex database features and infrastructure that support large-scale analytical workloads across distributed environments.\nLeads the design and implementation of highly concurrent, high-performance C++ software within mission-critical database systems.\nGuides the evolution of Vertica’s query optimizer, execution engine, distributed architecture, and related core server technologies.\nDocuments and communicates complex technical concepts, architectures, and design decisions across the organization.\nWorks effectively with all groups involved in the software development process to ensure solutions consider downstream impacts across the product lifecycle.\nProvides thought leadership and innovation within database systems and distributed data processing domains.\nRegularly proposes and implements innovative ideas that improve Vertica’s competitive position and customer value.\nIdentifies, socializes, and drives improvements that have significant impact across products, teams, and customer workloads.\nApplies deep knowledge of algorithms, data structures, database internals, and distributed systems to develop optimal solutions balancing performance, reliability, scalability, and security.\nProvides forward-thinking designs that leverage existing platform capabilities in novel and impactful ways.\nActively participates in strategic planning, roadmap development, feature scoping, estimation, and prioritization of major initiatives.\nWorks with software architects and product owners to ensure roadmaps and backlogs align with long-term architectural objectives.\nGuides testing strategies, including functional, performance, scalability, resiliency, and stress testing.\nCollaborates directly with customers, support teams, and field organizations to understand real-world challenges and translate them into impactful technical solutions.\nMentors engineers and technical leaders across the organization, fostering engineering excellence and innovation.\nCommunicates effectively across the organization, including with senior leadership.\nDemonstrates the ability to manage multiple competing priorities while maintaining focus on strategic objectives.\nExperience and Qualifications\nMinimum 12 years of software engineering experience, including significant experience developing complex systems software.\nProven track record of successful software innovation, problem solving, and product delivery at increasing scale and complexity.\nDeep expertise in one or more database engine domains, including query optimization, query execution, storage engines, transaction processing, concurrency control, distributed systems, or database infrastructure.\nExpert knowledge of C++ and performance-oriented systems programming.\nStrong understanding of algorithms, data structures, operating systems, and multi-threaded programming.\nDemonstrated experience designing and implementing large-scale distributed systems.\nStrong knowledge of SQL and relational database technologies.\nAbility to evaluate emerging research and translate innovative concepts into production-quality software.\nAble to take ownership of the design and development of large architectural components and define interactions across subsystems.\nAble to review designs and anticipate performance, scalability, reliability, and maintainability considerations.\nProven success leading cross-functional technical initiatives and influencing engineering strategy across multiple teams.\nRecognized by peers as a superior technical contributor and technical leader.\nExemplary at dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity.\nProven success mentoring and developing software engineers at all levels.\nExcellent technical communication and collaboration skills.\nPh.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Database Systems, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline is strongly preferred.\nBachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline required.\nPreferred Experience\nExpertise in commercial database internals and database kernel development.\nExperience designing or implementing cost-based query optimizers.\nExperience developing distributed query processing or execution frameworks.\nExperience building highly scalable analytical database systems or massively parallel processing (MPP) database platforms.\nExperience shaping the architectural direction of a mature enterprise software platform.\nRecord of innovation reflected through patents, publications, significant product contributions, or industry-recognized technical achievements.\nPrior experience contributing to the Vertica database engine or other large-scale analytical database platforms.\nDeep familiarity with Vertica core server architecture, query optimization, distributed execution, storage, catalog, transaction management, or related subsystems is highly valued.\nDemonstrated ability to influence the technical direction of a complex database platform through architectural leadership and long-term innovation.\nAnnual salary range for this position is between $143,000.00 - $193,050.00 gross before taxes..\nWhat Rocket Software can offer you in USA:\nUnlimited Vacation Time as well as paid holidays and sick time\n\nHealth and Wellness coverage options for Rocketeers and dependents\n\nLife and disability coverage\n\nFidelity 401(k) and Roth Retirement Savings with matching contributions\n\nMonthly student debt benefit program\n\nTuition Reimbursement and Certificate Reimbursement Program opportunities\n\nLeadership and skills training opportunities\n\nEOE M/F/Vet/Disability. Rocket Software Inc. is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Rocket Software Inc. is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.\nAt Rocket Software, we believe AI is a critical enabler of innovation and productivity. All Rocketeers are expected to actively leverage AI-powered tools and technologies, where appropriate, to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and deliver greater impact in their roles. Embracing continuous learning and the responsible use of AI is an essential part of how we work.\nRocket is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you need special assistance or an accommodation while seeking employment, please call: 781-577-4321 or send an email to . We will make a determination on your request for reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis.\nAs part of our commitment to a safe and trustworthy workplace, we include background and reference checks in our hiring process.\nIt 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.\nIf you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!","description_format":"text","description_chars":9675,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":12,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Continuous learning"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-25T19:38:07Z"}],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":1,"expected_fill_days":56,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-09-27T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":193050,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/rocket-software-senior-principal-software-engineer-vertica","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/rocket-software-senior-principal-software-engineer-vertica.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-28T04:00:36Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":2386,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":2614,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z"}}}