Principal Data Engineer

The opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Data Science, we are hiring a Principal Data Engineer to help shape the next generation of Altus Group’s data platform. As our new Principal Data Engineer, you will provide technical leadership to bring together data capabilities from Reonomy in the U.S. and Data Studio in Canada, creating a more unified, scalable foundation for its commercial real estate data products. You will combine deep technical execution with strategic influence, developing reusable frameworks, engineering standards, and production-ready capabilities on Databricks while partnering with Architecture, Data Science, ML Engineering, Product, and other technology teams. Your work will help strengthen how data is built, managed, monitored, and delivered to internal users, external customers, and application teams while supporting Altus Group’s continued global growth.

This is a full time remote position open to candidates based within Canada or the UK.

What’s in it for you

• Build something new with meaningful scale and impact. You will have the opportunity to help shape a modern data engineering platform from the ground up, establishing the standards and frameworks that will support our data products today and enable future growth into new markets.
• Work with distinctive data in a major global industry. You will work with complex commercial real estate data that supports new products, analytics, and insights for customers and internal teams. Your work will help turn challenging data into products that enable better investment and business decisions.
• Influence how data engineering is done across Altus. This role offers the scope to shape technical direction beyond a single project or team. Through your partnership with Architecture, Data Science, ML Engineering, Product, and other technology groups, you will help create reusable approaches that improve quality, efficiency, scalability, and long-term maintainability.
• Grow your impact in the direction that fits your strengths. As the data engineering function continues to develop, you will have opportunities to deepen your technical expertise, expand your strategic influence, mentor others, and potentially explore broader leadership or product-focused career paths.

As our new Principal Data Engineer, you will

• Set technical direction. You will partner with Architecture to define reusable data engineering patterns and frameworks, then lead their implementation and adoption across the data engineering function. You will make sound technical decisions on complex data engineering challenges while ensuring those decisions align with broader engineering standards.
• Build scalable data capabilities. You will play a critical role in developing production-ready pipelines, frameworks, and data products on Databricks using technologies such as Python, SQL, and Spark. You will help establish monitoring and operational practices that support reliable, maintainable, and cost-effective solutions. You will assess emerging data technologies, recommend practical opportunities for adoption, and create capabilities that can be reused as our data platform evolves.
• Shape cross-functional planning. You will represent Data Engineering in strategic discussions with Data Science, ML Engineering, Product, Architecture, and other technology stakeholders. You will help clarify ownership boundaries, strengthen requirements, and ensure teams are working toward aligned priorities.
• Develop engineering talent. You will mentor engineers across teams, contribute to code reviews, and share practical guidance that improves engineering quality, delivery effectiveness, and technical capability.
• Translate data needs into solutions. You will work with stakeholders to understand complex commercial real estate concepts and determine how data should be structured, transformed, and delivered to support analytics, machine learning, and customer-facing products. You will drive several concurrent initiatives with impact beyond a single project or team.

You bring:

• The technical depth. You bring extensive experience designing, building, and operating data engineering solutions in production, including distributed data systems, cloud platforms, and modern data infrastructure.
• The engineering expertise. You have strong programming skills in Python, SQL, and Spark, along with practical experience using Databricks. You understand how to design reliable, reusable, and maintainable pipelines, frameworks, and data products.
• The platform perspective. You have a track record of creating technical standards, engineering patterns, or platform capabilities that are adopted across multiple teams. You can balance architectural direction with practical implementation decisions that help teams deliver effectively.
• The leadership and influence. You can represent Data Engineering in strategic discussions, collaborate with Architecture and senior stakeholders, and build alignment across technical functions. You are comfortable influencing without relying on formal authority.
• The collaborative approach. You work effectively with Data Scientists, ML Engineers, Product partners, and other engineering teams. You share knowledge, contribute to code reviews, and help others improve their technical capabilities and delivery outcomes.
• The business focus. You connect technical decisions to business value and can translate complex data and domain requirements into practical, scalable solutions. Experience working with finance, credit, or commercial real estate data would be an asset.
• The adaptability. You are comfortable working through complex, evolving problems and making thoughtful decisions in an environment where existing platforms, products, and technologies are being brought together and reimagined.

Apply now

If you're excited about this role but your experience aligns differently with every requirement, we encourage you to apply. While specific qualifications may be strictly required, others can be based on various experiences, backgrounds, and knowledge. We can't promise an interview, but we will consider your whole application.

What you can expect from our interview process:

• A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor to discuss your interest in the role, your experience, and what you are looking for in your next career opportunity. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
• An online technical assessment designed to evaluate fundamental programming competency.
• A virtual technical interview with the Head of Data Science focused on system design, problem-solving, and the ability to develop a practical solution.
• A panel interview with the Data Science team focused on collaboration, communication, mentorship, and your approach to influencing and advancing technical practices across the team.