Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Frameworks

Are you passionate about designing the foundational layer that defines how an entire platform ingests, governs, and accesses its data? Are you a problem-solver with a passion for delivering elegant abstraction layers that make complex, multi-system data access simple, observable, and fast? Do you thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy tackling technical challenges like federated SQL, cross-system query routing, and platform-wide adoption of modern data access standards? If so, we invite you to join our team.

The Data Frameworks team owns Ridgeline's data ecosystem end-to-end — the schema registry and data contracts that define what data means, the write paths that materialize it across our storage systems, the governance layer that enforces correctness on every read and write, and the query interface that every product, AI feature, and integration will pass through. When data needs to be defined, shaped, governed, or served at Ridgeline — it runs through us.

We're looking for a Senior Staff Engineer to become the technical foundation of the Data Frameworks team as it grows. You'll have broad influence over the query platform architecture — from how store adapters are designed, to how federated SQL is introduced at scale, to how we enforce access guardrails across every data system Ridgeline operates. You'll leverage AI tools to build best-in-class platform infrastructure, moving with the speed and safety that a foundational data layer demands.

At Ridgeline, how we work matters as much as what we build. Ridgeliners act like owners, choose growth over comfort, and communicate with transparency. We assume positive intent, bias toward action, and bring solutions—not just problems. We celebrate wins, learn from setbacks, and thrive in a resilient, collaborative, high-performing culture. If the Ridgeline Way excites you, we’d love to meet you.

You must be work authorized in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship.

The impact you will have:

• Architect and evolve the query interface — the universal access layer through which every product service, AI feature, and external integration reads data at Ridgeline
• Design and enforce store adapter standards that make individual storage engines replaceable without breaking upstream consumers — covering OLTP, OLAP, search, block storage, and external sources
• Build the query federation layer using Trino or equivalent technology, enabling cross-system SQL queries across persistence ports that today require separate access patterns
• Establish query routing logic, connection pooling strategies, and performance standards across all data access paths
• Drive platform-wide adoption of the query interface — working across product engineering to eliminate direct database access and migrate services to the standardized access layer
• Contribute to the data governance model — ensuring query enforcement, schema validation, and audit correctness are built into the access layer, not bolted on
• Define and author Materialization Definition patterns that shape how data is written and replicated across persistence systems
• Mentor engineers on the team; raise the technical bar through code review, design feedback, and knowledge sharing
• Think creatively, own problems, seek solutions, and communicate clearly along the way
• Contribute to a collaborative environment rooted in learning, teaching, and transparency

What we look for:

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with deep expertise in data platform engineering — spanning query systems, data access layers, write path design, or distributed data infrastructure
• Hands-on experience with Trino, Presto, or equivalent federated SQL / query federation technology — you've built or operated a federation layer at production scale, not just evaluated one
• Proficiency in Kotlin or Java — you're comfortable building production backend services and can contribute to a JVM-based platform without a long ramp
• Strong background in API design for data access — you understand the tradeoffs between high-performance CRUD adapters, federated SQL, write path design, and low-latency read paths, and you can design for all of them
• Experience designing store abstraction layers that reduce system coupling — you've thought seriously about how to make a storage engine replaceable without breaking upstream consumers
• Experience with schema registries, data contracts, or metadata systems