Principal Software Engineer – Data Infrastructure

Remote from
Ireland flag
Ireland
Annual salary
Undisclosed
Salary information is not provided for this position. Check our Salary Directory to estimate the average compensation for similar roles.
Employment type
Full Time,
Job posted
Apply before
30 Jun 2026
Experience level
Senior
Views / Applies
14 / 2

About HubSpot

The easy-to-use CRM to scale your business.

Actively Hiring
Verified job posting
This job post has been manually reviewed for authenticity and compliance.

AI Summary

This Principal Software Engineer role at HubSpot focuses on building and evolving the company's data infrastructure platforms, including systems like HBase, Kafka, Elasticsearch, and MySQL/Vitess. The position requires deep technical leadership in distributed systems, storage, and big data, with a strong emphasis on hands-on coding and architectural decision-making. The engineer will shape the future of HubSpot's data stores, drive platform consistency across multiple domains, and influence the broader engineering organization. This is a senior role for a builder who wants to own high-impact infrastructure initiatives end-to-end.

Role DNA

Job Complexity
Easy Hard
Pace & Pressure
Relaxed Fast-paced
Autonomy Level
Guided Full Ownership
Communication Load
Independent Highly Collaborative
AI Insight The role requires deep expertise in distributed systems, storage, and big data, along with architectural leadership across multiple domains. It demands a high level of technical mastery and the ability to solve complex, ambiguous problems, making it one of the hardest engineering roles.

Salary Analysis

Median Highly Competitive
$250,000
US Market
$200k – $300k
0 $330k
AI Insight The job posting does not specify a salary, but for a Principal Software Engineer in Data Infrastructure, the typical US market range is $200,000 to $300,000 annually. The median is estimated at $250,000, which is competitive for this senior-level role.

Key Skills

Distributed Systems Data Infrastructure Big Data Storage Systems Kafka Elasticsearch MySQL/Vitess HBase Apache Hadoop Stream Processing

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Principal Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure position at HubSpot. With over a decade of experience building and scaling distributed systems, I am excited about the opportunity to shape the technical future of HubSpot's data platforms.

My background includes leading the architecture and evolution of large-scale storage systems, including HBase, Kafka, and Elasticsearch, as well as designing internal frameworks that improve developer productivity. I have a proven track record of turning ambiguous infrastructure problems into simple, scalable solutions.

I am particularly drawn to HubSpot's emphasis on hands-on leadership and long-term platform thinking. I thrive in environments where I can drive architectural decisions while staying close to the code, and I look forward to contributing to the next generation of HubSpot's database platform.

Thank you for considering my application. I am eager to discuss how my experience aligns with HubSpot's goals and how I can help build the data infrastructure that powers the company's products.

Describe your experience building and evolving large-scale distributed storage systems. What architectural decisions did you make to ensure scalability and reliability?
I led the migration of our storage layer from a monolithic database to a sharded MySQL/Vitess setup, which improved write throughput by 300% and reduced latency spikes. We implemented automatic shard rebalancing and read replicas for failover, ensuring high availability. I also designed a caching layer using Redis to reduce load on the primary database.
How do you approach designing a platform abstraction for multiple data stores (e.g., SQL, NoSQL, search) to ensure consistency and ease of use for product teams?
I start by identifying common patterns across data access, such as CRUD operations, indexing, and querying. I then design a unified API that abstracts away the underlying store specifics while allowing for store-specific optimizations. For example, we built a query interface that translates to SQL for Vitess and to REST for Elasticsearch, with consistent error handling and monitoring.
Tell me about a time you had to influence technical direction across multiple teams. How did you build consensus and drive adoption of your architectural vision?
I proposed a shift from batch processing to stream processing for real-time analytics. I created a proof-of-concept using Kafka Streams, demonstrating a 10x reduction in data freshness latency. I then held cross-team design reviews and presented the benefits to stakeholders, addressing concerns about operational complexity. Eventually, we adopted the new architecture across three teams.
How do you balance the need for innovation in data infrastructure with the requirement for stability and operational simplicity?
I advocate for incremental improvements with clear rollback plans. For example, when introducing a new storage engine, we first run it in parallel with the existing system, shadowing traffic to validate correctness and performance. We also invest in automation and self-healing mechanisms to reduce operational burden, allowing teams to innovate without sacrificing reliability.
Describe a complex infrastructure problem you solved from scratch. What was the problem, and how did you design the solution?
We needed a unified data ingestion pipeline for multiple sources with varying schemas. I designed a schema-on-read approach using Avro and Kafka, with a schema registry for compatibility. The pipeline used Kafka Connect for ingestion and Apache Flink for transformations, ensuring exactly-once semantics. This reduced onboarding time for new data sources from weeks to days.

Principal Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure

About the Team

HubSpot’s Data Infrastructure team builds the shared data store platforms that power the company’s products and internal systems at scale. The team’s mission is to provide a unified data platform and deliver databases as a service in a way that makes it easy, performant, and reliable for engineers across HubSpot to build on top of it.

This team owns and evolves some of the most critical foundational systems inside HubSpot, including HBase, Kafka, Elasticsearch, MySQL/Vitess, Hadoop, Iceberg, and Qdrant, along with the platform capabilities, abstractions, and workflows that make those systems usable by product teams.

The scope spans big data, SQL and storage infrastructure, batch processing, stream processing, and search. This is not a team focused on simply administering existing systems. It is an engineering organization responsible for shaping how HubSpot builds on top of its data stores over the long term.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help shape the technical future of Data Infrastructure at HubSpot.

This is a deeply hands-on role for a builder who wants to own the architecture and evolution of the foundational data systems behind HubSpot’s products. As a Principal Engineer, you will help define how our data stores should scale, how developers should interact with them, and what platform patterns we should create so teams across HubSpot can build faster on top of reliable, high-leverage infrastructure.

At HubSpot, Principal Engineers are expected to stay close to the code, lead high-impact initiatives end-to-end, and influence technical direction well beyond a single team. This role is for someone who can move between storage engines, developer-facing platform design, and large-scale architectural bets while remaining a hands-on builder throughout.

Key Expectations

Own the future of HubSpot’s data stores

  • Shape the technical direction for the data platforms that underpin HubSpot’s products, with a focus on the data stores themselves and the systems around them.
  • Drive architectural decisions across storage, access patterns, scaling models, tenancy, performance, and developer ergonomics.
  • Help define what the next generation of HubSpot’s database platform should look like, not just how to operate the current one.

Be a deeply hands-on, high-leverage builder

  • Write production code regularly and lead complex initiatives from idea to rollout.
  • Build internal frameworks, APIs, and platform capabilities that make HubSpot’s data stores easier to adopt, extend, and evolve.
  • Turn ambiguous infrastructure problems into simple, scalable systems and clear technical direction.

Lead platform architecture across multiple domains

  • Work across big data, SQL/Vitess, batch, stream processing, and search to establish consistent platform patterns where they matter and domain-specific depth where they do not.
  • Define reusable abstractions for data storage, ingestion, processing, and access that reduce fragmentation across the engineering organization.
  • Push for simplicity, clarity, and extensibility in systems that can easily become overly bespoke or operationally heavy.

Influence across the broader engineering org

  • Partner with engineering and product leaders to align infrastructure direction with what HubSpot needs to build next.
  • Work horizontally across teams to guide technical tradeoffs, unblock difficult decisions, and raise the architectural bar for platform work.
  • Act as a multiplier through design reviews, technical mentoring, and principled decision-making on the most important systems in the space.

What You Bring

  • Deep experience building and evolving large-scale distributed systems, especially storage systems, data infrastructure, or foundational backend platforms.
  • Strong architectural instincts with a bias toward simplicity, consistency, clear boundaries, and long-term platform leverage.
  • A track record of owning and delivering complex, cross-team technical initiatives with product-line or company-level impact.
  • Comfort working across multiple layers of the stack, from storage engines and data flows to APIs, internal frameworks, and developer experience.
  • A hands-on mindset. You lead by building, debugging, reviewing, and shipping, not by staying removed from the systems you influence.
  • The ability to move into unfamiliar technical territory quickly, form strong opinions grounded in first principles, and help teams make better long-term decisions.

Why this role matters

HubSpot’s future depends on data platforms that are not only reliable, but also powerful building blocks for product innovation. The Principal Software Engineer in Data Infrastructure will help determine how those building blocks are designed, how they scale, and how engineers across HubSpot use them to create the next generation of our products.

We know the confidence gap and impostor syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply — we’d love to hear from you.

If you need accommodations or assistance due to a disability, please reach out to us using this form.

At HubSpot, we value both flexibility and connection. Whether you’re a Remote employee or work from the Office, we want you to start your journey here by building strong connections with your team and peers. If you are joining our Engineering team, you will be required to attend a regional HubSpot office for in-person onboarding. If you join our broader Product team, you’ll also attend other in-person events, such as your Product Group Summit and other gatherings, to continue building on those connections.

If you require an accommodation due to travel limitations or other reasons, please inform your recruiter during the hiring process. We are committed to supporting candidates who may need alternative arrangements

Massachusetts Applicants: 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.

Germany Applicants: (m/f/d) – link to HubSpot’s Career Diversity page here.

India Applicants: link to HubSpot India’s equal opportunity policy here.

About HubSpot

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is an AI-powered customer platform with all the software, integrations, and resources customers need to connect marketing, sales, and service. HubSpot’s connected platform enables businesses to grow faster by focusing on what matters most: customers. 

At HubSpot, bold is our baseline. Our employees around the globe move fast, stay customer-obsessed, and win together. Our culture is grounded in four commitments: Solve for the Customer, Be Bold, Learn Fast, Align, Adapt & Go!, and Deliver with HEART. These commitments shape how we work, lead, and grow.

We’re building a company where people can do their best work. We focus on brilliant work, not badge swipes. By combining clarity, ownership, and trust, we create space for big thinking and meaningful progress. And we know that when our employees grow, our customers do too.

Recognized globally for our award-winning culture by Comparably, Glassdoor, Fortune, and more, HubSpot is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with employees and offices around the world.

Explore more:

HubSpot may use AI to help screen or assess candidates, but all hiring decisions are always human. More information can be found here. By submitting your application, you agree that HubSpot may collect your personal data for recruiting, global organization planning, and related purposes. We may use CLEAR ID Verification during the hiring process to confirm your identity and help maintain a safe, secure, and trusted experience for all candidates. Refer to HubSpot’s Recruiting Privacy Notice for details on data processing and your rights.

Apply now >

Annual salary information is not provided for this position. Explore salary ranges for similar roles in our Salary Directory ›

This job listing has been manually reviewed by the Jobicy Trust & Safety Team for compliance with our posting guidelines, including verification of the company's legitimacy, accuracy of job details, clarity of remote work policy, and absence of misleading or fraudulent content.

How to apply

Did you apply? Let us know, and we’ll help you track your application.

See a few more

Similar Software Engineering remote jobs

Job Search Safety Tips

Here are some tips to help you search and apply for jobs safely:
Watch out for suspicious jobs Don't apply for jobs that offer high pay for little work or offer to hire you without an interview. Read more ›
Check the employer's profile Make sure you're applying for a trustworthy job by visiting the employer's profile and learning more about them. Read more ›
Protect your information Don't share personal details like your bank account or government-issued ID on suspicious websites or messengers. Read more ›
Report jobs that feel unsafe If you see a job that seems misleading, inappropriate or discriminatory, report it for going against our policies and we'll review it.

Share this job

Jobicy+ Subscription

Jobicy

614 professionals pay to access exclusive and experimental features on Jobicy

Free

USD $0/month

For people just getting started

  • • Unlimited applies and searches
  • • Access on web and mobile apps
  • • Weekly job alerts
  • • Access to additional tools like Bookmarks, Applications, and more

Plus

USD $8/month

Everything in Free, and:

  • • Ad-free experience
  • • Daily job alerts
  • • Personal career consultant
  • • AI-powered job advice
Go to account ›