---
title: 'Principal Engineer, Big Data Platform at Pinterest'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-big-data-platform-pinterest-san-francisco-nxv1pd7nvv3q'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Principal Engineer, Big Data Platform at Pinterest

- **Company:** Pinterest
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA / United States
- **Compensation:** $243k–$500k
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-09-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://www.pinterestcareers.com/jobs/?gh_jid=7683981

## Job description

About Pinterest:

Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we’re on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product.

Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other’s unique experiences and embrace the [flexibility](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/our-life/pinflex/) to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It’s Possible.

At Pinterest, AI isn't just a feature, it's a powerful partner that augments our creativity and amplifies our impact, and we’re looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of that. To get a complete picture of your experience and abilities, we’ll explore your foundational skills and how you collaborate with AI.

Through our interview process, what matters most is that you can always explain your approach, showing us not just what you know, but how you think. You can read more about our AI interview philosophy and how we use AI in our recruiting process [here](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/our-philosophy-on-ai-in-hiring/).

We’re looking for a principal software engineer to lead the next generation of data infrastructure at Pinterest which powers mission critical big data and AI applications. You’ll be working on some of the most exciting big data and AI open source technologies (Flink, Spark, Kubernetes, etc.), at the scale of exabytes of data to help Pinners discover and do what they love.

What you’ll do:

- Lead the strategy and technical direction of Pinterest’s data infrastructure for big data and AI applications
- Build and scale data infra frameworks and infrastructure to process petabytes-scale datasets, including compute engines, job management, resource management, scheduling and remote shuffling
- Work with internal customers on critical business use cases that rely on big data
- Provide thought leadership to the entire company on how data should be processed and stored more reliably, quickly and efficiently at scale
- Contribute to the team’s technical vision and long-term roadmap

What we’re looking for:

- 12+ years of industry experience with a proven track record of technical excellence
- 8+ years of experience of building and support large scalable Kubernetes or big data platform
- Deep knowledge of big data / ML technologies (e.g. Flink, Spark, Presto, Kubernetes, Ray, PyTorch/TensorFlow)
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages (Java, Go, Scala, Python)
- Experiences in Kubernetes and AWS technologies
- Exceptional collaboration skills with cross-functional partners, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, make tradeoffs, and keep stakeholders aligned on priorities and progress.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent experience.

In-Office Requirement Statement:

- We let the type of work you do guide the collaboration style. That means we're not always working in an office, but we continue to gather for key moments of collaboration and connection.
- This role will need to be in the office for in-person collaboration 1-2 times/quarter and therefore can be situated anywhere in the country.

Relocation Statement:

- This position is not eligible for relocation assistance. Visit our[PinFlex](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/pinflex/) page to learn more about our working model.

## #LI-REMOTE

## #LI-CL5

At Pinterest we believe the workplace should be equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. In an effort to provide greater transparency, we are sharing the base salary range for this position. The position is also eligible for equity. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise.

Information regarding the culture at Pinterest and benefits available for this position can be found [here](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/pinterest-life/).

US based applicants only $242,634—$499,541 USD

Our Commitment to Inclusion:

Pinterest is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best qualified people in every job. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you require a medical or religious accommodation during the job application process, please complete [this form](https://forms.gle/sS24D4WboEKUZMQK6) for support.

By submitting this application, I certify that all information submitted in my application and throughout the hiring process is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false statement, omission, or misrepresentation may disqualify me from employment consideration or result in termination if discovered after hire.

## About Pinterest

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that helps people find inspiration for their lives, from recipes and home decor to fashion and travel.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NYSE: PINS)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2010
- **Founders**: Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, Evan Sharp

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Social media / Visual discovery
- **Target customers**: B2C (consumers seeking inspiration) and B2B (advertisers and brands)
- **Mission**: “Bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love.” [pinterestcareers.com](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/)

## Products & Services
- **Pinterest Platform**: A visual bookmarking and discovery tool where users create and share idea boards (SaaS/web/mobile).
- **Pinterest Ads**: An advertising platform enabling businesses to reach users through promoted pins, shopping ads, and video content.
- **Shopping Features**: Product pins, visual search, and direct purchase links that integrate e-commerce into the discovery experience.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker: PINS). Market capitalization fluctuates; refer to latest financial reports for current figures.
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue (FY2024 reported ~$3.2 billion) – not explicitly provided in search results; see SEC filings.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Early investors include SV Angel, Bessemer Venture Partners, and FirstMark Capital. Key partners include Shopify, Google Cloud, and Amazon Ads.
- **Growth Signals**: 186 open positions listed on the careers site, global offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, and Dublin. CEO Bill Ready emphasizes a “positive internet” business model as a growth differentiator. [pinterestcareers.com/jobs](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/jobs/)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Visual-first discovery**: Unlike text-based search engines, Pinterest uses image recognition and AI to surface ideas visually.
- **High-intent user base**: Users actively seek inspiration, making the platform highly valuable for advertisers.
- **AI at the core**: Machine learning powers recommendations, visual search, and shopping personalization.
- **Positive brand positioning**: Focus on inspiration and positivity differentiates it from other social platforms.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI and shopping**: Deep investment in AI to improve discovery and enable seamless shopping experiences.
- **Global expansion**: Growing international user base and advertiser ecosystem.
- **Creator and merchant tools**: Empowering content creators and small businesses to reach audiences directly.
- **Workplace flexibility**: The “PinFlex” model balances in-person collaboration with remote work autonomy. [pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/pinflex](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/pinflex/)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Create the career you love” – emphasis on positivity, inclusion, and belonging. [pinterestcareers.com](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/)
- **Work model (PinFlex)**: Flexible – employees can work from an office or remotely within their country/region. In-person collaboration happens when it drives impact. A “Global30” program allows up to 30 days of work abroad per year. [pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/pinflex](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/pinflex/)
- **Benefits**: Minimum 20 weeks global paid parental leave; comprehensive health, mental health, and wellness benefits; fertility and family building support; flexible vacation; retirement plans; home office stipend; office meals and snacks. [pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/benefits](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/benefits/)
- **Engineering culture**: AI is central to product innovation. Candidates may be asked to use AI tools during interviews, but individual skills are assessed fairly. [pinterestcareers.com/candidate-hub](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/candidate-hub/)
- **Interview process**: Transparent, competency-based interviews with recruiter, hiring manager, and cross-functional partners. Accommodations available. [pinterestcareers.com/candidate-hub](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/candidate-hub/)

## Sources
1. [pinterestcareers.com](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/) – Company overview, mission, culture
2. [pinterestcareers.com/jobs](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/jobs/) – Open positions and locations
3. [pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/benefits](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/benefits/) – Benefits and philosophy
4. [pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/pinflex](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/inside-pinterest/pinflex/) – Flexible work model details
5. [pinterestcareers.com/candidate-hub](https://www.pinterestcareers.com/candidate-hub/) – Interview process and FAQs

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