Staff Software Engineer - Data Engineering

Job Description

Who we're looking for:

We’re looking for a smart, adaptable Staff Software Engineer to help build and evolve our real-time data ingestion platform. You’ll work at the intersection of software engineering and data infrastructure, designing and maintaining scalable systems that stream high-quality, trusted data from Kafka to Snowflake via Snowpipe Streaming.

This role emphasizes data quality, observability, and pipeline reliability, and involves developing robust monitoring and alerting systems. You’ll join a high-performing team, contribute to architecture decisions, and collaborate with other engineers while shaping how data flows across Zendesk’s ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and maintain data quality systems and pipelines.

• Work with tools such as Snowflake, Docker/Kubernetes, and Kafka to enable scalable, observable data movement.

• Collaborate cross-functionally to close skill gaps in DQ and data platform tooling.
  Contribute to building internal tooling that supports schema validation, data experimentation, and automated checks.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with data producers, analytics engineers, platform teams, and business stakeholders.

• Own the reliability, scalability, and performance of ingestion systems deployed on AWS 

• Architect and build core components of our real-time ingestion platform using Kafka,  Snowpipe Streaming.

• Champion software engineering excellence — including testing, observability, CI/CD, and automation

• Drive the development of platform tools that ensure data quality, observability, and lineage through Protobuf-based schema management..

• Participate in the implementation of ingestion best practices and reusable frameworks across data and software engineering teams.
   

Core Skills:

• Solid programming experience (preferably in Java)

• Experience with distributed data systems (Kafka, Snowflake)

• Familiarity with Data Quality tooling and concepts

• Good working knowledge of SQL (especially for diagnostics and DQ workflows)

• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

• Strong debugging, observability, and pipeline reliability practices

What You Bring:

• A systems mindset with strong software engineering fundamentals.

• Passion for building resilient, high-throughput, real-time platforms.

• Ability to influence technical direction across teams and drive alignment.

• Strong communication and mentoring skills.

• A bias toward automation, continuous improvement, and platform thinking.

Nice to Haves:

• Experience with GenAI tools or supporting ML/AI data workflows

• Familiarity with cloud-native data platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP)

• Exposure to dbt or ELT frameworks
   

Please note that Zendesk can only hire candidates who are physically located and plan to work from Karnataka or Maharashtra. Please refer to the location posted on the requisition for where this role is based.

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

Please note that Zendesk can only hire candidates who are physically located and plan to work from Karnataka or Maharashtra. Please refer to the location posted on the requisition for where this role is based.

Hybrid: In this role, our hybrid experience is designed at the team level to give you a rich onsite experience packed with connection, collaboration, learning, and celebration - while also giving you flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This role must attend our local office for part of the week. The specific in-office schedule is to be determined by the hiring manager.

The intelligent heart of customer experience

Zendesk software was built to bring a sense of calm to the chaotic world of customer service. Today we power billions of conversations with brands you know and love.

Zendesk believes in offering our people a fulfilling and inclusive experience. Our hybrid way of working, enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e-mail to peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.