Senior Engineering Manager - Query Execution Platform

Snowflake10 months ago

Location

DE-Berlin-Trion Building

Type

Full Time

Salary

EUR 120,000 – 160,000

Level

Manager

Role

Engineering Manager

Posted

May 6, 2025

Full TimeManager

The role

Summary

This Senior Engineering Manager role at Snowflake's Berlin office leads the query execution platform team, responsible for building SQL features, optimizing query performance, and developing highly parallel database systems. The position requires 12+ years of software engineering experience, 5+ years of engineering management experience, and strong database fundamentals with query processing expertise.

What you'll do

Team Leadership: Lead a team of talented engineers in the design, development and support of highly-parallel and fault-tolerant database systems

Team Growth: Grow the team by recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new team members in a competitive talent market

Career Development: Be responsible for the career development of direct reports, providing continuous mentorship, coaching and guidance

Technical Leadership: Lead and participate in technical, design and product discussions relating to query execution platform

Product Translation: Translate product requirements into actionable engineering work for the team, coordinating with cross-functional stakeholders

Strategic Planning: Collaborate with Engineering and Product leaders on quarterly planning, staffing and project schedules across different time zones

Resource Management: Effectively shift resources across areas and projects to achieve execution goals and respond to customer feedback

Project Delivery: Use strong technical foundation to reliably deliver complex projects while maintaining high-quality standards

Culture Building: Foster a culture of creativity and innovation while promoting practical decision-making

What we look for

Technical

Software Engineering Experience12+ years of hands-on software engineering experience with strong fundamentals

Query Processing ExpertiseRock-solid experience with query processing (compile time and/or execution time) and database technologies

Database Systems KnowledgeDeep understanding of database internals, SQL performance optimization, and schema design

Problem Solving SkillsExtremely strong problem solving and troubleshooting skills for complex technical challenges

Education

Technical DegreeBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

Engineering Management5+ years of engineering management experience with demonstrated track record

Team LeadershipProven success in recruiting and leading technical teams in competitive talent markets

Cross-functional CollaborationExperience working effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders

Skills

Required skills

Engineering Management5+ years of proven engineering management experience

Query ProcessingDeep expertise in query optimization and execution techniques

Database TechnologiesStrong foundation in database internals and related technologies

Team LeadershipDemonstrated ability to recruit, lead, and develop technical teams

Communication SkillsExcellent interpersonal and written English communication skills

Nice to have

Big Data SystemsExperience with Hadoop, Spark, or other large-scale data processing systems

Database Team LeadershipPrior experience running database internal engineering teams

Technical DocumentationExperience authoring roadmap documents, project plans, and RCAs

German LanguageGerman language skills for local team collaboration

Cloud PlatformsExperience with cloud-native database and analytics platforms

Compensation & benefits

Salary

EUR 120,000 – 160,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Stock Options

Equity participation in Snowflake's growth as a public cloud computing company

Career Development

Clear pathways for advancement with opportunities for technical and leadership growth

Learning Opportunities

Exposure to industry-leading cloud data platform serving thousands of customers

Innovation Culture

Work environment focused on impact, innovation, and collaboration

Global Collaboration

Work with international teams across different time zones and regions

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone/video screening with HR and hiring manager focusing on management experience and cultural fit
2
Technical Leadership Interview — Deep dive into technical background, query processing experience, and database systems knowledge
3
Management Case Study — Scenario-based discussion on team leadership, conflict resolution, and strategic decision making
4
System Design Interview — Architectural discussion on building scalable database systems and query execution engines
5
Cross-functional Collaboration — Interview with Product and Engineering leaders to assess collaboration and communication skills
6
Final Interview — Executive interview with senior leadership focusing on vision, strategy, and cultural alignment