Senior Software Engineer - Internal Observability

Senior Software Engineer · Senior · Full Time

US-CA-Menlo ParkUSD 200k – 288k1mo ago
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Role

What you'll do.

Snowflake is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead the development of next-generation AI-powered observability solutions for their global data platform. The role involves designing sophisticated telemetry pipelines, architecting intelligent monitoring systems, and driving innovation in distributed systems observability across Snowflake's multi-cloud infrastructure.

Responsibilities

  • Telemetry Pipeline Development: Design and build large-scale telemetry pipelines to ingest, process, and analyze metrics, logs, and traces across Snowflake's multi-cloud platform
  • AI-Driven Observability: Architect AI-powered observability systems leveraging machine learning for anomaly detection, root cause analysis, and predictive insights
  • Observability Standards: Define and drive instrumentation, tracing, and telemetry standards across Snowflake's services
  • Engineering Empowerment: Build tools and platforms that provide deep visibility into system behavior and performance for engineering teams
  • System Optimization: Optimize observability systems for high scale, low latency, and cost efficiency
  • Technical Leadership: Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance in distributed systems, observability, and AI-driven diagnostics

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • Programming Languages

    Proficiency in Java, Scala, C++, or Python with strong software engineering skills

  • Distributed Systems

    Extensive experience in building and operating large-scale cloud services

  • Cloud Platforms

    Expertise with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP

Education

  • Educational Background

    Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

  • Industry Experience

    Minimum 7+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on distributed systems

  • Technical Leadership

    Proven ability to lead complex technical projects and influence architectural decisions

Skills

Required

  • Distributed Systems

    Deep understanding of large-scale cloud service architecture and performance optimization

  • Performance Engineering

    Strong skills in system performance, debugging, and reliability engineering principles

  • AI and Machine Learning

    Experience with AI-driven monitoring and machine learning approaches to system diagnostics

Preferred

  • Telemetry Systems

    Nice to have

    Experience in designing comprehensive telemetry systems including metrics, logging, and distributed tracing

  • OpenTelemetry

    Nice to have

    Familiarity with OpenTelemetry and modern observability standards

Tech stack

Languages

JavaPythonScalaC++

Frameworks

OpenTelemetry

Databases

Cloud Data Warehouses

Tools

Cloud Monitoring Tools

Other

Machine Learning Tools

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·USD 200,000 – 287,500

Benefits

  • Innovative Work Culture

    Dynamic environment focused on AI-native problem-solving and continuous innovation

  • Career Growth

    Opportunities to redefine work processes and accelerate professional development

  • Technical Challenge

    Work on cutting-edge distributed systems and AI-powered observability technologies

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening

    Phone or video call with recruiter to discuss background and role fit

  2. 02

    Technical Interview

    In-depth technical assessment of distributed systems and observability expertise

  3. 03

    System Design Challenge

    Evaluate candidate's ability to design complex observability and telemetry systems

  4. 04

    Final Panel Interview

    Meeting with team leadership to assess technical leadership and cultural alignment

Full posting

Original listing.

At Snowflake, we are powering the era of the agentic enterprise. To usher in this new era, we seek AI-native thinkers across every function who are energized by the opportunity to reinvent how they work. You don’t just use tools; you possess an innate curiosity, treating AI as a high-trust collaborator that is core to how you solve problems and accelerate your impact. We look for low-ego individuals who thrive in dynamic and fast-moving environments and move with an experimental mindset — who rapidly test emerging capabilities to discover simpler, more powerful ways to deliver results. At Snowflake, your role isn't just to execute a function, but to help redefine the future of how work gets done.

Snowflake is about empowering enterprises to achieve their full potential — and people too. With a culture that’s all in on impact, innovation, and collaboration, Snowflake is the sweet spot for building big, moving fast, and taking technology — and careers — to the next level.

We are looking for a Senior Engineer in Observability to help define and build the next generation of AI powered observability for Snowflake’s global data platform. This role sits at the intersection of large scale distributed systems, telemetry pipelines, and machine intelligence, enabling engineers and customers to understand, diagnose, and optimize complex workloads in real time. You will play a key role in evolving Snowflake’s observability stack into an intelligent, autonomous system that not only detects issues but predicts and prevents them.

AS A SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER AT SNOWFLAKE, YOU WILL:

  • Design and build large scale telemetry pipelines that ingest, process, and analyze metrics, logs, and traces across Snowflake’s multi cloud platform

  • Architect AI driven observability systems that leverage machine learning for anomaly detection, root cause analysis, and predictive insights

  • Partner with Snowflake teams to embed observability deeply into all layers of the platform

  • Define and drive standards for instrumentation, tracing, and telemetry across services

  • Build tools and platforms that empower engineers with deep visibility into system behavior and performance

  • Optimize observability systems for high scale, low latency, and cost efficiency

  • Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership in distributed systems, observability, and AI driven diagnostics

  • Stay at the forefront of industry trends in observability, including OpenTelemetry and AI based monitoring approaches

OUR IDEAL STAFF SOFTWARE ENGINEER WILL HAVE:

  • 7+ years of experience in software engineering with a strong focus on distributed systems

  • Deep experience building and operating large scale cloud services

  • Strong programming skills in languages such as Java, Scala, C++, or Python

  • Solid understanding of system performance, debugging, and reliability engineering principles

  • Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP

  • Proven ability to lead complex technical projects and influence architecture decisions

  • Strong problem solving skills and ability to work in a fast paced environment

BONUS POINTS FOR EXPERIENCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:

  • Experience designing telemetry systems including metrics, logging, and distributed tracing

Every Snowflake employee is expected to follow the company’s confidentiality and security standards for handling sensitive data. Snowflake employees must abide by the company’s data security plan as an essential part of their duties. It is every employee's duty to keep customer

Snowflake is growing fast, and we’re scaling our team to help enable and accelerate our growth. We are looking for people who share our values, challenge ordinary thinking, and push the pace of innovation while building a future for themselves and Snowflake.

How do you want to make your impact?

For jobs located in the United States, please visit the job posting on the Snowflake Careers Site for salary and benefits information: careers.snowflake.com

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