Scale Engineer

Software Engineer - Dynamic Tables

Backend Engineer · Mid · Full Time

DE-Berlin-Trion BuildingEUR 95k – 140k3d ago
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Role

What you'll do.

Join Snowflake's Dynamic Tables team in Berlin to build next-generation data platform capabilities that enable customers to transform data with declarative SQL while maintaining control over cost, latency, and throughput. This role offers the opportunity to design and implement cutting-edge database features alongside seasoned engineers, tackling complex distributed systems challenges in a collaborative, AI-native engineering environment where you'll grow your technical scope and influence.

Responsibilities

  • Design and Build Dynamic Tables Capabilities: Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineers and Product Managers across our globally distributed organization to architect, design, and implement Dynamic Tables features that enable efficient data transformation at scale.
  • Feature Development and Performance Optimization: Design, implement, and deploy new features alongside comprehensive performance improvements. Take ownership of features from conception through production, ensuring they meet customer demands for functionality and efficiency.
  • Technical Direction and Decision Making: Participate in shaping technical and product direction by working alongside senior team members. Break down ambiguous problems, evaluate architectural tradeoffs, and make informed technical decisions that balance correctness, performance, and cost considerations.
  • Performance and Correctness Analysis: Analyze and solve complex performance, correctness, and fault-tolerance challenges in a distributed system operating at massive scale. Implement solutions that maintain reliability while optimizing latency and throughput for diverse customer workloads.
  • System Debugging and Root Cause Analysis: Investigate and troubleshoot issues within large, complex systems by diving deep into unfamiliar codebase areas. Perform comprehensive root cause analysis and implement lasting solutions that prevent recurrence of production issues.
  • Operational Excellence and Reliability: Ensure operational readiness of developed systems and help meet strict commitments to customers regarding reliability, availability, and performance. Implement monitoring, observability, and resilience patterns that support enterprise-grade operations.
  • Customer-Centric Development: Develop deep understanding of how customers use Dynamic Tables by gathering feedback, analyzing usage patterns, and incorporating customer insights into technical and product development decisions.

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • CS Fundamentals and Algorithms

    Strong foundation in core computer science fundamentals including data structures, algorithm analysis, computational complexity, and algorithm design patterns.

  • Distributed Systems Understanding

    Solid grasp of distributed systems concepts including consistency models, transaction protocols, fault tolerance, and distributed coordination mechanisms essential for building scalable database systems.

  • AI-Native Software Engineering

    Proficiency with modern AI-native software engineering practices and agentic development workflows. Experience leveraging AI tools as high-trust collaborators to improve problem-solving and accelerate development velocity.

  • System Performance Analysis

    Ability to profile, analyze, and optimize system performance. Experience identifying bottlenecks, measuring metrics, and implementing data-driven performance improvements in production systems.

Education

  • Computer Science or Related Degree

    Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent technical discipline. Equivalent practical experience with demonstrated advanced computer science knowledge may be considered.

Experience

  • Database Systems or Data-Intensive Development

    Minimum 2+ years of professional industry experience designing and building database internals, query processing systems, or data-intensive distributed systems. Equivalent research experience in related domains is also valued.

  • Problem-to-Production Track Record

    Demonstrated history of taking ambiguous problems from initial scoping through complete software implementation and production deployment, including monitoring and operational support.

  • Collaborative Team Contribution

    Experience working effectively in collaborative engineering teams with strong interpersonal skills. Preference for environments where you both mentor junior engineers and learn from senior colleagues.

Skills

Required

  • SQL and Query Languages

    Deep understanding of SQL semantics, query execution models, and declarative programming for data transformation and analysis.

  • Java or C++

    Strong proficiency in either Java or C++ for systems programming. These languages dominate database engine development and are essential for implementing performant, scalable backend services.

  • Distributed Systems Design

    Hands-on experience designing and troubleshooting distributed systems, including understanding of consensus algorithms, replication strategies, and eventual consistency patterns.

  • Debugging and Troubleshooting

    Advanced debugging skills including proficiency with debuggers, logging frameworks, tracing systems, and methodical root cause analysis approaches for complex production issues.

Preferred

  • Query Compiler and Optimizer Experience

    Nice to have

    Experience building or working on query compilers, query optimizers, or query execution engines. Understanding of cost-based optimization, plan generation, and execution strategies.

  • Enterprise Software Development

    Nice to have

    Track record building enterprise-grade, production-ready, and trustworthy software systems and services with focus on reliability, observability, and operational excellence.

  • Large-Scale Transaction Processing

    Nice to have

    Hands-on experience with large-scale distributed transactions, ACID compliance, isolation levels, and consistency model implementation in production systems.

  • Open Source Data Infrastructure

    Nice to have

    Active contributions to open-source projects in data infrastructure, database systems, or analytics platforms. Examples include Apache Spark, Kafka, Flink, or similar projects.

  • Cloud Data Platforms

    Nice to have

    Experience working with modern cloud-native data platforms and understanding of cloud storage, compute scaling, and multi-tenant architecture patterns.

  • AI-Driven Development Tools

    Nice to have

    Proficiency using AI-powered code generation, pair programming assistants, and agentic development workflows to enhance productivity and code quality.

Tech stack

Languages

JavaC++SQL

Frameworks

Apache SparkCloud Infrastructure Frameworks

Databases

Snowflake Data PlatformDistributed Databases

Tools

Git and Version ControlDebugging and Profiling ToolsCI/CD PipelinesMonitoring and ObservabilityAI-Assisted Development Tools

Other

Distributed Systems ConceptsCloud Architecture PatternsPerformance Optimization

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·EUR 95,000 – 140,000

Equity·Stock options

Benefits

  • Equity and Stock Options

    Participation in Snowflake's employee stock option plan, providing long-term wealth creation opportunities as a public company growing rapidly in the cloud data platform space.

  • Comprehensive Health Insurance

    Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and families, with competitive co-pay and deductible structures typical of tech industry standards in Germany.

  • Professional Development

    Access to continuous learning resources, conference attendance, training programs, and mentorship from senior engineers to advance your technical expertise in database systems and distributed computing.

  • Flexible Work Arrangements

    Hybrid or flexible work options in Berlin office, supporting work-life balance while maintaining collaborative team dynamics in a globally distributed engineering environment.

  • Collaborative Team Culture

    Access to mentorship and learning opportunities with seasoned database engineers and system architects. Growth opportunities both in technical depth and leadership scope.

  • Cutting-Edge Technology

    Opportunity to work with state-of-the-art data platform technology and contribute to next-generation database capabilities serving thousands of enterprise customers.

  • Vacation and Time Off

    Competitive annual leave entitlement consistent with German labor standards, typically 25-30 days annually, plus statutory holidays.

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening Call

    Preliminary conversation with a recruiter to understand your background, career goals, and interest in the Dynamic Tables team. Typical duration 30 minutes. Expect discussion of your experience with database systems and distributed engineering.

  2. 02

    Technical Phone Screen

    First engineering assessment with a software engineer from the team. Expect questions on algorithms, data structures, system design fundamentals, and potentially a coding problem related to distributed systems or performance optimization.

  3. 03

    System Design Interview

    Deep technical discussion with senior engineer(s) on designing scalable database features. You'll discuss architectural tradeoffs, consistency models, and how to build reliable systems at scale. Expect 60 minutes of collaborative problem-solving.

  4. 04

    Database Systems Deep Dive

    Focused conversation on your experience with query optimization, execution engines, or database internals. You may be asked to explain complex distributed systems concepts, discuss performance optimization strategies, or review your relevant open-source contributions.

  5. 05

    Team and Culture Fit Discussion

    Conversation with team members or engineering manager about collaboration style, how you approach ambiguous problems, and your interest in AI-native development workflows. This explores alignment with Snowflake's culture of experimentation and rapid learning.

  6. 06

    Executive or Senior Engineer Conversation

    Optional final stage with senior technical leadership to discuss long-term growth opportunities, the vision for Dynamic Tables, and your career development at Snowflake.

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.

We’re hiring talented Software Engineers for the Snowflake Dynamic Tables team in Berlin, Germany. Join us to build the next generation data platform that enables customers to transform data with declarative SQL while maintaining control over cost, latency, and throughput. We are looking for strong engineers who are enthusiastic about building new cutting-edge technologies, who look forward to tackling complex database problems, and pick up and understand deep technical areas quickly. You will work alongside seasoned engineers and grow in your scope and influence.

AS A SOFTWARE ENGINEER AT SNOWFLAKE YOU WILL:

  • Work with a talented and collaborative team of engineers and Product Managers in our globally distributed team to design and build Dynamic Tables capabilities

  • Design, implement, support, and evolve new features and performance improvements

  • Help shape technical and product direction with senior teammates

  • Break ambiguous problems down, weigh the tradeoffs, and make technical and product decisions

  • Analyze and solve performance, correctness, and fault-tolerance challenges at scale

  • Dig into unfamiliar parts of a large system to root cause and solve problems

  • Ensure operational readiness of what you build and help meet the commitments to our customers regarding reliability, availability, and performance

  • Understand how customers use Dynamic Tables to shape what you build

OUR IDEAL SOFTWARE ENGINEER WILL HAVE:

  • 2+ years of industry experience designing and building database internals or data-intensive systems, or equivalent research experience

  • Excellent problem-solving skills and strong CS fundamentals including data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems

  • A track record of taking a problem from open question to software running in production

  • Proficiency with AI-native software engineering and agentic development workflows

  • Preference for working in a collaborative team with opportunities to both mentor and learn

  • BS in Computer Science or related field

  • Strong English communication skills

BONUS POINTS FOR EXPERIENCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:

  • Query compilers, optimizers, or database internals

  • Building enterprise-grade, reliable and trustworthy software or services

  • Large scale distributed systems, transactions and consistency models

  • Contributions to open-source data infrastructure or database systems

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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