Software Engineer — Engineering Systems, Continuous Integration
Software Engineer · Mid · Full Time
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Role
What you'll do.
Software Engineer for Snowflake's Continuous Integration team within Engineering Systems, focused on designing, developing, and operating distributed systems that power build automation, test orchestration, and developer productivity infrastructure across a multi-cloud environment. This IC2-level position requires 3+ years of production software engineering experience with strong distributed systems fundamentals and proficiency in languages like Java, C++, Python, or Go. The ideal candidate will drive reliability and scalability improvements for CI/CD platforms serving thousands of engineers globally.
Responsibilities
- Design and Develop Distributed CI Systems: Architect, develop, test, and operate robust distributed systems that form the backbone of Snowflake's continuous integration platform, ensuring reliability and scalability across thousands of engineer users and a rapidly expanding multi-cloud codebase.
- Build High-Performance Services and Tooling: Create APIs, services, and automation tools using Java, C++, Python, or Go to improve build reliability, test execution speed, developer productivity, and overall software delivery velocity across the organization.
- Architect Scalable Cloud Infrastructure: Contribute to the design and implementation of enterprise-grade CI infrastructure that spans multiple cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP), addressing challenges around resource allocation, multi-tenancy, and cross-cloud orchestration.
- Troubleshoot Complex Infrastructure Issues: Investigate and resolve critical issues involving build failures, test infrastructure performance degradation, reliability concerns, and developer workflow impediments; perform root-cause analysis and implement preventative measures.
- Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Partner with engineering teams across Snowflake to understand CI/CD needs, gather requirements, and deliver pragmatic, operationally simple solutions that align with platform constraints and business objectives.
- Own Code Quality and Reliability: Participate actively in design reviews, code reviews, and comprehensive testing practices; apply strong engineering judgment to enhance system performance, reliability, security, and long-term maintainability.
- Support Production Operations: Contribute to on-call rotation and production support activities, ensuring platform stability and rapid incident response for mission-critical CI/CD infrastructure serving the entire engineering organization.
- Advance CI/CD Practices and Tooling: Help evolve CI practices, tooling, automation, and operational processes as Snowflake scales; contribute to technical documentation, postmortems, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that elevate engineering standards.
- Foster Inclusive Engineering Culture: Contribute to an inclusive, collaborative engineering culture through thoughtful documentation, mentorship, knowledge sharing, and participation in design decisions and architectural discussions.
Qualifications
What we look for.
Technical
Distributed Systems Design and Implementation
Demonstrated experience designing and implementing reliable, scalable distributed systems with understanding of consistency models, fault tolerance, and message passing architectures.
Production Software Engineering
3+ years of professional software engineering experience building, deploying, testing, and operating production-grade systems at scale with focus on reliability and performance.
Programming Language Proficiency
Strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language such as Java, C++, Python, or Go; ability to write clean, maintainable code with attention to performance and resource efficiency.
Cloud Architecture and Multi-Cloud Development
Practical experience developing and deploying applications on cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP); understanding of containerization, orchestration, and cloud-native patterns.
Testing, Debugging, and Monitoring
Hands-on experience with comprehensive testing strategies, debugging complex distributed system issues, production monitoring, observability tools, and performance profiling.
Computer Science Fundamentals
Strong grasp of foundational computer science concepts including data structures, algorithms, time/space complexity analysis, and system design principles.
Problem-Solving in Ambiguous Contexts
Ability to tackle poorly-defined technical challenges, break down complex problems into manageable components, and propose pragmatic solutions with minimal guidance.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related Field
A four-year degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience demonstrating mastery of core software engineering principles and practices.
Strong Fundamentals
Demonstrated proficiency in algorithms, data structures, and system design concepts through academic coursework, certifications, or professional portfolio.
Experience
3+ Years Production Systems Engineering
Minimum three years of professional software engineering experience building, testing, deploying, and maintaining production systems with emphasis on reliability, scalability, and performance optimization.
Distributed Systems Experience
Practical exposure to designing and operating distributed systems, understanding trade-offs between consistency, availability, and partition tolerance, and handling system failures gracefully.
CI/CD Platform Familiarity (Preferred)
Prior experience with continuous integration, continuous delivery systems, or developer productivity platforms; exposure to CI/CD toolchains such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Bazel, or equivalent platforms.
Build Systems and Test Orchestration (Preferred)
Experience working with build systems, test orchestration frameworks, distributed job scheduling, resource management, or infrastructure automation.
Large-Scale Repository and Pipeline Operations (Preferred)
Hands-on experience supporting large codebases, complex build pipelines, monorepos, or multi-cloud engineering platforms at significant scale.
Skills
Required
Java
Production-level proficiency in Java including understanding of concurrency models, memory management, and building performant backend services.
Python
Solid ability to write Python for scripting, automation, data processing, and building tools that support CI/CD workflows and infrastructure management.
C++
Competency in C++ for systems programming, performance-critical components, and scenarios requiring fine-grained control over resource allocation.
Go
Proficiency in Go for building concurrent, networked systems and cloud-native applications with emphasis on simplicity and deployment efficiency.
Distributed Systems Concepts
Deep understanding of distributed system principles including consensus algorithms, replication strategies, failure detection, and scalability patterns.
Cloud Platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)
Hands-on experience with major cloud platforms; proficiency with compute services, networking, storage, and managed services relevant to CI/CD infrastructure.
Containerization and Orchestration
Working knowledge of Docker, container runtimes, and Kubernetes for deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications in production environments.
API Design and Development
Ability to design clean, extensible APIs; expertise in REST patterns, gRPC, event-driven architectures, and service integration strategies.
System Performance Optimization
Proven ability to identify performance bottlenecks through profiling and metrics analysis, then implement targeted optimizations for CPU, memory, and I/O efficiency.
Observability and Monitoring
Experience instrumenting systems with logging, metrics, and distributed tracing; proficiency with observability platforms for real-time system visibility and alerting.
Preferred
Jenkins
Nice to haveFamiliarity with Jenkins architecture, plugin development, pipeline configuration, and scaling Jenkins controllers for large engineering organizations.
GitHub Actions
Nice to haveExperience designing and implementing workflows using GitHub Actions; understanding of runners, self-hosted infrastructure, and CI/CD orchestration at scale.
ArgoCD
Nice to haveKnowledge of GitOps principles and ArgoCD for continuous deployment, declarative infrastructure management, and multi-environment deployments.
Bazel
Nice to haveExperience with Bazel build system including writing build rules, optimizing build performance, and managing monorepo build complexity.
Kubernetes Operations
Nice to havePractical experience operating Kubernetes clusters, resource management, networking, security policies, and managing multi-tenant environments.
Build System Architecture
Nice to haveUnderstanding of modern build system design, incremental builds, dependency management, and techniques for reducing build and test cycle times.
Reliability Engineering
Nice to haveKnowledge of SRE practices including SLOs/SLIs, error budgets, chaos engineering, and systematic approaches to improving system reliability.
Security and Isolation
Nice to haveExperience implementing security controls, multi-tenant isolation, secrets management, and compliance patterns in shared infrastructure platforms.
Root Cause Analysis
Nice to haveExperience conducting thorough postmortem investigations, identifying systemic issues, and implementing preventative measures to avoid future failures.
Tech stack
Languages
Frameworks
Databases
Tools
Other
Compensation
Pay and benefits.
Base·USD 160,000 – 230,000
Equity·Stock options
Benefits
Medical Insurance
Comprehensive health coverage including preventative care, specialist visits, and prescription drug benefits.
Dental and Vision Insurance
Full coverage for routine dental care, orthodontics, and vision correction needs.
401(k) Retirement Plan
Tax-advantaged retirement savings with employer matching contributions for long-term financial security.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
Opportunity to purchase Snowflake stock at a discount, enabling direct ownership in company growth.
Equity / RSU Grants
Restricted Stock Unit grants as part of total compensation package, aligning employee interests with long-term company success.
Paid Time Off
Generous PTO policy supporting work-life balance, flexible time for vacation, personal days, and mental health.
Parental Leave
Paid leave for new parents (birth and adoption) supporting family planning and work-life integration.
Disability Insurance
Short-term and long-term disability coverage protecting income in case of medical events.
Company-Paid Life Insurance
Basic life insurance coverage with options for additional supplemental coverage for financial protection.
Professional Development
Support for continuous learning, conference attendance, and skill development opportunities to advance technical careers.
Inclusive Culture
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusive workplace practices; equal opportunity employer regardless of protected characteristics.
Process
Interview steps.
- 01
Initial Screening and Recruiter Call
30-minute conversation with a Snowflake recruiter to discuss background, experience, and role expectations; confirms mutual fit before proceeding to technical interviews.
- 02
Technical Phone Screen
60-minute technical interview covering distributed systems concepts, system design fundamentals, and coding problem-solving in your language of choice (Java, Python, Go, or C++).
- 03
System Design and Architecture Interview
90-minute in-depth conversation focused on designing large-scale distributed systems; you'll discuss approaches to building scalable CI/CD infrastructure, handling failure scenarios, and making trade-offs.
- 04
Behavioral and Team Fit Interview
60-minute discussion exploring collaboration style, problem-solving approach, communication skills, and alignment with Snowflake's engineering culture and values.
- 05
Senior Engineer / Team Lead Conversation
60-minute technical deep-dive with senior engineers or team lead; focus on CI/CD platform specific challenges, infrastructure decisions, and your perspectives on engineering excellence.
- 06
Executive Sponsorship and Offer
Final approval stage with hiring manager and leadership; if all interviews are successful, you'll receive a comprehensive offer including base salary, equity, and benefits details.
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.
About Snowflake
Snowflake is building the AI Data Cloud, enabling organizations around the world to mobilize data and develop applications at global scale. The Engineering Systems organization builds the tools, infrastructure, and platforms that help Snowflake engineers develop, test, and deliver high-quality software efficiently.
The Continuous Integration team is responsible for the systems that power builds, tests, validation, and developer workflows across Snowflake's engineering organization. As a Software Engineer on this team, you will help build reliable, scalable CI services that support thousands of engineers and a rapidly growing multi-cloud codebase.
Responsibilities
Design, develop, test, and operate distributed systems that power Snowflake's continuous integration platform.
Build services and tooling that improve build reliability, test execution, developer productivity, and software delivery velocity.
Contribute to the architecture and implementation of scalable CI infrastructure across cloud environments.
Develop reliable APIs, services, and automation using languages such as Java, C++, Python, or Go.
Investigate and resolve issues involving build failures, test infrastructure, performance, reliability, and developer workflows.
Partner with engineers across Snowflake to understand CI needs and deliver solutions that are simple, scalable, and easy to operate.
Participate in design reviews, code reviews, testing, and production support.
Apply strong engineering judgment to improve system performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.
Help evolve CI practices, tooling, and operational processes as Snowflake grows.
Contribute to an inclusive engineering culture through collaboration, documentation, and knowledge sharing.
Our Ideal Candidate
3+ years of software engineering experience building production systems.
Strong computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems.
Experience designing and implementing reliable software services.
Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Java, C++, Python, or Go.
Familiarity with cloud-based development environments and distributed applications.
Experience with testing, debugging, monitoring, and operating production systems.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through ambiguous technical challenges.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate with engineers, product partners, and teams across the organization.
A strong sense of ownership and commitment to delivering high-quality software.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with continuous integration, continuous delivery, or developer productivity systems.
Familiarity with tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD, Bazel, or similar CI/CD platforms.
Experience with build systems, test orchestration, distributed job scheduling, or resource management.
Knowledge of multi-tenant systems, reliability engineering, performance optimization, or security isolation.
Experience working with Kubernetes, containers, or public cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Experience supporting large-scale repositories, build pipelines, or engineering platforms.
Familiarity with observability tools and production metrics.
Experience contributing to technical design documents, postmortems, or root-cause analyses.
Why Engineering Systems at Snowflake?
Build infrastructure used by Snowflake engineers around the world.
Work on challenging distributed systems and developer productivity problems.
Help improve the speed, reliability, and quality of software delivery at Snowflake.
Collaborate with engineers across a multi-cloud data platform.
Grow your technical skills while working on systems with broad organizational impact.
Join a team that values ownership, thoughtful engineering, and continuous improvement.
Compensation
Snowflake is committed to pay equity and transparency. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, location, and internal equity.
For the Bellevue, WA market, the compensation range for this IC2 role is:
Base salary:
$170,000–$204,000 USDTarget bonus:
10%Total target compensation:
$187,000–$224,400 USDEquity: Eligible for an RSU grant in addition to base salary and bonus
Snowflake also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), ESPP, paid time off, parental leave, disability coverage, and company-paid life insurance.
Snowflake is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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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