Principal Software Engineer

Job Description

The WBD Data and Audience Platform organization is seeking a Principal Engineer to play a key role in shaping the architecture of our cutting-edge Data & Audience Platform. This platform powers a wide range of data-driven use cases across Max, Discovery+, CNN, WB Studios, Sports, and other WBD digital products.

In this role, you will report to SVP of Data and collaborate closely with executive leadership and the broader engineering organization to design and build a state-of-the-art data platform that supports high-impact analytics, machine learning, and audience activation. You will work with a highly motivated team of platform, data, and analytics engineers to develop scalable data products that drive personalization, improve customer retention, and maximize revenue. Additionally, you will partner with machine learning engineers and data scientists to build scalable consumer models and enable seamless data activation across multiple channels.

In this role, you will own the platform architecture end-to-end, driving its vision, design, and evolution. You will also be responsible for effectively communicating and advocating for the architecture across the company, ensuring alignment and adoption across teams.

The Daily

As the Principal Engineer for the WBD Data & Audience Platform, you will play a critical role in shaping the platform's architecture, governance, and adoption across the company. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

Architecting the Data & Audience Platform – Define, design, and evolve a scalable, efficient, and future-proof data architecture that supports analytics, machine learning, and personalization across WBD's digital products. Technical Governance & Best Practices – Establish and enforce architectural standards, governance policies, and best practices to ensure reliability, security, and compliance across the platform. Socializing Architecture Across the Company – Effectively communicate architectural decisions and strategies to engineering teams, product teams, and executive leadership, driving alignment and adoption. Engaging with C-Level & Leadership – Present architectural vision, roadmaps, and trade-offs to executive stakeholders, influencing key decisions and ensuring alignment with business objectives. Cross-Team Collaboration – Work closely with platform engineers, data engineers, analytics teams, and machine learning engineers to ensure the platform meets the needs of all stakeholders. Architectural Reviews & Technical Oversight – Lead architecture reviews, provide technical guidance, and ensure best-in-class design patterns are followed across data ingestion, processing, storage, and activation. Change Management & Innovation Adoption – Act as a key driver of change, ensuring smooth adoption of new technologies, methodologies, and platform enhancements across the organization. Scalability & Performance Optimization – Continuously evaluate and optimize platform performance, ensuring it can scale with business growth and increasing data demands. AI & GenAI-Driven Platform Improvements – Leverage AI, particularly Generative AI, to enhance platform automation, reduce operational costs, and improve engineering productivity. Identify opportunities where AI can streamline workflows, optimize data processing, and enable intelligent decision-making across WBD's digital products. Mentorship & Technical Leadership – Mentor engineers across teams, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning. Staying Ahead of Industry Trends – Keep up with the latest developments in data platforms, cloud computing, and AI-driven personalization, bringing innovative ideas and technologies to WBD's data ecosystem.

This role is highly strategic, requiring deep technical expertise and strong leadership to drive WBD's data-driven future while embracing AI-powered innovations.

Qualifications & Experience
• Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field.
• Experience: 15+ years in software engineering, with at least 5+ years focused on modern data platforms or data-driven products with direct-to-consumer impact.
• Passion for AI & Open Source: Enthusiast in open-source technologies and AI, including both traditional machine learning and Generative AI.
• High-Performance Mindset: A ''go above and beyond'' attitude with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure, agile environment.
• Strong Communication Skills: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders across the company.

Technical Expertise
• Large-Scale Data Platform Architecture: Proven expertise in designing and building internet-scale data platforms with a direct-to-consumer focus.
• Programming Languages: Proficiency in multiple languages such as Java, Scala, Python, or similar.
• Big Data Processing: Hands-on experience in managing large-scale data processing (both streaming and batch).
• Stream Processing: Expertise in real-time data streaming technologies like Kafka, Kinesis, Pulsar, or similar.
• Distributed Data Processing: Deep understanding of frameworks like Apache Spark, Flink, or equivalent.
• Databases & Storage:
• SQL & NoSQL: Expertise in Apache Cassandra, DynamoDB, MySQL.
• OLAP Databases: Strong experience with Delta Lake, Snowflake, or Redshift.
• AI/ML Operationalization: Experience in deploying and scaling machine learning models, with a preference for expertise in AI/ML and GenAI applications.
• Data Tools & Frameworks: Familiarity with tools like Apache Airflow and Apache Druid is a strong plus.
• Analytics & Visualization: Exposure to analytics platforms such as Looker and Tableau is preferred.
• Cloud Expertise: Strong preference for experience with AWS and cloud-based data platforms.

Championing Inclusion at WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you're a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery's total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $193,200.00 - $358,800.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.

If you're a qualified candidate with an arrest or conviction record, please know that your application will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-yjp1jk-18-97-14-80-42 in your application.