Principal Data Engineer

Company Description

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our global theme park destinations, consumer products, and experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through our powerhouse film and television studios, including Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features, and the four global television studios under the Universal Studio Group banner, and operate industry-leading theme parks and experiences around the world through Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Orlando Resort, home to Universal Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Hollywood. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit www.nbcuniversal.com for more information.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Job Description

As a Principal Data Engineer on the AdSmart Engineering Team, you will be directly responsible for design, development, and maintenance of next generation of data‑driven advertising technology at NBCUniversal. You will architect and develop platform components that power large‑scale audience intelligence, cross‑platform identity, real‑time decisioning, and AI‑enhanced advertising capabilities. The products will enable NBCUniversal to better understand its brand’s audiences such as NBC News, Bravo, The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and Peacock streaming service as well as audiences that cross brands.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a principal software engineer for AdSmart products
• Architect and develop mission‑critical backend services using microservices, serverless, and event‑driven patterns under the leadership of the VP of Engineering
• Participate in scrum ceremonies and perform peer code reviews
• Utilize cutting-edge cloud computing technologies to solve problems
• Drive integration of LLMs, AI agents, vector search, and ML‑based personalization
• Supporting products with the overall roadmap and providing updates to senior leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field
• 15+ years of software development experience, as a developer and/or manager
• Fluency in Scala, Java, or Python programming languages
• Strong fundamentals in DS/algorithms, OO, FP design patters, and distributed systems
• Experience with AWS serverless and container services
• Experience with both relational database design (SQL), non-relational (NoSQL) databases
• Experience developing and/or consuming web interfaces (REST API) and associated skills
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills
• Self-directed, ability to multi-task, sharp analytical abilities, excellent communication skills

Desired Characteristics:

• Experience with software containerization, such as Docker
• Experience developing applications using Apache Spark or similar data processing frameworks
• Experience with AWS or other Cloud Providers
• Experience with AWS Lambda, Glue, ECS and similar serverless backend technologies
• Experience with Kafka/MSK, Flink, Kinesis
• LLM, Agentic AI experience
• Ad tech experience
• Results-oriented, high energy, self-motivated

Additional Requirements:

Fully Remote: This position has been designated as fully remote, meaning that the position is expected to contribute from a non-NBCUniversal worksite, most commonly an employee’s residence. This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website. Salary range: $160,000 - $200,000 (bonus eligible).

We are accepting applications for this position on an ongoing basis.

Additional Information

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed ser