# Principal Architect at Planful

> Remote · North America · Principal · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Ahostanalytics%3A8661005002 (read 2026-11-10).

## Facts (observed)

- Company: [Planful](https://alderhq.app/companies/planful)
- Location text: Remote (North America); Remote (North America)
- Where it can be done from (inferred): Remote · North America (evidence: "Location: Remote (North America); Remote (North America)")
- Posted: 2026-07-31 (101 days ago)
- First seen by alder: 2026-11-07 · last verified: 2026-11-08
- Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times
- Apply on the employer's site: https://planful.com/jobs/careers-list/?gh_jid=8661005002
- Skills listed (inferred): Java, Redis, SQL, Distributed systems

## Pay and sponsorship

- Posted pay: not posted

## Description (the employer's text)

### About the Role

As a Principal Engineer, you will be responsible for the architectural design and end-to-end implementation of a high-performance OLAP query engine and semantic layer. The primary goal is to develop a custom JSON-based query language (DSL) and a translation engine that converts these requests into optimized SQL for columnar databases. This role requires a deep understanding of systems programming, compiler theory, and multi-dimensional data modeling to serve high-concurrency read loads in a microservices environment.

### What You'll Do

- Architectural Design & Query Execution
- Compiler & DSL development: Design a custom JSON-based OLAP query language. Define eBNF grammars and build a translation layer to convert functional formulas and DSL requests into an optimized execution plan.
- SQL generation & optimization: Implement and oversee the generation of highly optimized SQL tailored for columnar databases including ClickHouse, SingleStore, and DuckDB.
- Semantic layer management: Architect the representation of multi-dimensional data models within columnar structures, ensuring efficient data retrieval and aggregation.
- Custom function logic: Implement logic for custom functions, determining the optimal balance between SQL push-down and application-layer execution
- Caching & Performance Engineering
- Multi-dimensional caching: Envisage and implement a distributed caching strategy for multidimensional data, utilizing shared memory systems like Redis.
- Concurrency & scaling: Build and maintain high-performance microservices using Java (Micronaut or Spring Boot) with Project Loom (Virtual Threads) to handle massive concurrent read loads.
- Low-level optimization: Manage system-level performance including connection pooling, array pooling, and off-heap memory management.
- JVM tuning: Apply expert knowledge of Java Garbage Collectors (including ZGC and Shenandoah) to maintain low-latency response times.
- Engineering Excellence & AI Integration
- AI-augmented development: Leverage AI coding agents and tools to accelerate the software development lifecycle, from prototyping to debugging.
- Technical documentation: Maintain a disciplined approach to software development by documenting architectural decisions, design patterns, and technical specifications.
- Technical leadership: Act as the primary technical authority on query engine internals, providing guidance on complex systems-level challenges.
### What We're Looking For

- 15+ years in software engineering with a focus on backend systems and data infrastructure
- Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of compilers, ASTs, eBNF, and query planning
- In-depth understanding of SQL, query optimization, and the internal workings of columnar databases
- Expert proficiency in Java, specifically regarding multi-threading, asynchronous I/O, networking, and memory management
- Proven experience in designing distributed caching layers and managing state across microservices
- Ability to decompose complex data problems into scalable architectural components
- Clear verbal and written communication skills, with a strong tendency to document thoughts and architectural ideas
- A rigorous approach to software craftsmanship, including testing, telemetry, and performance benchmarking
- Minimum of 1 year of experience using AI coding agents to enhance development productivity
- Prior experience developing financial systems such as ERP, EPM, or General Ledger platforms is an added plus
### Why this Role

You will own the internals of the query engine at the heart of a next-generation financial planning platform — the layer where compiler theory, columnar database performance, and multi-dimensional semantics converge.

### Why Planful

To foster the best in class work we’re so proud of, we’ve created a best in class culture, including:

- 2 Volunteer days per year, Birthday PTO, and quarterly company Wellness Days
- 3 months supply of diapers and meal deliveries for the first month of your Maternity/Paternity leave and generous parental leave
- Talkspace access and mental health support

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Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Ahostanalytics%3A8661005002 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.