Quizlet · 16 hours ago
Principal Engineer - Data & Database Systems Architecture
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff
$237K/yr - $320K/yrQuizlet is a leading learning platform dedicated to helping every learner achieve their outcomes through innovative technology. The Principal Engineer will lead the architecture and operations of database systems, ensuring high performance and reliability while mentoring a team of engineers.
E-LearningEdTechEducationInternetKnowledge Management
Responsibilities
Lead the architectural plan for scaling and evolving our core database systems (Cloud Spanner, PlanetScale MySQL, and BigQuery). This includes driving critical decisions on sharding, data topology evolution, and global data distribution strategies
Act as the organization's primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for data performance. You will actively guide teams on everything from high-level schema design and query optimization to low-level deep-dive analysis (e.g., "why is my query slow?") across all three database systems
Lead, mentor, and guide the team of SRE/Platform engineers focused on database systems. You will also partner closely with product engineering, data engineering, and AI/ML teams to influence schema design, operational excellence, and ensure the database layer supports their requirements
Own the resilience of the data tier, including the definition and implementation of comprehensive backup, recovery, and business continuity strategies. Regularly audit and test these mechanisms to ensure high availability for critical data storage
Architect and implement solutions to meet and maintain an internal 99.99% availability target for critical data access, supporting the overall platform's 99.95% SLO. This includes designing connection management, capacity planning, and automation to handle peak load and ensure data consistency
Act as the technical owner for data-related cost optimization. Balance performance and reliability needs while implementing strategies for efficient storage, indexing, and throughput to minimize expenditure
Qualification
Required
Deep, hands-on experience architecting and operating globally distributed transactional systems
Expert knowledge of Cloud Spanner internals, advanced MySQL sharding and scaling (e.g., PlanetScale), and production optimization under heavy load
Deep experience with large-scale analytical data warehousing (BigQuery) and designing resilient data ingestion/ELT plumbing
Proven ability to define global data strategies and drive cross-functional change, effectively partnering with product engineering and data science teams to guide schema design and data access patterns
A history of leading the design and implementation of highly available data systems (targeting four-nines or higher), with proven experience in operational fundamentals like backup, recovery, and data integrity assurance
Extensive experience in designing and optimizing large-scale cloud-native architecture on GCP (or equivalent), including database networking, security policies, and cost governance
Benefits
20 vacation days that we expect you to take!
Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee and 75% dependent PPO, Dental, VSP Choice)
Employer-sponsored 401k plan with company match
Access to LinkedIn Learning and other resources to support professional growth
Paid Family Leave, FSA, HSA, Commuter benefits, and Wellness benefits
40 hours of annual paid time off to participate in volunteer programs of choice
Company
Quizlet
Quizlet is a learning platform that uses activities and games to help students practice and master what they’re learning.
Founded in 2005
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Quizlet has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (12)
2024 (10)
2023 (7)
2022 (9)
2021 (1)
2020 (8)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$62MKey Investors
General AtlanticIcon Ventures
2020-05-13Series C· $30M
2018-02-06Series B· $20M
2015-11-23Series A· $12M
Leadership Team
Kurt Beidler
Chief Executive Officer
David Margulius
Board Member and Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-10-31
South Africa Today
2025-09-12
Mark Cuban Foundation
2025-09-09
Company data provided by crunchbase