Senior Data Engineer (GCP)

Who are we?Equinix is the world's digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet.A place where tech thinkers and future builders turn bold ideas into breakthrough experiences, we welcome your unique perspective.Help us challenge assumptions, uncover bias, and remove barriers-because progress starts with fresh ideas. You'll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you-because when you feel valued, you're empowered to do your best work.Job SummaryAs a Senior Data Engineer at Equinix, you will be responsible for driving end-to-end delivery of enterprise-scale data solutions on Google Cloud Platform. This role combines hands-on technical expertise, requiring you to design sophisticated system architectures, lead cross-functional teams, and mentor Staff and other data engineers. You will be responsible for solution design and ensuring the successful delivery of mission-critical data products. The ideal candidate demonstrates exceptional technical depth in GCP data technologies, proven leadership in guiding engineering teams through complex challenges, and the ability to translate strategic business objectives into scalable, innovative technical solutions. Knowledge of AI, Machine Learning Operations, and emerging technologies like Agentic AI and Model Context Protocol (MCP) is highly valued. ResponsibilitiesSystem Design & Architecture LeadershipArchitect complex, distributed data systems capable of handling petabyte-scale workloads with fault tolerance and high availabilityDesign data platform architectures considering scalability, performance, cost optimization, and operational excellenceEvaluate and recommend emerging technologies, tools, and architectural patterns to drive innovationCreate comprehensive architectural documentation, design patterns, and best practices guidelinesTechnical Solutioning & DeliveryOwn end-to-end delivery of complex data engineering initiatives from conception to productionDesign and implement sophisticated solutions leveraging BigQuery, Cloud Dataflow, Composer, Dataform/dbt, Pub/Sub, and Vertex AIArchitect and build real-time streaming data pipelines using Cloud Pub/Sub, Kafka, and Apache BeamDevelop advanced data transformation frameworks and custom processing enginesDesign microservices-based data platforms with containerization (Docker/Kubernetes)Establish comprehensive observability, monitoring, and alerting frameworksDrive performance optimization, cost management, and operational efficiency initiativesTeam Leadership & MentorshipLead and mentor Data Engineers and other team members, fostering technical excellence and professional growthGuide teams through complex technical challenges and architectural decision-makingConduct technical design reviews and ensure adherence to architectural standardsEstablish coding standards, quality assurance processes, and engineering best practicesLead technical training programs and knowledge-sharing initiativesDrive continuous improvement in team processes, tools, and methodologiesParticipate in technical hiring processes and team capability buildingData Governance & ComplianceEstablish data classification systems, access control policies, and encryption strategiesImplement automated data quality frameworks, lineage tracking, and metadata managementEnsure regulatory compliance across data workflows (GDPR, SOX, industry-specific regulations)Design privacy-preserving techniques, data anonymization, and secure data sharing mechanismsStrategic Collaboration & Stakeholder ManagementPartner with business stakeholders to translate strategic objectives into technical solutionsLead cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple engineering teams and business unitsPresent technical concepts and architectural decisions to executive leadershipDrive alignment between technical implementations and business outcomesQualificationsTechnical ExpertiseGCP Platform Mastery: 6+ years of hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform, including deep expertise in BigQuery (advanced SQL, scripting, optimization, ML integration), Cloud Dataflow, Cloud Composer, Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, Dataproc, and Vertex AIProgramming Excellence: Expert-level Python/Java programming, proficiency in Python/Scala for Spark developmentAdvanced Data Technologies: Deep expertise in Apache Beam, Apache Spark, Airflow, Kafka, and distributed computing architecturesInfrastructure: Extensive experience with Terraform, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud infrastructure managementDatabase & Data Modeling: Advanced knowledge of relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL systems (BigTable, Firestore, MongoDB); expertise in data modeling, normalization, and performance optimizationSystem Design: Proven ability to architect complex, distributed systems with considerations for scalability, reliability, security, and cost-effectivenessProfessional Experience & LeadershipBachelor's degree in Computer Scie