Senior Software Engineer, Data Governance & Foundations
Instacart is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join the Data Governance and Foundations team, responsible for building core infrastructure that ensures data is trusted, secure, and compliant across all operational regions. This role involves close collaboration with Legal, Compliance, Security, and Engineering teams to translate regulatory requirements into scalable systems that facilitate safe data access and drive business acceleration.
Key responsibilities include designing, building, and operating services and tools for role-based and attribute-based access control, policy enforcement, auditing, and data classification across platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, Trino, and Iceberg-backed datasets. The engineer will develop event-driven controls and metadata pipelines to automate governance workflows, detect drift, and continuously validate compliance posture. Additionally, the role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to translate requirements into technical controls and standardizing best practices for data privacy and policy-as-code across Instacart's data platform.
The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field, with over five years of experience in software engineering focused on backend or platform services for data-intensive or distributed systems. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, Scala, or Go, along with strong SQL skills, is essential. Hands-on experience with modern data platforms, including at least two of the following: Snowflake, Databricks, Trino/Presto, Apache Iceberg, Apache Kafka, is required. Demonstrated experience implementing data security controls in production and operating services in cloud environments like AWS, GCP, or Azure is also necessary.
Instacart offers a competitive compensation package, with a base salary ranging from CAD 168,000 to CAD 177,500, along with equity grants. Employees benefit from flexible work arrangements, allowing them to choose their preferred work environment, whether from home, an office, or another location, while staying connected through regular in-person events. Additional benefits include comprehensive health coverage, professional development opportunities, and a collaborative work culture that values diversity and inclusion.