This role pays more than
95%
of similar roles. Most pay
$163,301–$243,950
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$328k
versus about
$204k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Apple Inc
Apple Inc. is a multinational technology company known for designing and manufacturing consumer electronics, software, and online services, including the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and App Store. Industry: Consumer Electronics & Software
Apple Inc currently has
1984 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$175,000–$277,600
across 1590 roles with salary data.
The Principal Data Architect, PostgreSQL Database - Ai & Data Platforms (AiDP) joins the PostgreSQL team to serve as a technical authority and thought leader for database internals. This role involves leading technical direction across query execution, storage, replication, high-availability, and scaling while ensuring a high quality bar for internal systems. The individual will represent the company in the global PostgreSQL community, advocate for an upstream-first strategy, and mentor the next generation of contributors. Key responsibilities include shaping technical roadmaps, aligning engineering efforts with business priorities, and managing complex infrastructure challenges. Required skills include deep expertise in PostgreSQL internals, C, C++, or Rust, along with advanced knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and operating system principles like memory management and disk I/O. The role addresses the challenge of providing enterprise-class performance for high-throughput, distributed systems.
Lead the technical direction and quality standards for PostgreSQL internals across query execution, storage, replication, and high availability.
Drive an upstream-first strategy to ensure Apple's requirements are met within the community PostgreSQL rather than through private forks.
Represent Apple as a trusted voice in the global PostgreSQL community during design discussions and at major conferences.
Mentor and grow the next generation of internal engineers into skilled PostgreSQL contributors and experts.
Translate complex technical material into clear, actionable guidance for engineering leaders and stakeholders to align with business priorities.
Proactively identify and frame systemic challenges in database performance and reliability before they impact production systems.
Oversee the development of high-performance features while ensuring consistency across multiple internal teams.
What we're looking for
Current or former committer to the PostgreSQL open source project.
Demonstrated, sustained record of contributing features to PostgreSQL that have been well received upstream.
BS in Computer Science or a related field with 10+ years of relevant experience.
High level of proficiency in C (and, where relevant, C++ or Rust).
Advanced understanding of data structures and algorithms in storage and indexing.
Deep knowledge of the internals of PostgreSQL.
Demonstrated technical leadership and the ability to set technical direction across teams.
MS or PhD in Computer Science/related fields (MS with 8+ years or PhD with 5+ years of experience) (preferred); authorship of major features, conference speaking history, or Linux Kernel knowledge (preferred).
PostgreSQL
C
C++
Rust
Distributed Systems
Linux Kernel
Storage Engineering
high-availability
Benchmarking
Profiling
Data Structures
Algorithms
Open Source
SRE
MVCC
Python
SQL
AWS
Azure
Apache Spark
Apache Kafka
Data Warehousing
Data Lake
Lakehouse
MLOps
ETL
ELT
Scala
Java
Data Mesh
Medallion Architecture
Big Data
Agile Methodology
GenAI