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Software Engineer, Data Platform (Foundations Lead)

NotionSan Francisco, CaliforniaEngineering
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Salary
$281K - $334K USD
Job type
Full-time
Work mode
Remote
Posted
21 Sept 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Role Overview

The Software Engineer, Data Platform (Foundations Lead) role is a hands-on technical leadership position based in San Francisco, California, focused on guiding the batch and streaming infrastructure that powers product features, analytics, search, and AI experiences at Notion. This position suits an experienced technical leader who excels at setting multi-quarter strategies, developing engineering talent, and scaling enterprise-ready data systems.

Key Responsibilities

Establish the overall multi-quarter strategy and direction for the Data Foundations team across the data lake, streaming, distributed compute, governance, and platform reliability.
Attract, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of engineers while fostering a culture of direct feedback, accountability, and strong technical ownership.
Guide critical technical initiatives from initial idea to production operation, utilizing prototyping to de-risk architectures and coordinate execution across teams.
Ensure the data platform becomes enterprise-ready by implementing robust external key management, data residency, access controls, and lifecycle management.
Improve overall system reliability, architectural simplicity, and cost efficiency across distributed platforms.
Scale organizational expertise through reusable abstractions, paved paths, documentation, design reviews, and tooling.

Requirements

Extensive expertise in designing and operating large-scale batch and streaming systems spanning storage, compute, ingestion, governance, and production operations.
Demonstrated experience leading a Data Platform or infrastructure team through complex, multi-quarter initiatives and defining long-term strategies.
Proven background in team-building, talent development, and guiding engineers across various career stages.
Strong hands-on engineering judgment to determine when to prototype, simplify, buy, build, or migrate systems.
Ability to translate partner requirements into safe, self-serve platform capabilities rather than building bespoke solutions.
Strong organizational influence to create clarity across team boundaries and surface technical risks proactively.

Skills and Tools

Spark
Kafka
Debezium
S3 and Iceberg
EMR
Athena

Salary and Benefits

Notion provides highly competitive cash compensation, equity, and benefits. The estimated base salary range for this role in San Francisco is $281,000 to $334,000 per year, with final offers determined by factors such as location, role scope, complexity, and the candidate's specific experience and expertise.

About the Company

Notion is the collaborative AI workspace where teams and agents think together, combining knowledge, projects, meetings, and AI tools into a single application. Millions of users rely on the platform to make work faster, clearer, and less fragmented. Employees at Notion are known as Notinos, and they work together from offices on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays as anchor days to foster in-person collaboration and innovative thinking.

How to Apply

Apply directly on the official company careers page by submitting your application through the provided online portal.

Skills and tech stack

SparkKafka

Questions candidates ask

What is the location of this role?

This role is based in San Francisco, California, with office presence required on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays as anchor days.

What is the salary range for the Foundations Lead position?

The estimated base salary range for candidates based in San Francisco is $281,000 to $334,000 per year, supplemented by equity and benefits.

What technical systems does the Data Foundations team manage?

The team operates and evolves systems including Kafka, Debezium, S3 and Iceberg lakehouses, Spark, EMR, and Athena.

Is deep AI expertise required for this position?

Deep AI expertise is not required for every role, but candidates are expected to be intellectually curious and comfortable using AI as a collaborator in their daily work.

How should I submit my application?

Candidates should apply directly on the official Notion careers page.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Notion careers page.

Apply on company site