Software Engineer, New Grad - Query Engines
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Summary
New-grad software engineer on the query engines team building the data processing infrastructure behind Palantir Foundry. Day to day: optimizing query plans, execution operators, and table scans using Java, Scala, Rust, Python, Apache Spark, DataFusion, and Iceberg — seeing work through design, code review, testing, and release.
A World-Changing Company
Palantir builds the world’s leading software for data-driven decisions and operations. By bringing the right data to the people who need it, our platforms empower our partners to develop lifesaving drugs, forecast supply chain disruptions, locate missing children, and more.
The Role
We are a software engineering team applying open-source data technologies to some of the world's hardest and most important problems. We build the data processing infrastructure that underpins Palantir Foundry, supporting applications that help hospitals care for more patients, help clinical teams coordinate timely diagnoses, and keep essential supplies moving through global disruption.
You will work deep inside the systems that make this possible: how computations are represented, how query plans are optimized, how operators execute, and how data is read and written efficiently. We build on and extend Apache Spark, Apache DataFusion, and Apache Iceberg, bringing advances in open-source engines and table formats into the demanding environments our customers operate in. Our work serves many products and workloads across Foundry, including no-code pipelines, interactive analysis, and the processing that keeps the Ontology up to date.
Working alongside experienced engineers, you will take on real problems in our production systems. That could mean writing a new planning rule, adding a capability to a native execution engine, or making large tables faster to scan. You will see your work through design, code review, testing, and release. Correctness, compatibility, and predictable performance are central to everything we build, and you will learn how to deliver all three.
Join us if you want to learn how modern data systems work from the inside and apply that knowledge to consequential problems.
Technologies We Use
- Java, Scala, Rust, and Python
- Apache Spark, Apache DataFusion, Apache Comet, and Velox for data processing and query execution
- Apache Iceberg for table management and catalog interoperability
- Apache Arrow and Apache Parquet for in-memory data processing and columnar storage
- Gradle and Cargo for builds, and GitHub for collaboration
You do not need prior experience with these technologies. We expect you to learn them here.
What We Value
- Curiosity about how data systems work, from query optimizers and execution operators to file formats and distributed processing
- A high bar for correctness and a willingness to dig until you understand why something behaves the way it does
- Comfort following a problem across languages, services, and layers of the stack
- A practical approach to performance, grounded in measurement rather than intuition
- Eagerness to learn, ask questions, and incorporate feedback
- Interest in applying deep systems engineering to real-world problems, with empathy for the people who depend on our software
What We Require
- Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics, or a similar field, or equivalent practical experience
- Proficiency in at least one language such as Java, Rust, Scala, C++, or C
- Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and concurrency
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Coursework or projects in databases, compilers, operating systems, or distributed systems
- Contributions to open-source projects
Salary
The salary range for this position is estimated to be $145,000 - $155,000/year. Total compensation for this position may also include Restricted Stock units, sign-on bonus and other potential future incentives. Further note that total compensation for this position will be determined by each individual's relevant qualifications, work experience, skills, and other factors. This estimate excludes the value of any potential sign-on bonus; the value of any benefits offered; and the potential future value of any long-term incentives.
Our benefits aim to promote health and wellbeing across all areas of Palantirians’ lives. We work to continuously improve our offerings and listen to our community as we design and update them. The list below details our available benefits and some of the perks that can be enjoyed as an employee of Palantir Technologies.
Benefits
• Employees (and their eligible dependents) can enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as voluntary life insurance
• Employees are automatically covered by Palantir’s basic life, AD&D and disability insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Relocation assistance
• Take what you need paid time off, not accrual based
• 2 weeks paid time off built into the end of each year (subject to team and business needs)
• 10 paid holidays throughout the calendar year
• Supportive leave of absence program including time off for military service and medical events
• Paid leave for new parents and subsidized back-up care for all parents
• Fertility and family building benefits including but not limited to adoption, surrogacy, and preservation
• Stipend to help with expenses that come with a new child
• Employees can enroll in Palantir’s 401k plan
Life at Palantir
We want every Palantirian to achieve their best outcomes, that’s why we celebrate individuals’ strengths, skills, and interests, from your first interview to your longterm growth, rather than rely on traditional career ladders. Paying attention to the needs of our community enables us to optimize our opportunities to grow and helps ensure many pathways to success at Palantir. Promoting health and well-being across all areas of Palantirians’ lives is just one of the ways we’re investing in our community. Learn more at Life at Palantir and note that our offerings may vary by region.
In keeping consistent with Palantir’s values and culture, we believe employees are “better together” and in-person work affords the opportunity for more creative outcomes. Therefore, we encourage employees to work from our offices to foster connectivity and innovation. Many teams do offer hybrid options (WFH a day or two a week), allowing our employees to strike the right trade-off for their personal productivity. Based on business need, there are a few roles that allow for “Remote” work on an exceptional basis. If you are applying for one of these roles, you must work from the state in which you are employed. If the posting is specified as Onsite, you are required to work from an office.
If you want to empower the world's most important institutions, you belong here. Palantir values excellence regardless of background. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer for all, including but not limited to Veterans and those with disabilities. Palantir is committed to making the application and hiring process accessible to everyone and will provide a reasonable accommodation for those living with a disability. If you need an accommodation for the application or hiring process, please reach out and let us know how we can help.
Please note that you will never be asked to submit a payment or share financial information to participate in our interview process. If you suspect that you've been contacted by a scammer, we recommend you cease all communication with the individual and consider reporting them to the relevant authorities, such as the US FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
If you would like to understand more about how your personal data will be processed by Palantir, please see our Privacy Policy.
If you would like to understand more about how your personal data will be processed by Palantir, please see our Privacy Policy.
Skills
As published by lever · 23 questions · 7 written answers
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL
Short answers (3)
- Preferred Name | What would you like us to call you? optional
- Name Pronunciation | How do you pronounce your name? optional
- What is your anticipated start date? (Month/Year) optional
Pick from a list (13)
- Language Skill(s) (Check all that apply) optional
- Do you have any, or anticipate any upcoming offer deadlines?
- If so, what are the dates? optional
- What are your preferred office location(s) to work from in addition to the location you are applying to? Select 1-3 from below. optional
- Are you legally authorized to work in the country for which you are applying?
- Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B, etc.)?
- Year of High School Graduation optional
- Which university are you currently attending or did you last attend? Please select "Other (School Not Listed)" if your school is not listed. optional
- Please include your intended graduation year for the degree or relevant learning program that you are currently pursuing or have completed. optional
- Please tell us how you heard about this opportunity. optional
- The FDSE and SWE roles have different applications. Please confirm that your answer to the above question matches the role you are applying for. optional
- What are your preferred Palantir product(s)? Please pick 1-2. optional
- As part of our interview process, we may use AI notetakers to transcribe conversations for accuracy and efficiency. Please see our candidate privacy policy for more information on how we process your data. Your decision to opt in or out of this tooling will not impact your candidacy.
Written answers (7)
- Insert other preferred location(s) and/or further context on preference. Note: we are not offering fully remote work at this time for this opportunity.
- High School Name
- If Palantir didn't exist, what kind of company or work would you be most excited and interested in working at/on? (Approx. 200 words)
- What is the hardest technical challenge you've faced as part of work experience or a personal project? (Approx. 200 words)
- Tell us one thing that’s not on your resume that you’re proud of. optional
- At Palantir we have two main Software Engineering roles: Forward Deployed Software Engineer and Software Engineer. Which of these roles resonates the most with your job search and why? More details found here: https://blog.palantir.com/dev-versus-delta-demystifying-engineering-roles-at-palantir-ad44c2a6e87 optional
- Provide any further context on preference. optional