Principal Data Engineer
Data Science
Posted on Oct 9, 2026
Principal Data Engineer – Enterprise Data Architecture & Database Modernization
Location: Houston, TX
Industry: Energy / Oil & Gas
Experience: 7+ years, including significant enterprise data architecture and database modernization experience
About the Opportunity
CornerStone Technology Talent Services (TTS) is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Data Engineer with strong Data Architecture expertise to lead enterprise-scale database modernization and cloud transformation initiatives.
This opportunity is ideal for a hands-on technical leader who has successfully architected and executed complex Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL / Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations within large enterprise environments.
We are looking for more than a traditional Data Engineer or Database Administrator. The ideal candidate combines enterprise data architecture, database engineering, AWS cloud modernization, advanced data modeling, and technical leadership with the ability to translate architectural strategy into production-ready solutions.
Through CornerStone Staffing, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to sophisticated enterprise technology initiatives while benefiting from a recruiting partner with more than 30 years of staffing expertise and a dedicated technology recruiting practice.
What You'll Be Doing Enterprise Data Architecture & Strategy
Location: Houston, TX
Industry: Energy / Oil & Gas
Experience: 7+ years, including significant enterprise data architecture and database modernization experience
About the Opportunity
CornerStone Technology Talent Services (TTS) is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Data Engineer with strong Data Architecture expertise to lead enterprise-scale database modernization and cloud transformation initiatives.
This opportunity is ideal for a hands-on technical leader who has successfully architected and executed complex Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL / Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations within large enterprise environments.
We are looking for more than a traditional Data Engineer or Database Administrator. The ideal candidate combines enterprise data architecture, database engineering, AWS cloud modernization, advanced data modeling, and technical leadership with the ability to translate architectural strategy into production-ready solutions.
Through CornerStone Staffing, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to sophisticated enterprise technology initiatives while benefiting from a recruiting partner with more than 30 years of staffing expertise and a dedicated technology recruiting practice.
What You'll Be Doing Enterprise Data Architecture & Strategy
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Define and evolve enterprise data and database architecture strategies, standards, and target-state roadmaps.
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Design scalable, resilient, secure, and cost-effective database architectures leveraging Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL and AWS.
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Develop enterprise reference architectures, database engineering standards, governance frameworks, and architectural decision criteria.
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Establish conceptual, logical, and physical data models aligned with business domains, enterprise data standards, and long-term modernization objectives.
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Drive architectural decisions involving database topology, high availability, disaster recovery, performance, security, and operational observability.
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Lead the assessment, design, and execution of large-scale Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL / Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL migrations.
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Evaluate existing SQL Server environments, including schemas, stored procedures, functions, triggers, scheduled jobs, dependencies, and performance characteristics.
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Design migration strategies addressing SQL dialect differences, schema conversion, data type mapping, stored procedure refactoring, and application compatibility.
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Leverage AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) and schema conversion and assessment tools to accelerate migrations.
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Develop repeatable approaches for database consolidation, legacy platform retirement, and enterprise-wide migration programs.
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Own migration planning and execution across data movement, change data capture (CDC), reconciliation, cutover, rollback, stabilization, and production validation.
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Establish processes that