Okay, I've searched for Principal Software Engineer roles specializing in data engineering within the advertising technology industry, located in Sunnyvale, CA, requiring 6+ years of experience and skills in Java, Scala, and Spark. I have found 27 positions for you.

Sure. Here's the analysis:

Job Analysis:

The Principal Software Engineer, Data role at Walmart’s Advertising Technology group is fundamentally about architecting, developing, and maintaining scalable, high-performance data systems that power advertising insights and measurement at massive scale. This person is hired to transform vast streams of online and offline user activity data into actionable analytics that optimize ad campaigns affecting millions of customers daily. They will lead the construction of complex big data pipelines using technologies like Spark, Hadoop, and MapReduce, and must integrate machine learning techniques for audience targeting and campaign measurement. Beyond coding, there is a strategic aspect — the role demands cross-functional collaboration, troubleshooting production issues, ensuring data quality and reliability, and evolving systems for disaster recovery and business continuity. The specified skills point to a candidate steeped in software development with deep experience in data engineering, machine learning, and ad tech domain knowledge. Success means not only delivering precise ETL workflows and measurement algorithms but also anticipating challenges in handling enormous data volumes, ensuring system reliability, and building sustainable infrastructure. The role requires intellectual rigor, autonomy in complex problem solving, and the ability to influence others through technical leadership within an agile, high-impact team.

Company Analysis:

Walmart Global Tech operates at the intersection of retail innovation and technology, positioning itself as a global disruptor that continuously redefines how millions of customers shop. As part of a longstanding retail giant, the company offers the stability of scale coupled with a startup-like culture of innovation and impact, where individual contributions affect hundreds of millions of lives. Its Advertising Technology group is central to this, enabling Walmart to optimize its retail ecosystem through data-driven marketing solutions. The company’s culture emphasizes collaboration among diverse technical experts, rapid agile development, and a mission-driven focus on improving customer experiences at scale. For the Principal Software Engineer, this means working within a dynamic team that values both deep technical expertise and the ability to translate business goals into scalable data solutions. Given Walmart’s vast ecosystem and global footprint, this role offers significant visibility and impact, requiring a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on technical delivery. The position aligns with Walmart’s broader goals of leveraging cutting-edge technologies to lead the next phase of retail disruption, suggesting that the successful candidate must be proactive, innovative, and comfortable navigating a large, complex organizational environment while driving measurable business outcomes.

Absolutely. Here are some mock interview questions that could come up:

• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you had to troubleshoot a critical production issue involving large-scale data pipelines. How did you identify the root cause and resolve it?
• Behavioral: Describe a situation where you led a cross-functional team to develop a complex data system. How did you ensure alignment and successful delivery?
• Behavioral: Share an experience where you had to balance technical excellence and business deadlines in a high-pressure environment. How did you prioritize and execute?
• Behavioral: Can you give an example of how you used data analysis to influence a strategic decision or business outcome?
• Technical: How would you design and implement an ETL process to handle hundreds of millions of daily events while ensuring data quality and system reliability?
• Technical: Explain your experience and approach to incorporating machine learning models, such as regression or classification, within large-scale ad targeting or measurement pipelines.
• Technical: Describe how you would use Spark and Hadoop MapReduce together when processing complex advertising data sets. What are the trade-offs?
• Technical: What tools and practices do you employ to test and validate the correctness of data pipelines and transformations?
• Situational: Imagine a situation where a critical data pipeline you built fails repeatedly during peak load. How would you diagnose and address the problem under time pressure?
• Situational: If faced with conflicting priorities between business stakeholders wanting faster feature delivery and engineering requests for more robust testing, how would you navigate this?
• Situational: Suppose you discover discrepancies in ad campaign reporting metrics derived from your system post-deployment. How would you investigate and communicate the issue?
• Company Fit: Why does Walmart Global Tech’s mission of transforming retail through technology resonate with you, and how do you see yourself contributing to it?
• Company Fit: How do your previous experiences with AdTech and big data systems align with the specific challenges Walmart’s Advertising Technology group faces?
• Candidate Questions: Can you share more about how the AdTech M&R data team collaborates with other parts of Walmart’s tech ecosystem?
• Candidate Questions: What are the current biggest technical challenges the team faces in scaling data pipelines and measurement models?
• Candidate Questions: How does Walmart Global Tech support continuous learning and innovation for senior technical roles like this one?