Principal Software Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Principal Software Engineer based in the United States.

• Lead the engineering initiatives that have the greatest business and technical impact, defining success criteria and driving complex work from ambiguity through measurable outcomes.
• Improve architecture, platforms, and engineering practices by simplifying systems and making them easier to understand, modify, operate, and scale.
• Shape technical direction across products and engineering teams by providing sound judgment, clear recommendations, and actionable technical strategies.
• Align senior stakeholders and engineering teams around technical priorities, translating high-level strategy into execution.
• Increase the effectiveness of senior engineers and teams through coaching, technical guidance, reusable patterns, improved decision-making, and thoughtful leadership.
• Work across teams and technical domains to address the highest-leverage problems, influencing outcomes without relying on formal organizational authority.
• Stay close to the technical work through code, architecture, data, and production systems while recognizing when enabling others will create greater impact.
• Maintain a strong focus on using AI tools to accelerate engineering workflows, problem-solving, development, and delivery.
• Contribute to a culture of urgency, ownership, continuous improvement, constructive challenge, and high technical standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including experience operating at Staff, Principal, or equivalent technical scope.
• Extensive experience designing, building, and operating complex production systems, with broad expertise across architecture, software delivery, reliability, performance, and operations.
• Demonstrated career progression in scope and influence, with a history of creating impact beyond individual code contributions or a single engineering team.
• Strong sense of urgency and ability to create momentum, shorten paths to outcomes, and proactively move high-priority initiatives forward.
• Exceptional ownership and self-direction, with the ability to work effectively in a remote environment while communicating proactively and creating clarity without constant oversight.
• Strong curiosity and intellectual humility, with the ability to challenge assumptions, seek context, disagree constructively, and commit fully once a decision has been made.
• Excellent technical judgment and communication skills, with the ability to influence engineers, executives, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• A strong belief in the transformative potential of AI and a demonstrated habit of incorporating AI tools into engineering and problem-solving workflows.
• Ability to operate comfortably across strategic planning and hands-on technical execution.

• Base salary of $200,000+, depending on experience.
• Incentive Stock Option (ISO) grant for full-time employees, subject to Board approval.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with premiums covered at 100% for employees and 70% for dependents.
• Unlimited paid time off and sick leave, plus 14 company holidays.
• 100% 401(k) match up to 4%, with immediate vesting.
• Generous and competitive parental leave for all parents.
• $1,000 desk setup subsidy to support a personalized remote workspace.
• $100 monthly allowance toward Wi-Fi or cell phone expenses.
• Summer Fridays, typically offering half-day Fridays from late May through the end of August.
• Commuter benefits for employees who choose to use available office spaces in New York City or San Francisco.
• Remote-first working environment with a strong emphasis on autonomy, ownership, and continuous feedback.
• Structured onboarding designed to build knowledge of products, customers, and value propositions, including scored assessments and a six-month performance evaluation period.