Principal Software Engineer

JOB PURPOSE 

The Principal Software Engineer defines technical vision and architecture for major initiatives across multiple teams. This senior technical leadership position drives engineering excellence, sets standards, influences product roadmap with technical insights, and serves as a technical authority for complex challenges across the organization. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Technical Vision & Strategy 

• Define technical vision and architecture for major cross-team initiatives 

• Lead design reviews and set engineering standards across multiple teams 

• Influence product roadmap with technical insights and innovation opportunities 

• Evaluate and adopt new technologies including AI/ML to improve engineering productivity 

Technical Leadership & Problem Solving 

• Identify and resolve complex technical challenges that span multiple systems 

• Drive technical excellence and best practices across engineering organization 

• Serve as technical escalation point for critical issues and architectural decisions 

• Lead architecture reviews and provide guidance on system design 

Cross-Organizational Impact 

• Represent engineering in cross-organizational initiatives and strategic planning 

• Mentor senior engineers and technical leads across teams 

• Drive adoption of engineering best practices and architectural patterns 

• Build strategic technical relationships with partners and stakeholders 

QUALIFICATIONS 

Education 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; Master's preferred 

• Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree 

Experience 

• 8-12 years of software engineering with demonstrated technical leadership 

• Proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale software systems 

• Experience leading technical initiatives across multiple teams 

• Strong influence on technical direction and engineering culture 

• Payments, financial services, or regulated industry experience preferred 

Technical Skills 

• Expert software architect with large-scale system design experience 

• Deep expertise across multiple technical domains and technology stacks 

• Advanced knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and cloud architectures 

• Experience with performance optimization at scale and system reliability 

• Strong understanding of security architecture and compliance requirements 

• Proficiency in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies including AI/ML 

• Talented in AI tool adoption and integrating AI capabilities across systems 

Professional Skills 

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills 

• Strong cross-team influence and stakeholder management 

• Strategic thinking with ability to connect technical decisions to business outcomes 

• Leadership through influence without direct authority 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Conference speaking, technical publications, or recognized thought leadership 

• Advanced certifications in relevant technologies 

• Experience with enterprise-scale systems (millions of users, petabytes of data) 

• Track record of technical innovation and patents 

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

• Hybrid work model (2-3 days in-office); multiple office locations available 

• 10-15% travel for conferences, strategic meetings, and cross-site collaboration 

• On-call escalation participation; flexible hours for global collaboration