Principle Software Engineer

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Software Engineer to join our growing team. This is a hands-on coding role with a focus on scalable, high-volume website development, software architecture, product development engineering, quality assurance strategy, and team mentorship. The ideal candidate will have at least 15 years of industry experience, a proven track record of delivering measurable business results, and a deep understanding of Python and other modern programming languages. Additionally, we seek someone who leverages AI-driven tools and best practices to accelerate coding, improve efficiency, and enhance QA through automation and AI-based testing.

While you will provide technical leadership and mentorship, this role has minimal emphasis on direct project planning. Instead, you will focus on technical excellence, driving innovation, and building robust, large-scale web solutions capable of handling high traffic volumes and complex workloads. A key aspect of this role is to motivate and inspire the team to meet deadlines and achieve project goals efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

1. Hands-on Coding & Technical Leadership
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable, high-volume web applications using Python and other modern languages (e.g., Go, Rust, TypeScript, etc.).
• Incorporate AI-based development tools (e.g., code suggestions, automated refactoring) to increase coding speed and efficiency.
• Set coding standards and best practices for the team, with a heavy focus on performance optimization and scalability.
2. Software Architecture & System Design
• Lead and contribute to architectural decisions that ensure robust, high-performing, and secure solutions for large-scale web environments.
• Collaborate with other engineering leaders to establish a technology roadmap focused on scalability, availability, and AI-driven frameworks.
• Drive cloud-based and microservices approaches for distributed systems to handle large user volumes.
3. Product Development Engineering
• Oversee end-to-end product development: from concept and design to deployment, with an emphasis on AI-driven enhancements.
• Collaborate with product managers to translate business requirements into cutting-edge, high-throughput technical solutions.
• Integrate user feedback, market trends, and stakeholder input for continuous product improvement.
4. Quality Assurance & Automation
• Define and implement best QA practices, including test strategy, documentation, and tooling for high-volume platforms.
• Develop and maintain automated testing frameworks using AI-driven and automation tools to ensure product quality and speed up release cycles.
• Mentor QA teams on best practices, ensuring alignment with overall engineering goals for performance and reliability.
5. Team Mentorship & Collaboration
• Mentor junior and mid-level developers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and AI adoption.
• Motivate and inspire the team to meet deadlines by setting clear goals, providing support, and recognizing achievements.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to align on technical goals, maintain open communication, and address roadblocks.
• Advocate for team needs and help shape a collaborative engineering environment.
6. Business Impact & Strategy
• Drive strategic technical initiatives that result in tangible business outcomes, particularly in scalable architectures and AI-driven process optimizations.
• Analyze performance metrics and propose areas of improvement, including AI-based testing and deployment strategies that handle large traffic spikes.
• Report on key technical challenges, advancements, and solutions to leadership.
7. Background & Reference Checks
• Participate in multiple rounds of interviews with our leadership and technical teams.
• Provide solid references from past roles, verifying achievements and performance.
• Undergo a thorough background check to ensure professional integrity and consistency.

Qualifications

1. Experience
• 15+ years of software development experience, with a clear progression of responsibility.
• Demonstrable experience in building, scaling, and optimizing high-volume production systems, delivering significant business results, and contributing to product development engineering.
• American work experience or experience managing teams in the U.S. market is strongly preferred.
2. Technical Skills
• Expertise in Python and other modern programming languages (e.g., Go, Rust, TypeScript, or similar).
• Proficiency with AI-driven development tools (e.g., code generation, machine learning frameworks, automated testing, LLMs).
• Deep knowledge of architectural principles, such as microservices, cloud computing, and distributed systems for large-scale web platforms.
• Strong background in databases (SQL and NoSQL), with experience in performance tuning for high-throughput applications.
• Hands-on experience with QA automation, AI-based testing, and continuous integration/delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Familiarity with version control (e.g., Git) and DevOps practices for large-scale deployments.
• Proven ability to deliver end-to-end product solutions, integrating user feedback and optimizing for performance using AI where appropriate.
3. Soft Skills & Leadership
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven track record of mentoring engineers and leading by example, including AI upskilling.
• Ability to motivate and inspire teams to achieve deadlines and project goals.
• A strategic mindset: ability to align technology initiatives with broader business goals.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of both high-level thinking and deep technical dives.
4. Education
• Bachelors or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).