Principal Engineer

About PikaAt Pika, we’re building the next generation of AI creative tools to empower human creativity. Our mission is to make video creation seamless, intuitive, and accessible to everyone, leveraging the power of advanced AI. We believe that AI should amplify creative expression—enabling everyone to create, collaborate, and communicate across media. Our team includes engineers, artists, and product thinkers, all passionate about building tools that unlock new creative possibilities.Pika has raised significant funding and is backed by leading investors, with a collaborative culture based in Palo Alto, CA. We prefer hybrid in-office, sharing ideas and launching products together.About the RoleWe’re seeking a Principal Product Engineer to lead the technical vision, architecture, and roadmap for user-facing systems at Pika. In this high-impact, senior leadership role, you’ll guide the engineering direction for features that serve millions of creative users—from intuitive UIs and collaboration tools to real-time interactions and advanced generative AI experiences.You’ll work closely with product, design, and engineering leadership to deliver features that are robust, scalable, and delightful to use. You’ll influence both the immediate user experience and long-term product vision, taking ideas from strategic conception to launch and ongoing iteration.What You’ll DoOwn and define the architecture and technical strategy for Pika’s web and multi-platform productsSpearhead the development of real-time collaboration capabilities, messaging, and live multi-user interactionsDrive product features from ideation through scoping, development, launch, and continuous improvementIntegrate complex generative AI workflows (LLMs, models, agentic tools) into creative toolingPartner deeply with product and design leaders to deliver groundbreaking, accessible creative workflowsChampion technical excellence through high standards, architecture reviews, mentorship, and proposalsOversee and improve cross-service metrics, tracing, and observability for critical product featuresWhat We’re Looking For8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with substantial time in senior/principal engineering and product-focused rolesDistinguished track record leading the design, execution, and scaling of high-impact web or mobile products (React, TypeScript, Node.js, Go, or similar)Demonstrated strategy and execution in building robust, user-centric features for creative applicationsComprehensive expertise in systems design: distributed systems, scalable APIs, and cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP)Experience working across the stack, including ML/AI infrastructure (Python, GPU-backed workflows) as requiredExceptional product intuition and a strategic mindset—driven by deep understanding of user and business needsExcellent communication and leadership skills; able to influence across disciplines and build consensusStrong sense of ownership and passion for delivering delightful creative experiences at scaleNice to HaveExperience building or integrating generative AI, agentic workflows, or ML inference platforms (Python/PyTorch)Creative background (design, art, architecture, or similar)Expertise in media-rich and real-time collaboration applicationsStartup experience and proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environmentsOur StackReact, TypeScript, Python, Go, Postgres, Redis, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS/GCPWhat We OfferCompetitive salary in the AI industrySignificant equity in a rapidly growing startup shaping the future of AI and creativityComprehensive health benefits, monthly stipends, and company retreatsSupportive, collaborative office culture—we’re building and launching togetherLocationPalo Alto HQEmployment TypeFull timeLocation TypeOn-siteDepartmentEngineering