Principal Software Engineer

Principal Engineer (Backend & Platform Architecture)

Hybrid | Greater Seattle Area (2 Days Onsite Weekly Preferred)

Compensation: $210,000 - $240,000 Base + Bonus ($260,000 - $280,000 OTE)

About the Opportunity

We're partnering with a well-established software company seeking a Principal Engineer to serve as a key technical leader across its platform, cloud services, and emerging AI initiatives.

This is a highly visible role that combines hands-on architecture, engineering leadership, product influence, and customer engagement. As a trusted advisor to executive leadership, you'll help shape technology strategy, mentor engineers, modernize critical systems, and drive the next generation of cloud-native and AI-enabled products.

If you're looking for a role where you can materially influence both technology and business outcomes while remaining close to the code, this is an exceptional opportunity.

What You'll Do

• Define and drive the technical architecture across multiple products and platforms
• Partner closely with executive leadership on technology strategy and long-term roadmap planning
• Lead modernization efforts for existing software platforms while helping define new product offerings
• Design and evolve scalable cloud-native systems, services, and APIs
• Establish engineering best practices around reliability, observability, maintainability, and software quality
• Coach and mentor engineers across varying experience levels
• Collaborate directly with customers and internal stakeholders to understand business challenges and shape solutions
• Help identify and evaluate opportunities to leverage AI and LLM technologies within products and workflows
• Serve as a technical multiplier across engineering, product, and leadership teams

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field
• 12+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Proven experience designing and building large-scale cloud-native applications and services
• Strong expertise with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Deep experience with distributed systems, APIs, and service-oriented architectures
• Strong understanding of multiple database technologies, including relational and NoSQL systems
• Experience with messaging, event-driven architectures, or queue-based systems
• Hands-on experience with containerization and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Proficiency in one or more modern backend languages such as C#, Java, Go, Python, or TypeScript
• Track record of defining technical strategy and successfully executing complex initiatives
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience mentoring engineers and raising technical standards across a team
• Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with significant ownership

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leveraging AI development tools such as Claude, Cursor, Codex, or Copilot
• Experience building AI-powered products, LLM integrations, or AI infrastructure
• Startup or small-company experience where resourcefulness and ownership were critical
• Background modernizing legacy applications or platforms
• Frontend experience with modern frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue
• Experience working directly with customers and gathering product requirements
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving Product, Engineering, and Executive stakeholders

Why This Role Stands Out

• Direct influence on product and company strategy
• Significant architectural ownership and autonomy
• Small, highly collaborative engineering organization
• Opportunity to shape AI initiatives from the ground up
• Exposure to executive leadership and customer-facing product decisions
• Ability to mentor and elevate engineers across the organization
• Meaningful impact without layers of bureaucracy

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation

• Base Salary: $210,000 - $240,000
• Annual Bonus: $20,000 - $30,000
• Total Target Compensation: $260,000 - $280,000

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Hybrid work environment
• Paid sick leave in accordance with local regulations
• High-impact technical leadership opportunity
• Long-term career growth and executive exposure

Location

Hybrid in the Seattle area. Candidates should be able to work onsite approximately two days per week, though scheduling flexibility is available for the right individual. Relocation candidates will be considered.

This role is ideal for a hands-on Principal or Staff Engineer who enjoys solving difficult backend and platform challenges, mentoring other engineers, influencing product direction, and helping organizations scale through thoughtful technical leadership.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Prime Team Partners and our client are equal opportunity employers committed to building diverse and inclusive workplaces. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.