Principal Software Engineering Manager

Job Description

Principal Software Engineering Manager

Compensation: $230-270k Base Salary + Meaningful Equity

Location: Seattle Area Strongly Preferred (Fully Remote)

We're partnering directly with the SVP of Engineering at a data-infrastructure company to find a player-coach who wants meaningful ownership of both a product and a small engineering team.

The company helps organizations make sense of enormous collections of files spread across data centers and the cloud, turning scattered data into a searchable inventory, uncovering wasted storage spend, and making valuable information easier to put to work in analytics and AI.

Following an acquisition, the team is bringing together complementary products and technical strengths. This hire will help turn that foundation into a simpler, more cohesive customer experience.

The Opportunity

• Lead approximately five engineers while staying involved in architecture, code reviews, and technical problem-solving.
• Modernize customer-facing dashboards and workflows using strong frontend practices.
• Help evolve an established application without losing sight of existing customers or delivery commitments.
• Improve standards for testing, security, maintainability, and software design.
• Build alignment across teams with different technical backgrounds.
• Work directly with the SVP of Engineering to shape priorities and make practical build-versus-improve decisions.

Who We're Looking For

• Experience directly managing engineers, including coaching, hiring, and performance development.
• Recent technical involvement, not just project oversight.
• A track record of shipping customer-facing web products.
• Modern frontend or full-stack depth; React experience is particularly relevant.
• Sound judgment around architecture, APIs, and improving existing systems.
• The ability to explain technical decisions clearly, challenge ideas respectfully, and earn trust.
• An appetite for small-team ownership rather than layers of management.

Where There’s Flexibility

• You could be a Senior Engineering Manager ready for broader scope or a hands-on Director who prefers building alongside a team.
• You don’t need to match every technology. The environment includes React, Python, and an established PHP application.
• Prior storage-industry experience is not the starting point; product judgment, technical credibility, and leadership matter more.
• The title can reflect the right person. The hands-on nature of the role is central.

Why it’s Compelling

• Competitive base salary ($230-270k DOE)
• Comprehensive benefits package (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Meaningful Equity
• Direct access to the engineering executive and meaningful influence over the roadmap.
• Real modernization work with customer impact, not a maintenance-only mandate.
• An opportunity to help complementary teams become more effective together.
• A fully remote company exploring a Seattle engineering hub; Seattle-area candidates are especially encouraged to connect.

If you enjoy making complex software easier to use and are interested in learning more, please apply today!