Sr Principal Software Engineer (Azure)

About the Job

The Azure Red Hat OpenShift (ARO) Engineering team is looking for a Senior Principal Software Engineer. In this high-impact role, you will be a lead technical voice in the development of ARO Hosted Control Planes (HCP), defining the infrastructure and lifecycle management patterns that power mission-critical workloads for global enterprises. You will bridge the gap between upstream open-source innovation and the operational excellence required to run a first-party Azure service, guiding the project from initial concept through to the delivery of a highly available, resilient global offering.

What you will do

• Contribute to the evolution of Azure Red Hat OpenShift, focusing on scalability, high-availability, and seamless lifecycle management within the Azure ecosystem.
• Drive the strategy for AI integration within the platform while championing the use of AI-assisted development tools to improve team velocity and code quality.
• Act as a contributor to upstream projects, ensuring Red Hat’s interests and customer needs are represented in the broader CNCF community.
• Collaborate across organizational boundaries with Microsoft Azure engineering teams to co-develop integrated cloud-native solutions.
• Collaborate deeply with Product Management to advocate for the customer, reconciling customer demands with system constraints to define high-impact product specifications.
• Mentor senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.
• Work with Red Hat's Global Customer Support team and partner support teams on resolving customer issues.
• Influence the long-term product roadmap by identifying customer needs and emerging industry trends, translating them into architectural requirements, design, and code.
• Publicize the team's work through blogs, web postings, or conference talks.

What you will bring

• 12+ years of software development experience in Linux environments, with mastery of Golang.
• Deep expertise in Azure cloud architecture and services (Compute, Storage, Networking).
• Proven success leading large-scale distributed systems from inception to production operations.
• Internal-level knowledge of Kubernetes (API machinery, Operators, or Networking stack).
• Mastery of Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, ARM/Bicep) and GitOps workflows.
• Expert understanding of Hybrid Cloud networking and security (VNETs, Private Link, Encryption).
• Experience integrating AI/LLM frameworks into software engineering workflows or product features.
• Exceptional troubleshooting skills for complex, multi-layered distributed environments.

The following are considered a plus

• Active maintainer status or significant contributions to relevant CNCF Open Source projects (e.g., Kubernetes, Cluster API, or KubeVirt).
• Deep experience with Red Hat OpenShift and the Operator SDK/Controller-runtime.
• Familiarity with Hosted Control Plane architectures (e.g., HyperShift) and high-density multi-tenant environments.
• Experience with Azure-specific hybrid technologies like Azure Arc or Private Link at scale.
• Background in SRE or Production Engineering for a global, 24/7 SaaS or managed service.

#LI-EK1

The salary range for this position is $193,390.00 - $318,980.00. Actual offer will be based on your qualifications.

Pay Transparency

Red Hat determines compensation based on several factors including but not limited to job location, experience, applicable skills and training, external market value, and internal pay equity. Annual salary is one component of Red Hat’s compensation package. This position may also be eligible for bonus, commission, and/or equity. For positions with Remote-US locations, the actual salary range for the position may differ based on location but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience.

About Red Hat

Red Hat ( is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source ( software solutions, using a community-powered approach to deliver high-performing Linux, cloud, container, and Kubernetes technologies. Spread across 40+ countries, our associates work flexibly across work environments, from in-office, to office-flex, to fully remote, depending on the requirements of their role. Red Hatters are encouraged to bring their best ideas, no matter their title or tenure. We’re a leader in open source because of our open and inclusive environment. We hire creative, passionate people ready to contribute their ideas, help solve complex problems, and make an impact.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible Spending Account – healthcare and dependent care
• Health Savings Account – high deductible medical plan
• Retirement 401(k) with employer match
• Paid time off and holidays
• Paid parental leave plans for all new parents
• Leave benefits including disability, paid family medical leave, and paid military leave
• Additional benefits including employee stock purchase plan, family planning reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, transportation expense account, employee assistance program, and more!

Note: These benefits are only applicable to full time, permanent associates at Red Hat located in the United States.

Inclusion at Red Hat

Red Hat’s culture is built on the open source principles of transparency, collaboration, and inclusion, where the best ideas can come from anywhere and anyone. When this is realized, it empowers people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to come together to share ideas, challenge the status quo, and drive innovation. Our aspiration is that everyone experiences this culture with equal opportunity and access, and that all voices are not only heard but also celebrated. We hope you will join our celebration, and we welcome and encourage applicants from all the beautiful dimensions that compose our global village.

Equal Opportunity Policy (EEO)

Red Hat is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We review applications for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, veteran status, genetic information, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Red Hat does not seek or accept unsolicited resumes or CVs from recruitment agencies. We are not responsible for, and will not pay, any fees, commissions, or any other payment related to unsolicited resumes or CVs except as required in a written contract between Red Hat and the recruitment agency or party requesting payment of a fee.

Red Hat supports individuals with disabilities and provides reasonable accommodations to job applicants. If you need assistance completing our online job application, email View email address on click.appcast.io . General inquiries, such as those regarding the status of a job application, will not receive a reply.