Principal Software Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Principal Software Engineer based in the United States. Take a leading role in building a scalable, secure, and resilient cloud-native platform that enables containerized applications to move across Azure regions and modernize their infrastructure. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will shape the architecture and implementation of production-grade Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) environments. You will combine deep software engineering expertise with hands-on platform engineering, infrastructure automation, and DevOps practices. Working across engineering and architecture teams, you will establish technical standards and drive solutions that improve reliability, performance, and operational readiness. This role offers the opportunity to solve complex distributed systems challenges while supporting enterprise-scale applications and emerging AI-driven workloads. Join a collaborative, technology-focused environment that values technical excellence, continuous learning, and meaningful career growth. \n Accountabilities: As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the design, development, and operation of a repeatable Kubernetes platform across multiple Azure regions. You will guide architectural decisions, improve deployment practices, and ensure that cloud-native workloads remain secure, resilient, and operationally reliable.

* Design, deploy, and operate production-ready Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters across multiple Azure regions and availability zones. * Develop standardized regional cluster architectures using Terraform, Bicep, and automated infrastructure deployment pipelines. * Implement GitOps-based application deployment workflows using Flux, Argo CD, or equivalent technologies. * Design and optimize Kubernetes node pools, autoscaling, cluster upgrades, maintenance windows, pod disruption policies, workload scheduling, and resilience strategies. * Implement secure workload identity and secrets management using Microsoft Entra ID, managed identities, Azure Key Vault, and CSI drivers. * Engineer ingress and egress architectures using Azure Application Gateway, NGINX, service mesh technologies where appropriate, and Azure Front Door for global routing. * Establish container registry and image management practices, including Azure Container Registry (ACR), vulnerability scanning, image governance, and regional image availability. * Build comprehensive observability capabilities using Azure Monitor, Container Insights, managed Prometheus and Grafana, OpenTelemetry, and centralized log aggregation. * Support application migration and modernization, including Helm chart improvements, persistent storage decisions, configuration externalization, and regional portability. * Troubleshoot complex production issues involving Kubernetes networking, DNS, identity, scaling, storage, and deployment failures. * Lead technical architecture decisions, establish engineering standards, and mentor senior engineers to promote scalable, secure, and reliable cloud-native solutions. * Drive continuous improvement in infrastructure automation, CI/CD, disaster recovery, security, performance, and operational excellence. * Collaborate with engineering, architecture, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver cloud-native platforms that support business-critical applications and AI-driven solutions.

Requirements: The ideal candidate brings extensive software engineering experience, expert-level Go programming skills, and a strong background designing and operating enterprise-grade cloud-native systems. You should combine hands-on technical depth with architectural leadership, clear communication, and a commitment to engineering quality.

* 10+ years of software engineering experience, including designing and delivering large-scale distributed systems in cloud-native environments. * Expert proficiency in Go (Golang), with substantial experience building microservices, APIs, and highly available backend platforms. * Deep hands-on experience designing, deploying, and operating Kubernetes environments, including cluster architecture, networking, security, observability, autoscaling, and production support. * Strong experience with Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Helm, GitOps, and containerized application workloads. * Extensive Microsoft Azure expertise, including Azure Networking, Azure Storage, Azure DevOps, Azure Monitor, and cloud infrastructure automation. * Advanced knowledge of Infrastructure as Code and DevOps practices, including Terraform, CI/CD pipelines, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, and GitOps deployment models. * Proven ability to lead technical architecture decisions, establish engineering standards, mentor senior engineers, and influence the adoption of scalable and secure solutions. * Experience building resilient, enterprise-grade systems with a focus on security, performance, observability, disaster recovery, and operational excellence. * Strong understanding of distributed systems design, event-driven architectures, API development, and cloud security best practices. * Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with engineers, architects, and business stakeholders. * A collaborative, delivery-focused mindset, with a willingness to learn, share knowledge, and grow through mentorship and feedback. * Motivation to build practical AI systems and cloud platforms that deliver measurable business value.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Experience with service mesh technologies, Kubernetes operators, and platform engineering initiatives. * Familiarity with Azure security and identity services, including Microsoft Entra ID, role-based access control (RBAC), and workload identities. * Experience supporting AI/ML, data-intensive, or high-throughput SaaS workloads running on Kubernetes. * Relevant Azure certifications, such as Azure Solutions Architect Expert or Azure DevOps Engineer Expert.

Benefits:

* Annual salary: $160,000. * Fully remote work , with flexibility to work from another location, including internationally, for up to 30 consecutive calendar days per year. * Career development opportunities , including continuous learning, upskilling, and potential advancement. * Supportive, collaborative culture built around the values of ambition, care, teamwork, and community impact. * Family and well-being support , with a benefits offering designed to help employees and their families enjoy a meaningful life. * Inclusive workplace , with equal employment opportunities and consideration for reasonable accommodations during the interview process.

\n How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best! Why Apply Through Jobgether? Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time. #LI-CL1