Principal Web Engineer

Description

The Principal Web Engineer (Architecture & Platform) is a senior individual contributor responsible for the architectural direction, technical integrity, and long-term scalability of Stanbridge University’s core web platform and supporting services, built primarily with Laravel (PHP 8.x) and Vue.js (Vue 3).

This role provides architectural ownership, establishes and reinforces engineering standards, and accelerates high-quality delivery across the platform. This role operates within a  modern SaaS, agile development environment A key focus of this position is to materially increase delivery speed and developer productivity through the thoughtful adoption of modern, AI-assisted engineering practices—including AI-enabled coding, review workflows, testing, debugging, and documentation automation—while maintaining rigorous standards for security, correctness, accessibility, and maintainability.

This is not a people-management role. Impact is measured through shipped outcomes, improved throughput and cycle time, reduced rework, and sustained platform quality.

Remote applicants are encouraged to apply. Candidates located within or near Stanbridge University’s campus footprint, and able to participate in occasional on-campus meetings and collaboration, are strongly valued.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Architecture & Technical Strategy

• Own the architectural direction of the university’s core web platform, ensuring intentional evolution over time.
• Lead architectural decision-making for high-impact initiatives; document decisions using Architectural Decision Records (ADRs), diagrams, and clear implementation guidance.
• Define and evolve platform strategy across modularity, API contracts, data access patterns, background processing, queues, caching, and state management.
• Identify architectural risks related to scalability, performance, maintainability, and security; propose pragmatic, executable solutions with clear tradeoffs.
• Establish and reinforce consistent engineering patterns to prevent technical drift and unnecessary complexity.

Hands-On Engineering & Implementation

• Design, build, and maintain production features and platform capabilities using Laravel (PHP 8.x) and Vue 3 (Composition API), with TypeScript where appropriate.
• Own complex, cross-cutting, or high-risk technical implementations; unblock delivery when architectural complexity becomes a bottleneck.
• Build and maintain reusable UI components using semantic HTML and responsive CSS/Sass; uphold WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards.
• Integrate with internal and third-party enterprise systems via REST/JSON APIs with robust error handling and resilience.
• Configure and optimize modern build tooling (e.g., Vite, Node.js, npm/pnpm) for performance, maintainability, and developer experience.

Code Quality, Review Standards & Engineering Enablement

• Serve as a high-signal reviewer for complex and architectural pull requests.
• Define and evolve coding standards, pull request expectations, conventions, and quality gates (testing, linting, review requirements).
• Identify recurring quality issues and address root causes through refactoring strategies, standards, and enablement.
• Mentor and elevate other engineers through technical guidance, pairing, and targeted feedback (without formal people-management responsibilities).

AI Tooling & Productivity Acceleration

• Drive adoption of high-leverage AI-assisted development practices to measurably improve delivery speed while preserving quality and operational safety.
• Evaluate, pilot, and standardize AI tooling and workflows across implementation, code review, testing, debugging, and documentation.
• Establish repeatable AI-first engineering playbooks, including prompt patterns, repository context practices, PR checklists, and enhanced definitions of done.
• Partner with QA and DevOps/SRE to integrate AI-enabled practices into CI/CD pipelines and the broader SDLC.
• Demonstrate measurable productivity gains (e.g., faster PR cycle times, reduced rework, fewer QA kickbacks) while maintaining security and maintainability standards.

Security, Safety & Responsible Use of AI

• Establish guardrails ensuring AI-assisted output remains secure, correct, and aligned with architectural standards.
• Ensure responsible use of AI tools in accordance with university policies and data-handling requirements.
• Apply secure-by-default practices aligned with OWASP, including input validation, authorization, secrets management, and dependency risk mitigation.
• Uphold responsible data practices consistent with FERPA and university policy, including least-privilege access and safe logging practices.

Release Readiness, Reliability & Operational Partnership

• Partner with QA and DevOps/SRE to ensure work is release-ready, with clear acceptance criteria, appropriate test coverage, and safe rollout plans.
• Collaborate on CI/CD improvements, environment parity, deployment safety, and automation that reduces release risk.
• Support incident response and production troubleshooting as needed; contribute to preventative fixes and improved observability.
• Improve operational signal quality through logging, monitoring, and error tracking tools (e.g., Sentry or equivalent).

Outsourced Code Integration & Technical Due Diligence

• Review and harden externally developed or partner-delivered code prior to integration.
• Establish repeatable integration practices, including clear contracts, review checklists, test expectations, and architectural alignment.
• Surface quality or delivery risks early with clear, actionable recommendations.

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain clear technical documentation, including ADRs, runbooks, READMEs, and contribution guidelines.
• Identify, prioritize, and address technical debt with explicit linkage to delivery speed, stability, security, and maintainability.
• Participate in root-cause analysis and follow-through for recurring technical issues.

• Support hiring efforts through technical interviews, code or portfolio review, and structured interview feedback for senior engineering candidates.

 

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience delivering and maintaining production web applications in a  SaaS, agile development environment , including demonstrated architectural ownership.

• Strong hands-on experience with  PHP and Laravel (PHP 8.x required)and modern JavaScript frameworks;  Vue.js (Vue 3) strongly preferred .
• Proven ability to make and communicate high-quality technical decisions balancing delivery speed and long-term maintainability.
• Proficiency with Git/GitHub workflows, pull requests, and leading effective code reviews.
• Solid experience with relational databases (MySQL/MariaDB), including schema design, migrations, and query optimization.
• Experience designing and integrating REST/JSON APIs.
• Working knowledge of web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2 AA) and secure coding practices (OWASP).
• Demonstrated experience using modern AI-assisted development tools to improve productivity while maintaining quality.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including technical documentation and cross-functional collaboration.
• Principal Software Engineer, Principal Platform Engineer, Principal Web Engineer, Principal Full Stack Engineer, Principal Laravel Engineer, Principal SaaS Engineer, Senior Principal Software Engineer, Web Platform Architect.
• PHP / Laravel, Vue.js / Vue 3, SaaS Architecture, Learning Management System (LMS), Agile/Scrum, API Design/REST Platform Architecture.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience evolving complex or long-lived platforms, including stabilization, refactoring, performance tuning, and reliability improvements.
• Familiarity with CI/CD systems (e.g., GitHub Actions), automated testing frameworks (PHPUnit/Pest, Playwright/Cypress), and quality gates.
• Experience working with DevOps/SRE teams and cloud-hosted, containerized environments (Docker-based workflows).
• Prior experience in higher education, EdTech, or other regulated environments; FERPA familiarity is a plus.
• Experience integrating outsourced or partner-developed codebases at scale.
• Experience evaluating and standardizing new developer tooling, including AI tooling, with measurable delivery impact.
• Compensation is commensurate with education, experience, and internal equity considerations.

 

Conditions of Employment:

• A job-related assessment may be required during the interview process.
• Must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and be physically present in the office (unless otherwise noted).
• Employment verification will be conducted to validate work experience per accreditation standards.
• Offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.
• Official transcripts are required prior to hire. Degrees earned outside the United States must be evaluated by a recognized credential evaluation service to determine U.S. degree equivalency and applicable subject-area coursework.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and must maintain work authorization throughout employment. Stanbridge University does not provide employment visa sponsorship for this position.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

 

Work Environment:

• Standard office, classroom, lab, clinical, or remote work setting depending on role requirements.
• Duties are typically performed while sitting at a desk or computer workstation.
• May include time spent in skills labs or bedside environments as required by the program or department.
• Subject to frequent interruptions, noise from talking or office equipment, and demanding timelines.

 

Physical Demands:

• Regularly sits for extended periods.
• Physical ability to perform program- or department-related duties.
• Proficient in using electronic keyboards and office equipment.
• Effective verbal communication via phone, video conference, and in person.
• Ability to read fine print, operate computers, and understand voices clearly.
• Able to lift, carry, and/or move objects weighing 10–25 pounds as needed.

 

Employee Benefits:

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k)
• Exciting university events
• Seasonal motivational health and wellness challenges
• Work/Life Balance initiatives
• Onsite wellness program / Staff Chiropractor
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)

 

Institutional Values:

• Diversity and Inclusion: Stanbridge University’s motto, “Strength through Diversity,” reflects our deep commitment to honoring the diverse backgrounds of our students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities. We strive to build an inclusive learning environment and uphold anti-discrimination practices in all aspects of university life.
• Innovation and Technology: We embrace cutting-edge technology to enhance student learning through interactive, hands-on experiences, including virtual reality and simulation labs—ensuring students are prepared for the demands of modern healthcare practice.
• Community Engagement: Through initiatives such as Stanbridge outREACH, students are empowered to give back to local and global communities, cultivating compassion, civic responsibility, and social awareness.

 

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Stanbridge University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.