Principal Engineer
Level: L5
Experience: 9-12 years
About the Role
The Principal Engineer is a senior individual contributor responsible for solving the most complex technical challenges across teams. Principal Engineers drive technical excellence through deep expertise, influence architectural decisions org-wide, and mentor engineers at all levels while remaining hands-on with code.
Responsibilities
- Solve complex technical problems spanning multiple teams and systems
- Drive architectural decisions and establish org-wide technical standards
- Lead design reviews and provide guidance on critical technical decisions
- Identify and address systemic technical debt and performance issues
- Mentor and elevate engineers across the organization
- Stay hands-on with code while providing strategic technical direction
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption strategies
- Collaborate with leadership on technical roadmap and strategy
- Document and share knowledge through tech talks, RFCs, and guides
Requirements
- 9-12 years of experience in software development
- Degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience
- Deep expertise in system design and distributed systems
- Track record of solving complex, ambiguous technical problems
- Experience influencing technical decisions across teams
- Strong mentorship and knowledge-sharing abilities
- Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
- Ability to balance long-term technical vision with practical delivery
Nice to Have
- Experience with large-scale system architecture
- Contributions to open source or technical community
- Published technical articles or conference talks
- Background in multiple technology domains
What We Offer
- Opportunity to shape technical direction across the organization
- Work on the most challenging technical problems
- Collaborative and ownership-driven culture