Principal Software Developer

Lightspeed Commerce; Toronto, Ottawa; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading e-commerce technology company in Ottawa is seeking a Principal Software Developer to drive architectural design and lead a team focused on delivering innovative solutions for the Lightspeed Retail product. The ideal candidate has over 15 years of experience in software development and strong leadership skills. Join a dynamic team with flexible work culture and numerous growth opportunities.

Benefits

Health insurance

Flexible paid time off

Pension plan contributions

Mental health support

Training opportunities

Fully stocked kitchen

Equity scheme

Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional experience in software development.
• 5+ years of experience as a technical leader.
• 2+ years of managing architecture across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Guide design and architecture of the flagship Lightspeed Retail product.
• Ensure systems are well designed and scalable.
• Drive improvements in systems reliability and performance.

Skills

Software development

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Architectural design

Experience with multiple technology stacks

Team mentorship

Job description

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by 👋

Are you actively looking for a new opportunity? Or just checking the market? Well… you might just be in the right place!

As a hands‑on Principal Software Developer, you’ll guide design and architecture of the critical system components of the flagship Lightspeed Retail product used by thousands of merchants around the world. You will personally contribute to the key parts of the systems to deliver innovative solutions that meet customer needs. You will uplevel engineering craft across the organization, by providing technical guidance, promoting best practices, mentoring fellow engineers, while empowering the teams to build towards a sustainable architecture.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Ensuring that systems built to support new initiatives are well designed and scalable.
• Analyzing existing systems and infrastructure landscape, identifying opportunities to improve architecture, reduce duplication, make systems more performant and robust.
• Identifying key recurring patterns leading to incidents and non‑project overhead, and coming up with a plan to address those.
• Driving improvements in our systems reliability and performance.
• Improving development practices, from design reviews, to testing and deployment, and to incident management.
• You conduct architectural deep‑dives and mentor key members across all services teams.
• As a senior member of the engineering team, you will also play a key in developing a high‑performance culture in the Retail organization.
• Contributing as part of the wider team to achieve organizational objectives even if this means doing things that aren’t strictly within the scope of your role.

What you’ll be bringing to the team

• 15+ years of professional experience in software development
• 5+ years of experience as a technical leader for multiple teams
• 2+ years of experience in managing architecture across multiple teams with more than 35+ engineers.
• History of developing business critical systems at scale, to run on the cloud.
• History of delivering key outcomes for the business, under challenging timelines.
• Experience in more than one technology stack such as Go, PHP, Java, RoR, Python, etc.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey ideas concisely.
• Ability to moderate technical conversations, handle diverse opinions, and make quick decisions.

Even better if you have, but not necessary

• Expertise in distributed systems and building multi‑region systems for the cloud
• Ability to lead and guide a team of engineers while contributing alongside them
• Retail or Ecommerce domain experience
• Experience with people management responsibilities

Who you are

• You have a passion for software development and a customer‑focused mindset
• You are a team player who can work with, and help grow, other developers
• You understand the need for constant improvement, self‑growth, and accountability
• You step up to lead features, solve problems, and research new technologies
• You set ambitious goals, and act with a sense of urgency and focus

We know that people are more than what’s on their CV. If you’re unsure that you have the right profile for the role... hit the ‘Apply’ button and give it a try!

What’s in it for you:

• Join a growing team and help us move to the next level
• Amazing benefits & perks, including equity for all Lightspeeders
• Constant development of both your skill‑set and business acumen with limitless growth opportunities
• Lots of autonomy, flexible work culture
• Innovation time to explore and learn at work
• Shaping the company by joining cultural & technical committees
• Tons of growth opportunities into technical or people management roles
• Opportunity to join a fast‑paced, high‑growth company
• Opportunity to learn, expand your skill set, forge wonderful relationships and make your mark within the diverse and inclusive Lightspeed family, a true Canadian tech success story

…. And enjoy a range of benefits that will keep you happy, healthy and (not) hungry.

• Lightspeed equity scheme (we are all owners).
• Flexible paid time off and remote work policies.
• Health insurance.
• Contributions to your pension plan - RRSP.
• Health and wellness benefit of $500 per year.
• Paid leave and assistance for new parents.
• Mental health online platform and counseling & coaching services.
• Training opportunities to grow your skills and career
• Fully stacked kitchen (hot and cold beverages, meals served)
• Happy hours to build your relationships with colleagues after work

To all recruitment agencies: Lightspeed does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. If we have not directly engaged your company in writing to supply candidates for a specific vacancy, Lightspeed will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Lightspeed is a proud equal opportunity employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive and barrier‑free workplace. Lightspeed welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of this selection process.

Where to from here?
Obviously, this has to be mutually beneficial: we want you to step into a role you love, and we want to offer you a place you’re proud to come to every day. For a glimpse into our world check out our career page here .

Lightspeed is building communities through commerce, and we need people from all backgrounds and lived experiences to do that. We were founded in 2005, in Montreal’s gay village and our original members were all part of the LGBTQ+ community. The ethos of our business has been about inclusion from the very beginning, and we strive to provide a workplace where everyone belongs.

Who we are:
Powering the businesses that are the backbone of the global economy, Lightspeed's one‑stop commerce platform helps merchants innovate to simplify, scale, and provide exceptional customer experiences. Our cloud commerce solution transforms and unifies online and physical operations, multichannel sales, expansion to new locations, global payments, financial solutions, and connection to supplier networks.

Founded in Montréal, Canada in 2005, Lightspeed is dual‑listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: LSPD) and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: LSPD). With teams across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, the company serves retail, hospitality, and golf businesses in over 100 countries.