Principal Software Engineer

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company; Toronto; On-site; CAD 205,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental and Vision benefits

Retirement Savings 401(k) with Company

Generous holiday and PTO

Job summary

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSI) in Toronto is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the design and delivery of scalable cloud-native solutions that support a fast-growing Surety business.

The role combines architecture ownership, mentoring teams, and direct code contribution across backend and frontend stacks, with a focus on secure, reliable software that delivers measurable business value.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering and systems experience.
• Proven leadership as a Principal Engineer or equivalent.
• Expertise in API-first, cloud-native, event-driven architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of scalable cloud-native apps on Microsoft Azure.
• Head front-end work using Angular or React for responsive UI.
• Design/optimize database architecture with SQL Server and ORMs.
• Drive CI/CD pipelines and DevOps improvements for velocity and reliability.
• Mentor engineering teams; review code and enforce best practices.

Skills

Cloud-native

Front-end (Angular/React)

Azure

SQL Server

Java / C# / .NET

Leadership & mentorship

Tools

Azure Functions

App Services

Azure SQL

ORM frameworks

Job description

Salary Range: CAD 205,000 To CAD 250,000

Who We Are:

A strategic and trusted insurance partner, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), provides a broad range of commercial property, casualty and specialty insurance coverages and outstanding service to customers and brokers around the world. Part of Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance operations, we bring our solutions to market with our stellar brand name, top-rated balance sheet, and the expertise of our global team of professionals, who exude excellent capabilities and strong character.

We are a values-based organization where respect, integrity, excellence, collaboration, and passion define who we are and how we do business. We value diversity of backgrounds, experience, and perspectives and strive to foster an inclusive environment that enables all our team members to bring their best selves to work. We are one team committed to building a culture where every teammate has the opportunity to contribute and be recognized.Want to be part of the team building the finest property, casualty, and specialty lines insurance company in the world?

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Technology professional to join its Enterprise Solutions (ES) team as a Principal Software Engineer based in Toronto. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the strategic evolution of enterprise technology by leading the design and implementation of scalable, cloud-native solutions that support the dynamic needs of a fast-growing Surety business.

The position demands a hands-on, solution-oriented mindset and a passion for delivering business value through technology. It offers the opportunity to influence architectural decisions, mentor engineering teams, and contribute to BHSI’s long-term digital transformation. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, bringing strong leadership, technical depth, and a commitment to engineering excellence. This role is ideal for someone who values autonomy, architectural ownership, and the chance to work on meaningful, high-impact problems that drive real business outcomes.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Spearhead the design and development of scalable, cloud-native applications on Microsoft Azure, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture principles and evolving business needs.
• Lead front-end engineering efforts using Angular or React to craft responsive, accessible, and user-friendly interfaces across platforms.
• Design and fine-tune database architectures with a focus on performance, scalability, data integrity, and security, leveraging SQL Server and modern ORM tools.
• Operate within an empowered engineering environment supported by modern platforms and tooling, enabling focus on impactful problem-solving over process overhead.
• Partner with enterprise architects and product managers to convert business requirements and architectural blueprints into robust, high-quality software components.
• Partner with business stakeholders to understand needs and translate them into scalable, high‑quality technical solutions that deliver measurable business value.
• Design and maintain automated CI/CD pipelines with clear quality gates and repeatable release workflows; champion DevOps principles and DevEx improvements that increase velocity, reliability, and maintainability at scale.
• Take ownership of the complete software development lifecycle, emphasizing test-driven development, secure coding, and long-term maintainability.
• Assess and adopt modern frameworks for Dev Ex and tools that enhance development velocity, system scalability, and operational resilience.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams, conduct code reviews, and champion best practices that foster a culture of excellence and continuous learning.
• Communicate architectural decisions and technical strategies to the Enterprise Architecture Review Board, ensuring alignment with organizational standards.
• Proactively identify and resolve system performance issues, architectural inefficiencies, and reliability concerns through targeted improvement initiatives.
• Develop and maintain detailed documentation covering system architecture, development workflows, and operational procedures to support scalability and onboarding.
• Uphold compliance with cybersecurity protocols, data governance standards, and regulatory requirements throughout the software delivery process.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive, hands-on experience in software engineering and system administration, with a strong track record of delivering enterprise-grade solutions.
• Proven success in a Principal Engineer or equivalent leadership role, with deep expertise in designing and building scalable applications and integrating third-party platforms to meet complex business needs.
• Extensive experience in API-first, cloud-native, event driven architecture with a focus on designing resilient, distributed systems that support high availability and performance.
• Advanced proficiency in Java, C#, and the .NET ecosystem, including .NET Core and ASP.NET, with a commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and secure code.
• Strong front-end development experienceusing Angular (latest versions), with a focus on building responsive, accessible, and user-centric interfaces.
• Deep knowledge of relational databases, particularly SQL Server, including schema design, query optimization, stored procedures, and performance tuning using modern ORM frameworks.
• Hands-on expertise with Microsoft Azure services, including Azure Functions, App Services, Azure SQL, and Azure Storage, with a strong understanding of cloud-native development patterns.
• Comprehensive understanding of microservices architecture, including inter-service communication (REST, gRPC), message queues, and orchestration strategies.
• Strong foundation in system design and architectural patterns, with the ability to evaluate trade-offs and make informed decisions that balance scalability, maintainability, and performance.
• Technically versatile with a hands-on approach, capable of contributing across the full software development lifecycle—from architecture and design to implementation and support.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a meticulous attention to detail and a proactive mindset toward identifying and resolving technical challenges.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience collaborating across distributed teams, engaging with stakeholders, and working with external vendors.
• Business-oriented mindset, with a demonstrated ability to understand and align technical solutions with business objectives and operational goals.
• Self-motivated and collaborative, with a strong sense of ownership, adaptability, and a team-first mentality focused on delivering high-quality outcomes.

BHSI Offers:

• A competitive package and exciting growth opportunities for career-oriented teammates.
• A dynamic, action oriented, and thoughtful environment centered on always doing the right thing for our customers, teammates and our other stakeholders.
• A purposely non-bureaucratic organization that embraces simplicity over complexity and emphasizes individual excellence in a team framework.
• Benefits that support your life and well-being, which include:
  • Comprehensive Health, Dental and Vision benefits.
  • Disability Insurance (both short-term and long-term).
  • Life Insurance (for you and your family).
  • Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (for you and your family).
  • Flexible Spending Accounts.
  • Health Reimbursement Account.
  • Employee Assistance Program.
  • Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan with Company Match.
  • Generous holiday and Paid Time Off.
  • Tuition Reimbursement.
  • Paid Parental Leave.

NOTE: Compensation will be commensurate with experience. This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Team Member may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

BHSI complies with Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and has a process in place that provides accommodations for job applicants and teammates with disabilities (upon request).

The base salary range for this position in Toronto is $205,000 to $250,000 CAD, along with annual bonus eligibility. Total compensation for a candidate is determined by their relevant skills, location, and experience. We value our teammates – both their capabilities and character – as demonstrated by our amazing culture.

We do not employ AI or automated tools to filter, assess, or select candidates

This posting is for an existing vacancy within the organization.