Principal Software Engineer, Visualization

Autodesk; Toronto; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading software company in Toronto seeks a Principal Full-Stack Software Engineer to enhance 3D visualization services. This role involves designing and optimizing browser-based applications, collaborating across teams, and driving scalability and performance improvements. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of experience in software development, strong skills in JavaScript, AWS, and demonstrate leadership in technical discussions. This position offers a competitive compensation package including bonuses and benefits.

Benefits

Annual cash bonuses

Comprehensive benefits package

Stock grants

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in software design and development.
• Deep, hands-on experience developing complex web applications.
• Strong grasp of browser performance profiling.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend and front-end applications.
• Build and optimize browser-based applications for large datasets.
• Lead large, complex projects and collaborate with stakeholders.

Skills

Full-stack development

JavaScript (ES6+)

AWS

Java

React

TypeScript

API design

Data visualization

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Docker

CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins)

Job description

Position Overview

Are you passionate about pushing the boundaries of 3D visualization? Imagine loading a multi-gigabyte 3D model in your browser and smoothly interacting with it within seconds. That’s the experience Autodesk’s Visualization Services team is building, and we’re looking for a Principal Full-Stack Software Engineer to help us push it even further.

Our team owns visualization services, working with gigabytes of data that must be delivered and consumed efficiently by the front‑end application. This requires building solutions that respect browser limitations while still enabling rich, responsive client‑side interactions. In this role, you’ll partner with system architects and client‑rendering teams to optimize large‑scale data delivery, cut latency, and reduce both data volume and cloud costs—without ever slowing our customers down.

If tackling complex performance challenges, scaling distributed systems, and collaborating across teams energize you, join our hybrid Toronto hub and shape the next generation of visualization technology that empowers millions to imagine, design, and make a better world. You will report directly to the Senior Software Development Manager based in Toronto.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services (Java, AWS) and front‑end applications (JavaScript, React, TypeScript extensions)
• Build and optimize browser‑based applications that push performance limits, enabling smooth interactivity with very large datasets
• Lead large, complex projects across teams, defining scope, planning execution, and delivering milestones on time
• Collaborate with architects, product managers, and stakeholders to translate high‑level requirements into incremental product enhancements
• Shape system design and architecture across cloud and browser environments, improving scalability, performance, and team practices
• Take ownership of large‑scale platforms, ensuring quality, reliability, security, and ongoing support
• Provide technical mentorship, unblock team members, and drive improvements in engineering practices
• Lead technical discussions, align outcomes with business goals, and document solutions for clarity and adoption
• Respond to incidents by driving investigations, resolutions, and preventive improvements
• Stay ahead of emerging trends to anticipate and address future development needs

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• 10+ years of hands‑on experience in software design and development, with strong emphasis on full‑stack (front‑end + back‑end)
• Deep, hands‑on experience developing complex, performance‑sensitive web applications in JavaScript (ES6+)
• Experience with vanilla JavaScript and libraries and working knowledge of React and/or TypeScript
• Strong grasp of browser performance profiling, rendering bottlenecks, and limitations of the DOM and JavaScript engines
• Proven experience with AWS cloud services and designing resilient, scalable cloud‑native architecture
• Strong proficiency in Java and experience with both relational and NoSQL databases
• Experience building applications that push browser/mobile limits (e.g., heavy data visualization, interactive UIs, or streaming apps)
• Familiarity with API design (REST, gRPC) and data formats (JSON, Protobuf)
• Demonstrated excellence in cross‑functional collaboration, with experience working across multiple engineering teams and stakeholders
• Strong understanding of algorithms, data structures, concurrency, distributed systems, and browser event loops and rendering pipelines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with streaming large amounts of data efficiently to the client
• Familiarity with Playwright or similar testing frameworks for end‑to‑end testing
• Experience with containerization (Docker)
• Understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP/2, WebSockets) and their impact on streaming performance
• Proficiency with CI/CD tools and practices (e.g., Jenkins, Spinnaker) and Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Experience with observability tools for monitoring, logging, and tracing in distributed systems (e.g., Dynatrace, Prometheus, Grafana, Splunk)
• Experience mentoring senior engineers and driving technical strategy at a team or organizational level

The Ideal Candidate

• Result Oriented: You finish the job, then look for the next 10x improvement
• Continuous Learner: You actively explore emerging technologies, measure its impact, and share insights widely
• Build Trust: You communicate with clarity and transparency, surface risks and trade‑offs early, and follow through
• Team Player: You build a collaborative environment by fostering inclusive dialogue, actively seeking diverse perspectives, and celebrating collective achievements

Salary Transparency

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Diversity & Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/diversity-and-belonging