Principal Software Engineer

NetApp, Inc.; Bengaluru; Hybrid; INR 3,500,000 - 5,500,000; Full time

Job summary

NetApp is seeking a Principal Software Release Engineer to own the end-to-end release lifecycle for software across cloud-service and storage-platform environments. You will coordinate release planning, build generation, readiness validation, change approvals, deployment execution, status reporting, and post-release follow-through, while progressively automating handoffs and enforcing engineering controls.

The role demands deep experience with CI/CD, release automation, scripting in multiple

Qualifications

• Own end-to-end release lifecycle from intake to closure.
• Coordinate concurrent releases across environments with clear ownership.
• Design and improve CI/CD and release automation.
• Partner with dev and QA to ensure test coverage and readiness.
• Lead triage and recovery workflows for failures.
• Conduct post-release reviews and drive tooling improvements.
• Mentor engineers on release processes and controls.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end software release lifecycle, from release intake and planning through build, validation, approval, deployment, verification, and closure.
• Plan and coordinate concurrent releases across development, test, staging, and production environments, maintaining clear schedules, dependencies, milestones, owners, and decision points.
• Design, maintain, and improve CI/CD and release automation that reduces manual steps, accelerates delivery, and provides repeatable, auditable outcomes.
• Partner with development and quality teams to confirm required test coverage, regression results, performance validation, and environment readiness; elevate gaps that could compromise release quality.
• Lead response to build or deployment failures by rapidly coordinating triage, clarifying ownership, documenting the failure path, and ensuring the correct new release, hotfix, retry, rollback, or recovery workflow is initiated.
• Conduct post-release reviews and convert lessons learned into improved tooling, templates, quality gates, automation, and release policy.
• Mentor engineers and release participants on release processes, tools, quality expectations, change controls, and failure-recovery practices.

Skills

CI/CD pipelines

Release automation

Python

PowerShell

Bash

Go

Azure DevOps

Git

Jenkins

GitLab CI

GitHub Actions

Troubleshooting

Communication

Tools

Azure DevOps

Git

Jenkins

GitLab CI

GitHub Actions

Job description

Job Summary

As a Principal Software Release Engineer, you will define, own, and continuously improve the end-to-end release lifecycle for software delivered across cloud-service and storage-platform environments. You will coordinate release planning, build generation, readiness validation, change approvals, deployment execution, status reporting, and post-release follow-through while progressively replacing manual handoffs with reliable automation and clear engineering controls.

Job Requirements

• Own the end-to-end software release lifecycle, from release intake and planning through build, validation, approval, deployment, verification, and closure.
• Plan and coordinate concurrent releases across development, test, staging, and production environments, maintaining clear schedules, dependencies, milestones, owners, and decision points.
• Design, maintain, and improve CI/CD and release automation that reduces manual steps, accelerates delivery, and provides repeatable, auditable outcomes.
• Partner with development and quality teams to confirm required test coverage, regression results, performance validation, and environment readiness; elevate gaps that could compromise release quality.
• Lead response to build or deployment failures by rapidly coordinating triage, clarifying ownership, documenting the failure path, and ensuring the correct new release, hotfix, retry, rollback, or recovery workflow is initiated.
• Conduct post-release reviews and convert lessons learned into improved tooling, templates, quality gates, automation, and release policy.
• Mentor engineers and release participants on release processes, tools, quality expectations, change controls, and failure-recovery practices.

• 12+ years of software engineering, DevOps, build and release engineering, site reliability engineering, or production engineering experience, including technical leadership for complex, business-critical software releases.
• Demonstrated experience managing the full release lifecycle for production software or cloud services across multiple environments and teams.
• Hands-on experience with CI/CD systems, build automation, source control, branching and versioning strategies, artifact management, and deployment pipelines.
• Proficiency in one or more scripting or programming languages such as Python, PowerShell, Bash, Go, or similar languages used for release automation.
• Experience with Azure DevOps, Git, Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or comparable build, release, and work-tracking platforms.
• Ability to analyze release risks using defect data, test evidence, dependencies, configuration changes, and operational impact rather than relying only on schedule readiness.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to isolate build, pipeline, configuration, environment, and deployment issues under time pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including concise executive status, detailed technical handoffs, and decision-focused escalation.
• High attention to detail, disciplined follow-through, and the ability to manage multiple releases and priorities without losing traceability or control.

Education

IC - Typically requires a minimum of 15 years of related experience.Mgr & Exec - Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in-office and/or in-person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support—rather than replace—human decision-making.