Principal Software Engineer (Distributed Storage Systems)

NorthStar HR Consultants; Pune District; On-site; INR 3,600,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

NorthStar HR Consultants' client in Pune, India, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to lead architecture, deployment, and management of distributed storage clusters using modern container orchestration and AI-assisted development practices.

You will architect, deploy, and operate enterprise Kubernetes clusters, craft CRDs and operators, and build robust Go and Python tools, while mentoring engineers and driving architectural reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor/Master/Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, CS, or Electrical Engineering.
• 12+ years of hands-on experience in automation, platform, or infrastructure engineering.
• Proven track record designing, deploying, and maintaining production-grade Kubernetes environments at scale.

Responsibilities

• Architect, deploy, and manage enterprise-grade Kubernetes clusters for distributed storage across cloud and bare-metal environments.
• Design and implement Kubernetes CRDs and operators to automate storage workloads.
• Develop control plane software and automation tooling using Go and Python.
• Lead architectural reviews, mentor engineers, and set operational standards for cluster infra.
• Integrate AI tools into development workflows to boost productivity and code quality.

Skills

Go programming

Python programming

Linux administration

Kubernetes (K8s)

Kubernetes CRDs

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering/CS/EE

Master’s degree in related field

Ph.D. in related field

Tools

OpenStack

VMware vSphere

VSCode

GitHub Copilot

Job description

Job Location - Pune, Maharashtra

Must Have Skills - Go and Python for building system tools, control planes, and automation scripts, Linux Administration, K8s clusters, developing Kubernetes CRDs

Position Overview

This position is with our client, having India subsidiary, based in Pune, India.

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join their core engineering team to lead the architecture, deployment, and management of their distributed storage clusters leveraging

modern container orchestration technologies and AI-assisted development practices.

Role & Responsibilities

The Principal Software Engineer will serve as the technical go-to expert for cluster infrastructure, automated provisioning, and orchestration platforms across our distributed

Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Architecting, deploying, and managing enterprise-grade Kubernetes clusters to orchestrate distributed storage infrastructure across cloud and bare-metal environments.
• Designing and implementing Kubernetes Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and custom operators/controllers to automate the lifecycle and management of complex storage systems.
• Developing robust control plane software, automation frameworks, and management tooling primarily using Go and Python.
• Applying fundamental computer science principles to solve complex cluster orchestration, networking, and scalability challenges.
• Collaborating with systems architects to ensure seamless integration between the underlying storage architecture and high-level deployment frameworks.
• Actively integrating cutting-edge AI tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, integrated IDE features) into engineering workflows to boost productivity and code quality.
• Providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers, setting operational standards, and driving architectural reviews for cluster infrastructure.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 12+ years of hands-on professional experience in systems automation, platform engineering, or infrastructure engineering.
• Proven track record of designing, building, and maintaining production-grade Kubernetes environments at scale.

Technical Skills (Must-Haves)

• Solid foundation in Computer Science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and computer network architecture).
• Deep expertise in Kubernetes: configuring, setting up, bootstrapping, securing, and managing production K8s clusters.
• Hands-on experience developing Kubernetes CRDs and custom resources/operators for complex storage or infrastructure workloads.
• Excellent programming skills in Go and Python for building system tools, control planes, and automation scripts.
• Strong Linux system administration and Linux scripting skills.
• Familiarity with modern dev toolchains and AI-assisted development tools (e.g., VSCode, GitHub, Copilot).

Technical Skills (Good-to-Have)

• Knowledge of cloud and virtualization management platforms such as OpenStack or VMware vSphere / VMs.
• Familiarity with distributed storage systems (e.g., Ceph, S3, Lustre) from an operational and deployment perspective.
• Strong leadership capability to establish technical strategy and mentor engineering teams.
• Eagerness to integrate AI tools into the daily development workflow to maximize engineering throughput.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, system-level analytical thinking, and attention to detail.
• Ability to thrive and drive execution in a fast-paced, collaborative startup environment.