Staff Software Engineer

Pearson; India; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the design and delivery of scalable web applications. This role requires a balance of hands-on development, system design, and technical leadership.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in software design, cloud platforms, and AI integration, with a commitment to mentoring and driving engineering excellence. Join us at Pearson where we believe learning is at the core of who we are.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering with a strong focus on web and distributed systems.
• Demonstrated success in leading complex technical initiatives and delivering at scale.
• Proven track record mentoring engineers and elevating team performance.
• Experience driving adoption of new technologies and engineering transformations (preferably AI-driven).
• Experience operating in iterative, product-driven environments.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and evolution of scalable, secure, and high-performing web application architectures.
• Lead complex feature delivery across systems, ensuring alignment with long-term platform strategy.
• Act as a technical advisor to engineering and product leadership on design trade-offs and implementation approaches.
• Drive engineering best practices across code quality, testing, observability, and system reliability.
• Champion AI-powered development by actively leveraging tools to enhance productivity.

Job description

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will lead the design and delivery of high-impact, scalable web applications while shaping the technical direction of the team. You will serve as a trusted technical leader, driving architectural excellence, mentoring engineers, and accelerating development through AI-first engineering practices. This role requires a balance of hands‑on development, system design, and cross‑team influence to deliver resilient, high‑quality solutions in a fast‑paced, iterative environment.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Own the design and evolution of scalable, secure, and high-performing web application architectures
• Lead complex feature delivery across systems, ensuring alignment with long‑term platform strategy
• Act as a technical advisor to engineering and product leadership on design trade‑offs and implementation approaches
• Drive engineering best practices across code quality, testing, observability, and system reliability
• Champion AI‑powered development by actively leveraging tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, LLM platforms) to enhance productivity
• Define standards and best practices for AI‑assisted coding, test generation, and design‑to‑code workflows
• Lead adoption of generative AI and LLM integrations into enterprise applications and engineering processes
• Partner with teams to operationalize AI‑driven workflows and improve development efficiency at scale

Development & Delivery

• Design, develop, and maintain full‑stack web applications with a focus on performance, usability, and reliability
• Contribute high‑quality, production‑grade code across frontend, backend, and APIs
• Drive adoption of modern engineering practices including microservices, cloud‑native development, and CI/CD
• Mentor senior and mid‑level engineers, fostering technical growth and engineering rigor
• Conduct in‑depth code reviews, providing actionable and constructive feedback
• Influence engineering culture by promoting collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Lead by example in driving accountability, technical excellence, and innovation

Core Technical Skills (Staff‑Level Depth)

• Advanced expertise in software design, system architecture, and distributed systems
• Strong experience in API design and management (REST/gRPC, versioning, scalability)
• Deep understanding of cloud platforms (Azure or AWS) and cloud‑native application design
• Solid foundation in application security, data protection, and secure coding practices
• Strong problem‑solving and debugging skills across large‑scale systems
• Hands‑on experience integrating LLMs, generative AI, and AI APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock)
• Experience applying AI across SDLC: code generation, testing, documentation, and workflow automation
• Understanding of ML concepts and AI adoption strategies across engineering teams
• Proven ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across teams
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
• High adaptability in fast‑moving, ambiguous environments
• Commitment to ethical engineering practices and responsible AI use

Qualifications (Education & Experience)

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering with a strong focus on web and distributed systems
• Demonstrated success in leading complex technical initiatives and delivering at scale
• Proven track record mentoring engineers and elevating team performance
• Experience driving adoption of new technologies and engineering transformations (preferably AI‑driven)
• Experience operating in iterative, product‑driven environments

Technical Expertise

• Strong full‑stack development experience with:
• Frontend: React (or modern SPA frameworks)
• Deep experience with Web APIs and microservices architectures
• Hands‑on experience with cloud‑native development and distributed systems
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Strong understanding of DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines

Nice to Have

• Certifications in Cloud (Azure/AWS) or AI/ML
• Experience building enterprise‑scale AI platforms or internal developer tooling
• Exposure to platform engineering, developer productivity, or internal frameworks

Who we are

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world’s lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E‑Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [e-mail].