Engineering Principal Software Developer, Backend Platform San Francisco $175K – $225K • Offers Equity • Offers Bonus

MaintainX; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

MaintainX is seeking a Principal Software Developer, Backend Platform to define the technical direction for our AI-native backend platform. You will shape governance, drive cross-team architecture decisions, and advance platform-wide standards across engineering, product, and analytics.

You will lead multi-squad initiatives, mentor senior engineers, and participate in on-call rotation to ensure reliable operations. Hybrid work model and fast-paced growth at Autodesk-backed MaintainX await.

Qualifications

• Experience shaping AI-native workflows in a platform or large org.
• Proven track record making long-term architectural decisions across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Shape the technical direction, governance and architecture of the backend platform.
• Shape AI-native workflows into the platform itself, changing how the org builds services with developers and agents.
• Proactively identify and drive resolution of cross-cutting technical challenges before blockers across multiple engineering teams.
• Define and evolve platform-wide standards, patterns, and abstractions adopted across teams.
• Influence roadmap priorities by framing trade-offs and aligning engineering, product, and analytics.
• Drive adoption of changes across teams, not just delivery.
• Mentor and elevate senior engineers through complex problems and architectural decisions.
• Navigate ambiguity and lead complex, multi-squad initiatives with minimal direction.
• Participate in the on-call rotation.

Skills

AI-native mindset

Distributed systems

AWS (cloud)

Terraform

Atmos

CI/CD

GraphQL

Event-driven

APIs

DevEx

Node.js

TypeScript

Cross-team impact

Problem framing

Stakeholder mgmt

Executive communication

English proficiency

Tools

AWS

Terraform

Atmos

CI/CD

GraphQL

Node.js

TypeScript

Job description

Principal Software Developer, Backend Platform

MaintainX is a leading mobile-first work execution platform for industrial and frontline teams. More than 13,000 customers, including Duracell, McDonald's, Shell, DHL and Volvo, use MaintainX to cut unplanned downtime and run better operations, across 13.9 million managed assets and 79.5 million completed work orders.

In August 2026 MaintainX became part of Autodesk, joining Autodesk Operations Solutions , the organization unifying Autodesk's operations platform alongside Tandem, FlexSim and Fusion Operations. Autodesk's strategy is to converge design, make and operate into one continuous lifecycle: design an asset, build it, run it, then feed what you learn running it back into the next design. Autodesk had design and make. Operate is the phase that tells you what actually happened, and it is ours.

We're growing fast and hiring the Engineering talent to match.

The team and the mission

You'd be joining our backend team within the Platform Engineering division.

We're building an AI-native platform for our internal developers, over 150 of them, guided by a single question: does this shorten the time from idea to value, for the teams building on our platform and for the customers they ultimately serve?

The smooth path is the safe, fast path, because the platform makes it the default. We build the route that maximizes AI acceleration.

You’ll set the technical direction for how backend services get built, shipped, and operated across the engineering org — not just for one team.

What you’ll do

• Shape the technical direction, governance and architecture of the backend platform
• Shape AI-native workflows into the platform itself, changing how the org builds services with developers and agents
• Proactively identify and drive resolution of cross-cutting technical challenges before they become delivery blockers, working across multiple engineering teams
• Define and evolve platform-wide standards, patterns, and abstractions adopted across teams
• Influence roadmap priorities by framing trade-offs, surfacing opportunities, and driving alignment across engineering, product, and analytics
• Drive adoption of changes across teams, not just their delivery
• Mentor and elevate senior engineers through complex problems and architectural decisions
• Navigate ambiguity and lead complex, multi-squad initiatives with minimal direction
• Participate in the on-call rotation

About you

• A strong AI-native mindset — you've brought AI-assisted workflows into a platform or org, not just your own workflow.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems, demonstrated with experience making architectural decisions with long-term, cross-org, multi-year consequences
• Deep exposure across several of the platform's key domains: cloud (AWS), IaC infrastructure (Terraform/Atmos), CI/CD, GraphQL federation, Event driven systems, APIs, and developer experience
• Expert in Node.js, TypeScript, or similar languages, with a track record of setting standards others adopt.
• Track record of cross-team impact: changing how multiple teams build, decide, or deliver
• Demonstrated ability to frame ambiguous technical problems and drive them to resolution with minimal guidance
• Experience navigating organizational complexity, aligning stakeholders and using data to demonstrate impact
• Strong technical judgment balanced with pragmatism: knows when to advocate for the right solution and when to move forward
• Expert-level English, spoken and written — you'll lead platform engineering managers across multiple teams and present technical priorities to executive stakeholders.

Our mission is to keep the physical world running. Factories, fleets, hospitals and campuses stay up because the people who maintain them have tools worth using. That is what we build.

Compensation and benefits

Base pay is one part of the package. Depending on the role, compensation may also include commission, an annual bonus and equity. Benefits differ by country. For roles in the United States, Autodesk’s benefits are described at benefits.autodesk.com . For roles in Canada and other countries, the plan differs on health coverage, retirement and leave, and your recruiter will walk you through it.

Competitive pay, meaningful equity, performance bonuses, and rewards for outsized impact.

Belonging

We take pride in a culture where everyone can thrive. More at autodesk.com/company/global-belonging . More on where this is going: Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost on building the future of connected operations, and AOS SVP Stephen Hooper on welcoming MaintainX to Autodesk.

Flexibility that fuels speed

Hybrid work, unlimited time off, and the autonomy to move fast and own your results.

Growth at startup velocity

L&D budget, real ownership, stretch opportunities, and recognition for bold thinking and innovation.

Health & wellness that keeps you at your best

Comprehensive benefits, wellness programs, parental support, and access to the tools you need to perform.

A culture built for builders

Catered lunches, off-sites, hackathons, energetic teams, and a community that celebrates big wins and resilience.