Principal Architect (Engineer)

Engine; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 174,845 - 242,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base pay

Opportunities for bonuses

Equity options

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Engine is seeking a Principal Engineer to shape the technical direction of our platform. You will lead the transition from monolithic applications to a distributed architecture, define architectural best practices, and mentor teams. The ideal candidate has over 12 years of experience in designing high-scale distributed systems, strong leadership skills, and mastery of cloud environments, particularly AWS. The role offers a competitive compensation package and a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience designing and evolving high-scale distributed systems.
• Strong architectural leadership driving technical initiatives across multiple teams.
• Expertise in designing modular, loosely coupled systems.
• Proven ability to guide teams through complex technical challenges.
• Mastery of cloud environments and services (AWS preferred).

Responsibilities

• Define architectural best practices for service design.
• Lead transition from monoliths to distributed systems.
• Shape technical roadmap with engineering leaders.
• Mentor engineers fostering a culture of strong fundamentals.
• Collaborate across teams to ensure supporting architecture.

Skills

Architectural leadership

Distributed systems design

Problem-solving

Collaboration

Communication

Cloud environments (AWS)

API design

Job description

Principal Engineer

As a Principal Engineer at Engine, you will play a key role in shaping the technical direction of our platform as we transition from monolithic applications to a distributed architecture.

You will work across teams to define service boundaries, ensure system coherence, and guide the evolution of our platform while maintaining scalability, performance, and maintainability.

What You'll Do

• Define and champion architectural best practices, helping teams design services that are modular, maintainable, and aligned with long‑term business needs.
• Lead the transition from monoliths to distributed systems, ensuring scalability, resilience, and long‑term maintainability.
• Shape the technical roadmap, working with engineering leaders to drive key decisions around service design, data flow, and system interactions.
• Dive deep into technical challenges, collaborating with engineers to solve complex problems and ensure high‑quality implementations.
• Mentor and influence engineers, fostering a culture of strong engineering fundamentals, service ownership, and thoughtful system design.
• Collaborate across teams to ensure our architecture supports business needs without unnecessary complexity.

What You'll Bring to Engine

• 12+ years of experience designing and evolving high‑scale distributed systems.
• Strong architectural leadership—you have driven major technical initiatives across multiple teams and influenced engineering direction at an organizational level.
• Expertise in designing modular, loosely coupled systems, with experience breaking down monolithic applications into well‑structured services.
• Proven ability to guide teams through complex technical challenges, making high‑impact decisions in ambiguous environments.
• Mastery of cloud environments and services (AWS preferred), including best practices for building reliable, scalable systems.
• Experience designing APIs and defining clear service boundaries, ensuring interoperability and maintainability.
• Deep understanding of distributed system patterns, including event‑driven architectures, data consistency models, and service communication strategies (REST, gRPC, messaging).
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a pragmatic approach—you know when to apply best practices versus when to adapt to practical constraints.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with experience influencing engineering teams and leadership without direct authority.

Compensation

Our compensation packages are based on several factors, including your experience, expertise, and location. In addition to a competitive base salary, total compensation may include equity and/or variable pay (OTE). Your recruiter will share your complete compensation package as you move through the process.

Base Pay Range: $174,845—$242,000 USD

The Engine Edge: Perks & Compensation

• Compensation: Competitive base pay tied to role and experience, with opportunities for bonuses, commissions, and equity.
• Benefits: Check out our full list at engine.com/culture.
• Environments for Success: Different roles have different needs in terms of the environments that drive success which is why we have a hybrid‑hub model. Whether you are in one of our amazing offices or fully remote, we’ll make sure you have what you need to succeed.

Perks and benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and more.

Join Us

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