Principal Engineer

DigiCert; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive health plan

401(k) matching

Job summary

DigiCert is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to design, implement, and evolve critical DNS platform services. You will lead cross-team initiatives, drive scalability, reliability, and security, and provide strong technical guidance while staying hands-on.

You will collaborate with Architects, Product, and Engineering Managers to translate strategy into solid execution and predictable delivery. This role requires senior-level expertise and a track record of delivering complex distributed

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Experience leading complex, cross-team initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of complex DNS platform services.
• Own technical design for major features and platform enhancements.
• Contribute hands-on in high-risk areas.
• Participate in architecture reviews, RFCs, and design discussions.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers.
• Serve as escalation point during major incidents.

Skills

Backend development (Java/Go)

REST/gRPC APIs

Cloud platforms

Distributed systems design

CI/CD practices

Databases (SQL/NoSQL)

DNS knowledge (advantage)

Technical leadership

Tools

Kubernetes

CI/CD tools

Observability tooling

Job description

DigiCert is a global leader in intelligent trust. We protect the digital world by ensuring the security, privacy, and authenticity of every interaction. Our AI-powered DigiCert ONE platform unifies PKI, DNS, and certificate lifecycle management, to secure infrastructure, software, devices, messages, AI content and agents. Learn why more than 100,000 organizations, including 90% of the Fortune 500, choose DigiCert to stop today’s threats and prepare for a quantum-safe future atwww.digicert.com

Job summary

The Principal Software Engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for designing, delivering, and evolving critical services within the DNS platform. This role leads complex initiatives across teams, ensures high standards of scalability, reliability, and security, and provides strong technical guidance while remaining hands-on in design and implementation.
The Principal Engineer partners closely with Architects, Product, and Engineering Managers to translate strategic direction into sound technical execution and predictable delivery.

What you will do

• Lead the design and implementation of complex services and cross-team initiatives within the DNS platform.
• Own technical design for major features and platform enhancements, ensuring scalability, performance, and reliability.
• Contribute hands-on to implementation, particularly in high-risk or technically challenging areas.
• Participate in and contribute to architecture reviews, RFCs, and design discussions, driving high-quality technical outcomes.
• Collaborate with Architects to ensure alignment with platform standards and long-term direction.
• Identify technical risks early and propose mitigation strategies to reduce delivery and operational risk.
• Improve system observability, performance, and operational readiness across owned services.
• Drive improvements in code quality, testing standards, CI/CD practices, and deploymentreliability.
• Mentor Senior and Mid-level Engineers, providing guidance on system design, debugging, and production excellence.
• Serve as a technical escalation point during major incidents related to owned systems.
• Scope of Influence:
  • Leads significant initiatives within a product area or platform domain.
  • Influences technical direction across 1–3 teams.
  • Drives alignment on design decisions within defined service boundaries.
  • Collaborates with Architects on cross-platform decisions but does not solely own enterprise architecture.

What you will have

• Typically 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including demonstrated impact operating at Senior Engineer level on large-scale distributed systems.
• Strong expertise in backend development (e.g., Java and/or Go), REST/gRPC APIs, cloud platforms, relational and/or NoSQL data stores, caching, and CI/CD practices.
• Solid understanding of distributed system design, scalability, reliability, and performanceoptimization.
• Familiarity with DNS and networking fundamentals is considered an advantage, but not amandatory requirement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technically complex initiatives and deliver predictable outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including writing technical design documents

Nice to have

• Demonstrates strong ownership of system quality and delivery outcomes.
• Balances technical excellence with pragmatic delivery.
• Proactively surfaces risks and drives solutions.
• Influences peers through technical credibility and clear reasoning.
• Acts as a multiplier by improving patterns, standards, and shared practices within their domain.
• Embodies collaboration, transparency, and accountability.
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement savings programs with company matching (401(k) or RRSP)
• Generous paid time off, including holidays, and vacation
• Paid parental leave and family support benefits
• Life and disability coverage
• Flexible spending and health savings options (where applicable)
• Health and wellness support, including gym reimbursement and wellness programs
• Employee Assistance Program with 24/7 confidential support for employees and families
• Educationassistanceand professional development opportunities
• Access to LinkedIn Learning and continuous learning resources
• Employee referral bonus program andadditionalcompanyperksand discounts
• Internal rewards and recognition platform ( Motivosity ) to celebrate and acknowledge project wins, milestone achievements, and the outstanding contributions of our colleagues
• Business travel insurance and global employee support programs

DigiCert is an Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in its workforce. In compliance with applicable federal and state laws, DigiCert prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, veteran’s status, status as a qualified person with a disability, or genetic information. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups, such as minorities, women, qualified person with disabilities, and protected veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.