Principal Engineer, Cloud

CarMax Business Services; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 136,000 - 204,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Equity

Job summary

CarMax is seeking a Principal Engineer, Cloud, to shape our next-generation cloud infrastructure from our West Creek (Richmond, VA) or Plano (TX) tech hubs. You will lead design, build and evolution of scalable, secure cloud platforms for customer-facing applications, driving automation and reliable delivery through modern engineering practices.

You will mentor teams, define patterns, and collaborate with product management, architecture, and engineers to raise the bar on performance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS or related field, or equivalent experience with 7+ years in tech.
• 4+ years building cloud infrastructure (Azure preferred; AWS/GCP also considered).
• 3+ years scripting in Python or PowerShell.
• Expertise in cloud networking, storage, virtualization, and access control in hybrid environments.
• Designing resilient cloud architectures and managing CI/CD with Azure DevOps or TeamCity.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Passion for automation and reducing manual processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop self-service capabilities and automation tools.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to turn ideas into solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and foster continuous improvement.
• Guide cloud platform evolution and performance optimization.
• Apply industry best practices to improve reliability and security.

Skills

Cloud architecture

Automation

Leadership

CI/CD

Scripting (Python/PowerShell)

Hybrid cloud

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS or related field

Tools

Azure DevOps

TeamCity

Job description

Position Overview

As a Principal Engineer, Cloud, you will play a pivotal role in shaping CarMax’s next-generation cloud infrastructure. This is your opportunity to join an innovative team that is redefining the automotive retail experience through cutting-edge technology. You’ll lead efforts to design, build, and evolve scalable cloud platforms, ensuring reliability, security, and resilience for our customer-facing applications. By leveraging your expertise in cloud engineering and automation, you’ll help CarMax deliver a seamless, best-in-class experience that empowers customers to buy the vehicles they want- on their terms.

Why CarMax?

At CarMax, we are the nation’s largest retailer of used cars with stores from coast to coast, and we are still growing. We’re rethinking the way people buy cars - and it’s our associates that help us do just that. We believe work should feel meaningful and rewarding, with opportunities to make an impact every day. This is where innovation meets passion - be inspired and supported to take us to the future.

Team Overview

You’ll collaborate with engineers, architects, and technology leaders to define patterns and best practices for deploying cloud infrastructure. Acting as a technical mentor and trusted advisor, you will influence strategic decisions and guide teams in building secure, scalable, and automated solutions that support CarMax’s customer-first mission.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop and implement self-service capabilities and automation tools to accelerate delivery and improve operational efficiency.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in design, product management, and architecture to transform innovative ideas into practical solutions.

• Provide technical leadership and guidance, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and agile practices.

• Consult with internal stakeholders to evolve cloud platforms and optimize performance using modern engineering principles.

• Stay ahead of industry trends, applying best practices to enhance reliability, scalability, and security across cloud environments.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience with 7+ years in technology roles.

• 4+ years of hands-on experience building cloud infrastructure (Azure preferred; AWS or Google Cloud considered).

• 3+ years of scripting or coding experience in languages such as Python, PowerShell, or similar.

• Expertise in cloud networking, storage, virtualization, and access control, including hybrid environments.

• Proven ability to design and deploy resilient cloud architectures and manage CI/CD pipelines using tools like Azure DevOps or TeamCity.

• Strong leadership skills with experience mentoring teams and driving cross-functional initiatives.

• Passion for automation and eliminating manual processes to improve efficiency and scalability.

Work Location and Arrangement:

West Creek: This role will be based out of the CarMax Home Office at West Creek (Richmond, VA) and associates will work onsite 4 days per week

OR

Plano: This role will be based out of the CarMax Dallas Tech Hub (Plano, TX) and associates will work onsite 2 days per week

Work Authorization:

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Sponsorship will not be considered for this specific role.

About CarMax

At CarMax, we revolutionized the used car buying experience over 30 years ago by introducing transparency and integrity into the process. Our commitment to customer experience, innovation, and community has made us the nation’s largest used car retailer. With over 250 store locations and over 30,000 associates, we are proud to have been recognized as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® and are committed to helping our communities thrive.

As an associate, you are part of an innovative movement to empower the modern customer and drive progress. Your work fuels change- sparking ideas, overcoming challenges, and shaping what’s next. Join us in creating a better future- for our company, our customers, and the communities we call home.

CarMax is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The annual salary for this position is:

$136,200.00 - $204,300.00

May be eligible for bonus and equity.

Benefits:

Except as otherwise required by state law, CarMax Associates are entitled to the following paid sick, vacation, and holiday time.

Associates that are considered full-time hourly or commission/incentive eligible:

• To earn up to 48 hours of sick time per year accrued on a per pay period basis and between 80 hours and 200 hours per year of vacation time after a 90 day waiting period depending on years of continuous service with the Company.
• For 8 hours of pay for each of a total of 6 paid scheduled holidays per year plus 1 floating holiday. If such an Associate does work on a scheduled holiday due to business need, they are eligible for Holiday Premium Pay.

Associates considered full-time salaried are entitled to paid time away with no specified limit as needed for sick, vacation, bereavement, jury duty, holidays, floating holiday, etc. subject to manager approval.

For more details about benefits, please visit our CarMax Benefits website.

Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.