Principal Software Dev Engineer

102 Yahoo Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 299,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

401k

Backup childcare

Education stipends

Job summary

Yahoo is seeking a Principal Software Dev Engineer to act as the technical lead for a full-stack engineering team. You will drive the strategic vision, collaborate with Product and Business leaders, and deliver scalable, reusable components including microservices and cloud-native solutions.

You will work with Data Science and Engineering teams to leverage data-driven insights and ML to optimize user experiences, while applying agile methodologies and cloud technologies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to implement solutions across the entire tech stack.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to other engineers.
• Strong problem-solving skills and strategic/analytic thinking.
• Experience in AWS, Python, and React.
• Experience with Agile software development methodologies.
• Led engineering teams or squads as senior/principal IC, driving technical decisions.
• Mentored and leveled up other engineers, establishing best practices.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for the team, defining and communicating the technical vision and ensuring on-schedule delivery.
• Own end-to-end execution of complex initiatives, break down problems and drive production launches.
• Mentor engineers, raise the technical bar through design reviews and code quality feedback.
• Lead complex projects from start to finish, remove ambiguity and align engineers and stakeholders.
• Oversee design, development, and testing of new features for CMS systems, ensuring scalability, security, and performance.
• Maintain relationships with Product, Design, and other Engineering teams as primary technical contact.

Skills

AWS

Python

React

Agile

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science

Equivalent work experience

Tools

Next.js

FastAPI

Job description

It takes powerful technology to connect our brands and partners with an audience of hundreds of millions of people. Whether you're looking to write mobile app code, engineer the servers behind our massive ad tech stacks, or develop algorithms to help us process trillions of data points a day, what you do here will have a huge impact on our business—and the world.

A Little About Us

Yahoo's Media Platform team enables core media business capabilities across Yahoo products in News, Finance, and Sports. We provide products and services to help each product enable use cases faster and cost-effectively. As a result, they can leverage advanced capabilities that any independent vertical would not be able to buy or build. The Content Management team in the Media Platform aims to create the best experience for content creators, from onboarding to audience engagement.

Role

As a Principal Software Dev Engineer you will serve as the technical lead for a full-stack engineering team, driving the strategic vision and execution of cutting-edge solutions, for example integrating AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance content creation and enrichments. Collaborate with Product and Business leaders to deliver scalable, reusable components. These include microservices and cloud-native solutions. In addition, you will work closely with Data Science and Engineering teams to leverage data-driven insights and machine learning to continuously optimize user experiences. This role offers an exciting opportunity to leverage your expertise in agile methodologies and cloud technologies, while building strong cross-functional partnerships and leading impactful initiatives.

A Lot About You

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Principal Software Dev Engineer to act as the technical lead for one of our content management engineering teams. In this role, you will set the technical direction for the team, break down complex initiatives into executable work, and ensure the squad delivers high-quality software on time. You will harness your deep expertise in full-stack development to drive software solutions, and collaborate closely with stakeholders to ensure projects exceed expectations. You will harness your deep expertise in full-stack development, and know how to apply those principles into existing and new architectures. You will collaborate with cross-functional leaders in Product, Design, and Business to drive strategic goals and deliver impactful results. You have a proven track record of leading functional teams or complex initiatives across multiple workstreams, driving technical decisions and delivering outcomes that impact multiple products or customer experiences. You have an enthusiasm for leading teams to build innovative software solutions, setting a high technical bar and coaching other engineers to meet it, and are excited about building a new platform. While this is an individual contributor role with no direct reports, you will operate as the technical leader for the team and a key partner to the engineering manager on roadmap, execution, and team health.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for the team, defining and communicating the technical vision, aligning it with product goals, and ensuring the squad delivers high-quality, maintainable solutions on schedule.
• Own the end-to-end execution of complex initiatives: break down ambiguous problem spaces, create clear technical plans, delegate work across engineers, and drive projects from design through production launch and iteration.
• Mentor and coach engineers on the squad, raising the technical bar through design reviews, pairing, and feedback on code quality, testing, observability, and operational excellence.
• Expected to lead the team through complex projects from start to finish, removing ambiguity, aligning engineers and stakeholders, and driving clear technical decisions, proactively identifying risks, unblocking the team, and making clear trade-off decisions.
• Oversee the technical design, development, and testing of new features for our publishing and content management systems, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and performant.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including Product Management, Design, and other Engineering teams, acting as the primary technical point of contact for your team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field or equivalent work experience
• Ability to implement solutions across the entire tech stack
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to other engineers and collaborate effectively with them
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think strategically and analytically
• Experience in AWS, Python, and React
• Experience with Agile software development methodologies and deep understanding of software engineering principles
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams or squads as a senior or principal individual contributor, including driving technical decisions and aligning multiple engineers around a shared plan.
• Proven track record of mentoring and leveling up other engineers, influencing engineering culture, and establishing best practices across a team or organization (e.g., design standards, testing strategy, observability, operational excellence).

Nice to Have

• Experience in languages like TypeScript
• Experience in technologies like Next.js and FastAPI
• Experience in large-scale digital content publishing - CMS systems
• Experience using ML and AI techniques that drive product features

The material job duties and responsibilities of this role include those listed above as well as adhering to Yahoo policies; exercising sound judgment; working effectively, safely and inclusively with others; exhibiting trustworthiness and meeting expectations; and safeguarding business operations and brand integrity.

At Yahoo, we offer flexible hybrid work options that our employees love! While most roles don't require regular office attendance, you may occasionally be asked to attend in-person events or team sessions. You'll always get notice to make arrangements. Your recruiter will let you know if a specific job requires regular attendance at a Yahoo office or facility. If you have any questions about how this applies to the role, just ask the recruiter!

Yahoo is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against based on age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected category. Yahoo will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. Yahoo is dedicated to providing an accessible environment for all candidates during the application process and for employees during their employment. If you need accessibility assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please submit a request via the Accommodation Request Form (www.yahooinc.com/careers/contact-us.html) or call +1.866.772.3182. Requests and calls received for non-disability related issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace strengthens Yahoo and deepens our relationships. When you support everyone to be their best selves, they spark discovery, innovation and creativity. Among other efforts, our 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) enhance a culture of belonging with programs, events and fellowship that help educate, support and create a workplace where all feel welcome.

The compensation for this position ranges from $143,625.00 - $299,375.00/yr and will vary depending on factors such as your location, skills and experience. The compensation package may also include incentive compensation opportunities in the form of discretionary annual bonus or commissions. Our comprehensive benefits include healthcare, a great 401k, backup childcare, education stipends and much (much) more.

Yahoo serves as a trusted guide for hundreds of millions of people globally, helping them achieve their goals online through our portfolio of iconic products. For advertisers, Yahoo Advertising offers omnichannel solutions and powerful data to engage with our brands and deliver results.