Principal Software Engineer

Protingent; Danville (VA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 152,000; Full time

Job summary

Protingent Staffing in Christiansburg, VA seeks a Principal Software Engineer to lead design, development, and maintenance of internal-use and customer-facing software solutions.

You will set the technical direction, collaborate with product, UX, and DevOps, mentor engineers, and drive architectural excellence, CI/CD, and scalable systems. This role requires deep knowledge of distributed systems, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure), and modern architectures from monolith to microservices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Computer Science or related field, or experience in lieu of degree.
• At least 12 years of directly related experience including at least 3 years of principal or staff-level engineering.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Experience with Object Oriented development (C#, Java, C++, Python, etc.).
• Working knowledge of DevOps or systems administration.
• Continuous integration/deployment experience.
• Proven experience leveraging strategic vision with strong technical expertise to design and deliver scalable, high-performance software solutions.
• Deep understanding of system design, database, distributed systems, and cloud providers (AWS, Azure).
• Significant experience in C#/.Net development including Blazor Server and other object-oriented languages (Java, Python, etc.).
• Experience leading teams through transitions to modern architectures or platforms (e.g. monolith to microservices) is a plus.
• Experience with modern CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

Responsibilities

• Leading the design, development, and maintenance of internal-use and customer-facing software solutions
• Ensuring scalability and adherence to requirements
• Setting the technical direction for projects
• Including architectural vision, technology choices, and best practices to create scalable, reliable solutions designed to simplify and streamline core business functions
• Partnering with product, UX, and DevOps teams to translate requirements into clear technical specifications and ensure alignment throughout the development process
• Utilizing an iterative and incremental design approach to provide solutions that address immediate needs while maintaining adaptability for a more robust long‑term solution
• Serving as a subject‑matter expert and hands‑on mentor to senior and mid‑level engineers
• Identifying opportunities for innovation in architecture, tooling, or process and driving adoption within the team
• Setting and enforcing best practices in coding, testing, CI/CD, and observability

Skills

C#/.NET

Blazor Server

Java

Python

Distributed systems

Cloud architecture

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

CI/CD pipelines

AWS

Azure

SQL

Job description

Principal Software Engineer

Protingent Staffing has an exciting Direct Hire opportunity in Christiansburg, VA.

Job Responsibilities

• Leading the design, development, and maintenance of internal-use and customer-facing software solutions
• Ensuring scalability and adherence to requirements
• Setting the technical direction for projects
• Including architectural vision, technology choices, and best practices to create scalable, reliable solutions designed to simplify and streamline core business functions
• Partnering with product, UX, and DevOps teams to translate requirements into clear technical specifications and ensure alignment throughout the development process
• Utilizing an iterative and incremental design approach to provide solutions that address immediate needs while maintaining adaptability for a more robust long‑term solution
• Serving as a subject‑matter expert and hands‑on mentor to senior and mid‑level engineers
• Identifying opportunities for innovation in architecture, tooling, or process and driving adoption within the team
• Setting and enforcing best practices in coding, testing, CI/CD, and observability

Job Qualifications

• Completion of a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, a related field, or experience in lieu of degree
• At least 12 years of directly related experience including at least 3 years of principal or staff‑level engineering
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent problem‑solving skills
• Experience with Object Oriented development (C#, Java, C++, Python, etc.)
• Working knowledge of DevOps or systems administration
• Continuous integration/deployment experience
• Proven experience leveraging strategic vision with strong technical expertise to design and deliver scalable, high‑performance software solutions
• Deep understanding of system design, database, distributed systems, and cloud providers (AWS, Azure)
• Significant experience in C#/.Net development including Blazor Server and other object‑oriented languages (Java, Python, etc.)
• Experience leading teams through transitions to modern architectures or platforms (e.g. monolith to microservices) is a plus
• Experience with modern CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

Job Details

• Job Type: Direct Hire
• Location: Christiansburg, VA
• Salary Range: $112,000 - $152,000
• Must be US Citizen

Protingent is an Award‑Winning provider of top‑tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.