Principal Software Engineer

Kustomer; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Kustomer is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead architectural decisions and mentor engineering teams. This role requires 15+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on scalable, high-performance systems. You will collaborate with the CTO and lead innovative solutions while maintaining high-quality standards in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

100% healthcare coverage

401K

Generous vacation policy

Qualifications

• 15+ years experience in software engineering focusing on large-scale systems.
• Deep understanding of modern software architecture and cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural decisions to ensure scalability and maintainability.
• Mentor engineering teams on best practices and modern development methodologies.

Skills

Architectural Leadership

Software Engineering

Problem-Solving

Communication

Job description

Join to apply for the Principal Software Engineer role at Kustomer

Join to apply for the Principal Software Engineer role at Kustomer

About Kustomer

Kustomer is the industry leading conversational CRM platform perfecting every customer experience. Built with intelligent tools such as AI and Automation, no code-configuration and a connected data platform that unifies data from multiple sources through a single timeline, Kustomer empowers businesses to operate with greater efficiency and deliver more personalized service to customers across any channel, making every interaction more meaningful and memorable. Today, Kustomer is the core platform for leading brands like Abercrombie, Nuts.com, Skims, Turo, Priceline and Sweetgreen.

About Kustomer

Kustomer is the industry leading conversational CRM platform perfecting every customer experience. Built with intelligent tools such as AI and Automation, no code-configuration and a connected data platform that unifies data from multiple sources through a single timeline, Kustomer empowers businesses to operate with greater efficiency and deliver more personalized service to customers across any channel, making every interaction more meaningful and memorable. Today, Kustomer is the core platform for leading brands like Abercrombie, Nuts.com, Skims, Turo, Priceline and Sweetgreen.

Kustomer was founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneurs Brad Birnbaum and Jeremy Suriel and has raised over $200M in funding backed by leading VCs. Meta announced its intention to acquire Kustomer in 2020 and completed the transaction in 2022. Kustomer joined Meta’s Business Messaging Group to transform the way people and businesses communicate through modern messaging channels. In 2023, Kustomer spun out from Meta as a standalone company backed by original partners, Battery, Redpoint and Boldstart Ventures, who have invested $60M in capital, ensuring Kustomer’s growth and success for many years to come.

Our Krew is made up of passionate and collaborative people who really care about what they do and the people they help. We look for people who are dedicated to enhancing the customer service experience for everyone involved, as it's the core of what we do. We're growing our business with no plans of slowing down. We actively seek individuals who want to learn and be challenged every day. Kustomer has a strong NYC presence and is also a remote friendly company, with Krew members located throughout the US and United Kingdom. We believe in togetherness to help foster strong relationships, collaboration and communication, and our Krew gets together for both KKO and Kamp Kustomer each year.

About The Role

The Principal Engineer will be a pivotal leader in scaling the Office of the CTO, steering critical architectural decisions, and fostering a culture of innovation and engineering excellence. You will collaborate closely with the CTO, Engineering Leadership, and cross-functional teams to align our technical strategy with business objectives, ensuring the successful execution of key initiatives. Your leadership will drive impactful solutions that shape the company’s future, while mentoring engineering teams and ensuring alignment with modern practices and industry trends.

What We're Seeking

We seek engineers who combine technical excellence with genuine passion for their craft. Our ideal candidate is someone who approaches challenges with curiosity and intrinsic motivation; working on problems not just because they're assigned, but because they find the work genuinely engaging and meaningful.

You should be someone who is naturally detail-oriented, professional, and brings a structured approach to your work while remaining open-minded and adaptable to new technologies and methodologies. We value candidates who work hard and maintain high personal standards, driven by ambition to grow both technically and professionally.

Most importantly, we're looking for engineers who are passionate about the technology space we operate in, particularly AI and automation. You should be excited about the problems we're solving and eager to contribute to innovative solutions that push the boundaries of what's possible.

If you're someone who takes ownership of your work, approaches challenges with intellectual curiosity, and thrives in environments where your passion for technology can directly impact product development, we'd love to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and influence high-level architectural decisions across the organization to ensure scalability, maintainability, and alignment with business needs.
• Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies to keep the organization at the forefront of industry innovations.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership on complex, high-impact projects, ensuring timely delivery and high technical quality.
• Mentor and coach engineering teams on best practices, modern development methodologies, and engineering excellence.
• Collaborate with the CTO and VP of Engineering to define and execute the company’s strategic technical vision.
• Drive the implementation of best-in-class engineering standards across tools, frameworks, and development practices.
• Advocate for technical excellence and scalable processes that improve delivery efficiency and quality across teams.
  
  

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with a strong focus on architectural leadership in large-scale systems, SaaS platforms, or high-traffic web applications.
• Deep understanding of modern software architecture, cloud platforms, microservices, and development methodologies.
• Proven track record of leading and mentoring engineering teams while delivering complex, scalable systems.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to make informed decisions in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Experience contributing high-quality, well-tested, and performant code to large-scale systems.
  
  

Preferred:

• Experience working in high-growth environments or organizations undergoing rapid scaling.
• Knowledge of DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworks.
• Experience with cloud platforms: Expertise in cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-native technologies, including serverless architectures, containers (Docker, Kubernetes), and distributed systems.
• Experience with security best practices: Strong understanding of security considerations in large-scale applications, including secure coding practices, data protection, and compliance with industry standards (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2).
• Experience with data engineering: Familiarity with big data architectures, streaming technologies (Kafka, Spark), or large-scale data processing pipelines.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Experience working with product, design, and other cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of technology solutions with business goals.
• Experience with performance optimization: Proven track record in performance tuning, optimization of complex systems, and driving latency and throughput improvements at scale.
  
  

HIPAA Compliance

All roles at Kustomer may involve handling sensitive personal data.

Benefits

Kustomer offers an array of benefits including competitive salaries and stock options. In the U.S. we offer 100% healthcare coverage, 401K, WiFi and Mobile reimbursement, and a generous vacation policy; in the UK we also offer pension, supplemental health insurance and other perks.

Diversity & Inclusion at Kustomer

Kustomer is committed to bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives.

We strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do great work together.We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer open to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, Veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Disclaimer: Kustomer only contacts candidates from company email addresses ending in kustomer.com and does not seek funds from candidates in any circumstances.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Software Development

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