Principal Software Engineer

Harnham; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 280,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Job summary

A rapidly growing technology firm is seeking a Principal Software Engineer in Oakland, CA. In this role, you will architect and scale the platform's AI capabilities, prototype LLM workflows, and collaborate across teams. Strong expertise in Python and experience in high-growth environments are essential. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits, including medical insurance and a 401(k).

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional experience building and scaling software systems in high-growth environments.
• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer, Staff Engineer, or Architect driving end-to-end design decisions.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative, hands-on mindset.

Responsibilities

• Architect and scale the company's platform from video delivery systems to AI-powered tools.
• Prototype and deploy LLM-based workflows enabling intelligent search and recommendations.
• Collaborate with Product, Data, and AI teams to bring intelligent services to production.

Skills

Python

Django

React

TypeScript

Distributed systems

Cloud architectures

Data modeling

AI-enabled workflows

Job description

Overview

Principal Software Engineer — Oakland, CA (3 days/wk) • $280,000 - $350,000 Salary + Equity

Base pay range

$280,000.00/yr - $350,000.00/yr

About the Company

Our client is a fast-growing technology company building one of the world’s leading video-based learning platforms for professionals. Their platform powers how millions of users across industries access cutting-edge knowledge, connect with experts, and improve real-world outcomes.

They’re scaling their product and AI capabilities, and are looking for a Principal Engineer / Product Architect to lead the next evolution of their architecture and intelligent systems. You’ll work closely with leadership across the U.S. and Europe to design and build the next generation of scalable, AI-driven features.

What You’ll Do

• Architect and scale the company’s platform — from video delivery systems to AI-powered discovery and personalized learning tools.
• Prototype and deploy LLM-based workflows and agents, enabling intelligent search, summarization, and recommendations.
• Collaborate with Product, Data, and AI teams to bring intelligent services to production (classification, personalization, relevance).
• Establish best practices and architectural standards across backend, frontend, and infrastructure layers.
• Lead modernization initiatives — transitioning systems for scalability, reliability, and performance (Python/Django backend, React frontend, AWS infrastructure).
• Mentor engineers, conduct design reviews, and guide technical decision-making.
• Evaluate and introduce new technologies — from vector databases to RAG frameworks — to stay at the edge of applied AI.

Who You Are

• 6+ years of professional experience building and scaling software systems in high-growth environments.
• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer, Staff Engineer, or Architect driving end-to-end design decisions.
• Strong expertise in Python (Django or similar frameworks) and experience with React/TypeScript.
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, cloud architectures (AWS), and data modeling.
• Experience integrating LLMs or AI-enabled workflows into production environments.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative, hands-on mindset.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)

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