Principal Software Engineer

Starbucks Corp.; Pasadena (CA); Hybrid; USD 197,000 - 294,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Coaching

Coverage

Flexible remote rhythm

Job summary

Starbucks in Pasadena, CA seeks a Principal Software Engineer to lead critical integrations and microservice design. You will embed Elasticsearch expertise across our stack and drive features from whiteboard to production.

The role blends hands-on coding with architectural judgment, requiring 10+ years delivering complex tech programs and a customer-focused approach. This position offers a strong salary, coaching, coverage, and a flexible remote rhythm, with Pasadena as a core hub and remote

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Elasticsearch experience.
• Knowledge of CA-specific regulations relevant to technology work.
• Customer-focused outlook with strong interpersonal skills.
• 10+ years steering technology projects end to end.
• Principal-caliber judgment about when to expand and when to absorb.
• Critical thinking skills and sound, independent judgment.

Responsibilities

• Integrate third-party services and internal tools into the Starbucks stack.
• Build GitHub Actions dashboards so Starbucks's technology team stops asking engineers for numbers.
• Carry features from whiteboard sketch to Pasadena, CA production without dropping the baton.
• Design Microservices APIs other Pasadena, CA teams will still thank you for next year.
• Refactor the technology module Starbucks has been afraid to touch.
• Shave milliseconds off the technology hot path that Starbucks users feel every click.

Skills

Elasticsearch

CA regulations

Interpersonal skills

Critical thinking

End-to-end leadership

Judgment

Job description

Bring your Elasticsearch fluency, your suspicion of clever one-liners, and your resume to our Principal Software Engineer opening at Starbucks. Where most technology jobs cap your reach, this Starbucks one in Pasadena pays $197,000 - $294,000 and widens it the longer you stay.

Key Responsibilities

• Integrate third-party services and internal tools into the Starbucks stack
• Build GitHub Actions dashboards so Starbucks's technology team stops asking engineers for numbers
• Carry features from whiteboard sketch to Pasadena, CA production without dropping the baton
• Design Microservices APIs other Pasadena, CA teams will still thank you for next year
• Refactor the technology module Starbucks has been afraid to touch
• Shave milliseconds off the technology hot path that Starbucks users feel every click

What You'll Bring

• Knowledge of CA-specific regulations relevant to technology work
• Customer-focused outlook with strong interpersonal skills
• 8+ years of Elasticsearch reps, not just Elasticsearch exposure
• Critical thinking skills and sound, independent judgment
• 10 or more years steering technology projects end to end
• Principal-caliber judgment about when to expand and when to absorb

Starbucks is Pasadena, CA's answer to a technology industry grown lazy, run by a plainspoken team that still cares about Flask. Trust, transparency, and steady momentum are the three things we protect above all else.

The offer reads $197,000 - $294,000, plus the soft stuff that hard-wins loyalty: coaching, coverage, and a flexible remote rhythm.

• coaching, coverage, and a flexible remote rhythm

Marked current today, the remote opportunity at Starbucks is accepting candidates.