Principal Software Engineer

Plenful; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare Coverage

401(k) with Company Match

Equity

Unlimited PTO

Daily Lunch Stipend

Wellness Stipend

Commuter Benefits

Parental Leave

Job summary

Plenful is hiring a Principal Software Engineer to lead the data backbone of our scalable AI workflow platform. You will design core data models, manage workflow state, and ensure data integrity across distributed services.

This highly technical role requires deep expertise in relational databases, distributed systems, and Python-based backend development. You will collaborate across cloud infrastructure (AWS), Postgres databases, and frontend tech (React/TypeScript) to build durable, scalable

Qualifications

• 12+ years owning data architecture in large-scale production systems.
• Deep relational database and distributed systems expertise.
• Evolved schemas in complex, regulated domains.
• Clear judgment on normalization vs. denormalization, performance tradeoffs, and system boundaries.
• Handled mission-critical incidents in production.
• Comfortable in ambiguous, fuzzy problem spaces.
• Hands-on Python backend with reliability, observability, testing, and QA rigor.

Responsibilities

• Data Architecture & System Design: define and evolve core data models for workflows, system state, actions, and outcomes.
• State Management & Data Systems: architect systems for managing workflow state and historical data across distributed infrastructure.
• Traceability & Data Integrity: design systems that support traceability and observability, auditing, versioning, and data consistency.
• Engineering Standards: establish best practices for schema management, testing, and data quality; improve reliability and reduce operational overhead.

Skills

Data architecture

Relational databases

Distributed systems

Python

System design

Observability & QA

Tools

AWS

PostgreSQL

React/TypeScript

Job description

About Plenful

Plenful is on a mission to transform healthcare operations from the inside out. Fresh off our $50M Series B and backed by Notable Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, TQ Ventures, Susa/Kivu Ventures, and other leading investors, we’re building the category-defining AI workflow automation platform that healthcare teams rely on to operate smarter, faster, and more efficiently. Our technology empowers healthcare operators across hospital and health systems, pharmacies and payors to eliminate manual work, reduce administrative burden, and improve compliance, all while unlocking critical revenue to fund programs for their in-need patient populations.

About Plenful

Plenful is on a mission to transform healthcare operations from the inside out. Fresh off our $50M Series B and backed by Notable Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, TQ Ventures, Susa/Kivu Ventures, and other leading investors, we’re building the category-defining AI workflow automation platform that healthcare teams rely on to operate smarter, faster, and more efficiently. Our technology empowers healthcare operators across hospital and health systems, pharmacies and payors to eliminate manual work, reduce administrative burden, and improve compliance, all while unlocking critical revenue to fund programs for their in-need patient populations.

Built by healthcare operators for healthcare operators, Plenful is driven by a deep understanding of the challenges facing today’s care teams. We’re passionate about equipping healthcare workers with world‑class tools that deliver real, measurable impact, and we’re proud to serve 90+ leading health systems across the country. If you’re excited to help shape the future of healthcare, we’d love to meet you.

About The Role

Plenful is hiring a Principal Software Engineer to lead the design and development of the core data systems that power our scalable automation platform. This role focuses on building foundational infrastructure for managing complex workflows, system state, and historical data in a high-reliability environment.

This is a highly technical, hands‑on role centered on system architecture and platform design. You'll create durable, extensible data models and services that let other engineering teams build efficiently and safely on a shared foundation.

You'll work across cloud infrastructure (AWS), relational databases (Postgres), backend services (Python), workflow orchestration systems, and modern frontend technologies (React, TypeScript).

What You’ll Do

Data Architecture & System Design

• Define and evolve core data models for workflows, system state, actions, and outcomes.
• Design scalable, maintainable abstractions across platform services.
• Establish clear boundaries between systems and services that support team autonomy.

State Management & Data Systems

• Architect systems for managing workflow state and historical data across distributed infrastructure.
• Keep high-throughput systems performant, reliable, and scalable.
• Make informed tradeoffs in data modeling, indexing, and access patterns.

Traceability & Data Integrity

• Design systems that support traceability and observability of system behavior.
• Make sure data models and storage systems support auditing, versioning, and evolution over time.
• Build mechanisms that maintain data consistency and integrity.

Engineering Standards

• Establish best practices for schema management, testing, and data quality.
• Improve system reliability and cut operational overhead through strong architectural patterns.
• Work with engineering teams to keep the platform consistent.

You’ll know it’s working when data systems scale reliably to support growing product and customer needs, architecture stays clear and maintainable so teams move faster, operational burden drops through better system design, and data governance and consistency hold across the platform.

You May Be a Fit If

• You've spent 12+ years owning data architecture in large-scale production systems.
• You have deep relational database and distributed systems expertise.
• You've evolved schemas in complex, regulated domains.
• You have clear judgment on normalization vs. denormalization, performance tradeoffs, and system boundaries.
• You've handled mission-critical incidents in production.
• You're comfortable operating in ambiguous, fuzzy problem spaces.
• You can code hands‑on in a Python‑heavy backend environment, with strong reliability instincts including observability, testing, and QA rigor.
• Bonus points for experience in healthcare, fintech, or infrastructure environments; exposure to modern, high-throughput infrastructure; a practical understanding of applied AI systems; and comfort in customer‑facing technical discussions.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Mission-Driven, World‑Class Team — Join an exceptional group of professionals aligned around a meaningful mission and committed to making an impact
• Opportunities for Growth — Strengthen your expertise through collaboration with experienced, high‑performing leaders across the organization
• Flexible Hybrid Work Environment — We're remote‑first, with meaningful office presence in San Francisco and New York. R&D roles follow a hybrid model, with two days per week in our San Francisco office

Benefits & Perks

• Healthcare Coverage — Full medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and participation for your family
• 401(k) with Company Match — Plenful matches 50% of your first 3% contributed
• Equity — Every full‑time employee shares in our success
• Unlimited PTO — Take the time you need, when you need it
• Daily Lunch Stipend — $100/week to cover your midday meals
• Wellness Stipend — $100/month to support your health and well‑being
• Commuter Benefits — $100/month for SF and NYC-based employees
• Parental Leave — Paid leave to support growing families