Principal Software Engineer (Backend)

Vertex Education; Chandler (AZ); On-site; USD 105,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading education services provider as a Principal Software Engineer (Backend). You will design scalable backend solutions, ensuring data flow and supporting our mission to enhance educational success across the nation. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, mentor junior engineers, and uphold engineering standards while making a significant impact on students' lives.

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits

401(k) plans with a 6% employer match

Unlimited flexible paid time-off

Mentoring and training budget

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of backend software development experience.
• Strong proficiency with at least one modern server-side language and relational databases.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable, reliable backend services.
• Monitor and troubleshoot data flow across integrated systems.
• Lead technical discussions and backend code reviews.

Skills

Backend Development

Collaboration

Data Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

Tools

SQL

Zendesk

Asana

Job description

Direct message the job poster from Vertex Education

At Vertex Education we are a team of high achievers, courageous leaders, and passionate believers in changing lives through education. As a purpose-led education services provider, our mission is destined to benefit many and yet it starts with just one person inspired to work together with us to make a memorable and meaningful difference for our clients, schools, students, and communities. Be the one who makes a difference—with us.

As a Principal Software Engineer (Backend) at Vertex Education, you will play a critical role in building and maintaining the internal systems and integrations that power our educational services. By designing scalable backend solutions and ensuring reliable data flow across platforms, you will directly support the operational excellence that allows our schools and educators to focus on student success. Your technical leadership and collaborative mindset will help shape the tools that enable educational transformation nationwide.

Essential Functions:

• Design and implement scalable, reliable backend services using modern server-side technologies.
• Ensure high performance, maintainability, and security of backend systems.
• Develop solutions that support internal tools and business-critical workflows.
• Apply best practices in system design, version control, and automated testing.
• Build and maintain integrations with third-party platforms (e.g., Zendesk, Asana).
• Design and implement one-way and two-way data sync mechanisms.
• Handle authentication, data mapping, and error handling in integrations.
• Monitor and troubleshoot data flow across integrated systems.

3. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with product managers and designers to define software requirements.
• Work with frontend and infrastructure teams to deliver cohesive solutions.
• Participate and contribute to product planning.
• Translate user needs into scalable backend capabilities.

4. Code Quality & Mentorship

• Lead technical discussions and backend code reviews across the team.
• Mentor junior engineers and support knowledge sharing initiatives.
• Uphold and evolve engineering standards and development workflows.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and technical documentation.

5. Data Management & Optimization

• Design and maintain relational database schemas to support application needs.
• Optimize SQL queries and database performance.
• Implement backup, migration, and indexing strategies.
• Ensure compliance with data security and privacy standards.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of backend software development experience.
• Experience: Proven experience designing scalable backend systems and building production-grade software.
• Experience: Strong proficiency with at least one modern server-side language and relational databases.
• Credentials: Authorization to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading architectural decisions or technical initiatives in a team setting.
• Experience integrating third-party APIs and managing data synchronization pipelines.
• Familiarity with modern DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines.

Be excited to be a part of our team and grow your career with us!

Be the one who enables us to positively impact over 258,000 students across multiple states while driving our growth forward so we can enrich even more lives. Be the one who helps us achieve excellence for over 226 schools that we support with academics, finance, technology, human resources, communications, marketing, facilities, construction, and food services. Be the one who is a diverse thinker, a team player, a smart risk taker, an innovator, and a difference maker by encouraging others to climb higher and reach farther to further education.

• Be yourself surrounded by wonderful people who care about you, value your unique skills, and lift you up.
• Be supported in your work by caring leaders and team members who want you to succeed.
• Be empowered to make a difference and climb higher and reach farther to change lives through education.
• Be well in all aspects of your life from your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing to your finances.
• Enjoy industry-leading pay, rewards, referral bonuses, with unlimited flexible paid time-off for performance.
• Be able to care for your health and your family with comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits and invest in your future with 401(k) plans with a 6% employer match on your contributions.
• Enhance your growth and development with mentoring and money to take training classes.
• Thrive in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment where we treat others with fairness and respect, celebrate diversity, and elevate equality and inclusion as an equal opportunity employer.

Be the one who makes a difference!

With an innovative mind, a hungry heart, and engaging spirit you can change lives through education. Be a part of Vertex Education and let’s make a difference together. Apply Today!

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Education Administration Programs

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Vertex Education by 2x

Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Disability insurance

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