Principal Software Engineer- Backend (Admin Workflows) Seattle, WA

Yoodli, Inc.; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Yoodli, Inc. in Seattle is seeking a Principal Backend Engineer for Admin Workflows. You will own scalable backend services, design APIs, and guide technical direction for a fast-growing startup.

You'll build content integrations, agent framework, and content creation workflows, enabling AI-first training for admins. Collaboration with product and engineering, plus shaping analytics to show real impact for learners.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional development experience shipping and operating production systems.
• Deep backend expertise with end-to-end services and setting technical direction.
• Track record designing distributed systems and APIs at scale and mentoring others.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure and Infrastructure as Code.
• Proficiency in TypeScript or Python and debugging distributed systems.
• Clear communicator who leads collaborations across engineering and product.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent.
• Hybrid role with 3 days a week in the Greater Seattle Area.
• Experience with LLMs, generative AI, and AI-powered applications.

Responsibilities

• Own the backend systems for Admin Workflows and AI-first training at scale.
• Build content integrations ingesting material from customers' systems.
• Develop the agent framework powering roleplays and content creation workflows.
• Ensure security, maintainability, and reliability across services.
• Contribute AI-powered analytics and insights to demonstrate real learner impact.

Skills

Backend architecture

Distributed systems

API design

Cloud infra

TypeScript/Python

Debug distributed systems

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

Kubernetes

NoSQL databases

Terraform

Cloud platforms (GCP/AWS/Azure)

Job description

Principal Software Engineer- Backend (Admin Workflows)

Seattle, WA

Who we are:

Each of us at Yoodli has faced our own communication challenges — overcoming a lisp, freezing during a job interview, feeling anxious about speaking up. That shared empathy shapes a culture that's uplifting, inclusive, and deeply authentic. We value humility, a bias for action, and the belief that we win together.

Our team includes former employees from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Tableau, and beyond, united by a problem we've personally lived. We're headquartered in the heart of Seattle, and we're having a lot of fun along the way. Our culture is built on failing fast, iterating constantly, and taking bold bets.

We've raised $60M — including a $40M Series B led by WestBridge Capital — backed by Madrona, Neotribe, Cercano, and incubated at the Allen Institute for AI. We're valued at $300M and grew revenue 900% year-over-year.

Our customers include Google Cloud, Snowflake, Databricks, RingCentral, SAP, FranklinCovey, KornFerry, Sandler Training, Toastmasters, and many more — with learners in over 150 countries. Results speak for themselves: Google Cloud certified 15,000+ reps without scaling headcount. Snowflake recovered 1,200+ manager hours per quarter. Harness cut training review time by 75%.

We've been featured in TechCrunch, Axios, The Information, Forbes, Fast Company, and more.

As a Principal Backend Engineer on the Admin Workflows team, you'll own the systems that turn an admin's ideas and raw materials into engaging, AI-first training in minutes. Your job is to make that magic more powerful and more reliable at enterprise scale: building the content integrations that ingest source material from the systems customers already use, the agent framework that powers those roleplays, and the content creation workflows at the heart of our admin experience. You'll also help tell the story of the impact of Yoodli through AI-powered analysis and analytics - feedback and skills intelligence integrated deeply enough that customers can measure real improvement of their learners, not just activity.

What we’re hoping you bring:

Mission alignment: You believe in our vision and care deeply about helping people achieve more by communicating better

Backend expertise: You have deep experience architecting scalable, reliable backend services and setting technical direction that levels up an entire team

Comfort with ambiguity: You thrive on tough, open-ended product problems, unreliable LLMs, and challenging architectures - and you bring order to them

Customer-centric thinking: You architect right-sized solutions - secure, maintainable, and built with the end user in mind

Craft and quality: You hold yourself to a high bar for code quality and system design, and you make the engineers around you better

About you:

• 8+ years of professional development experience shipping and operating production systems
• Deep backend expertise - you've architected and owned services end-to-end, and set technical direction in fast-moving environments
• Track record of designing distributed systems and APIs that scale, and of raising the engineering bar through mentorship and technical leadership
• Experience with cloud infrastructure (GCP, AWS, or Azure) and Infrastructure as Code
• Proficiency in TypeScript or Python, with the ability to debug complex distributed systems
• Clear communicator who who effectively leads collaborations across engineering and product, and who gives and receives feedback well
• You understand how your work connects to business outcomes and user impact
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience
• This role is hybrid with an expectation of 3 days a week in the office - you’ll need to be based in the Greater Seattle Area.
• Experience with LLMs, generative AI, and AI-powered applications
• Speech/audio processing technologies
• NoSQL databases and Kubernetes

What’s in it for you?

• Huge impact opportunity: Define technical strategy and build foundational systems at a fast-growing startup
• Competitive compensation: Significant equity opportunities at a venture-backed company
• Base compensation: $180k - $210k
• Work directly with the founding team and shape the future of AI-powered communication coaching
• Join a fun, inclusive and highly motivated team culture (and help define it!)