Principal Software Engineer (Cloud)

7AI; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

7AI is seeking a Principal Software Engineer (Cloud) to define and build the technical foundation of their AI-native cybersecurity platform. In this role, you will lead the design and development of scalable systems, mentor engineers, and influence both technology and engineering culture. Ideal candidates will have over 15 years of experience in software engineering, specializing in cloud-native systems and distributed architectures. Join us to tackle complex challenges in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional software engineering experience building and operating production-grade distributed systems.
• Proven experience leading the design and delivery of large-scale, highly available cloud-native systems.
• Strong system design expertise, including distributed systems, APIs, event-driven architectures, and infrastructure scalability.

Responsibilities

• Lead designs of scalable, backend systems powering our AI-native cybersecurity platform.
• Drive complex technical initiatives from 0→1, including system design, technical strategy, and implementation.
• Mentor and develop engineers through technical guidance and design reviews.

Skills

Distributed systems

Cloud-native systems

Backend programming languages (Rust, Python, TypeScript, Go)

Technical leadership

Cross-functional coordination

AI-assisted development tools

Tools

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer (Cloud) to help define and build the technical foundation of our AI‑native cybersecurity platform.

As a Principal Engineer, you will lead the design and development of highly scalable, intelligent systems that power the next generation of security operations. You will operate across the stack driving designs, shaping engineering strategy, leading complex technical initiatives from concept to production, and mentoring engineers across the organization. You’ll partner closely with engineering, product, design, AI, and security teams to solve deeply complex technical challenges while helping establish the standards, practices, and architecture that will scale with the company.

This role is ideal for an engineer who thrives in fast‑moving environments, enjoys building 0→1 systems, and wants to have outsized influence on both technology and engineering culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead designs of scalable, backend systems powering our AI‑native cybersecurity platform.
• Drive complex technical initiatives from 0→1, including system design, technical strategy, implementation, and operationalization.
• Partner closely with product, AI, security, and platform teams to translate ambiguous business and customer problems into elegant technical solutions.
• Lead critical design discussions and provide technical leadership across multiple engineering domains and initiatives.
• Identify and proactively address technical risks, scalability bottlenecks, and operational challenges before they impact the business.
• Improve system observability, reliability, testing, deployment workflows, and operational excellence across the engineering organization.
• Help shape the engineering culture by promoting high standards for execution, craftsmanship, collaboration, and ownership.
• Mentor and develop engineers through technical guidance, design reviews, and hands‑on collaboration.
• Work effectively in a rapidly evolving environment where priorities and technical challenges evolve quickly.

Requirements

• 15+ years of professional software engineering experience building and operating production‑grade distributed systems.
• Proven experience leading the design and delivery of large‑scale, highly available cloud‑native systems.
• Strong system design expertise, including distributed systems, APIs, event‑driven architectures, data‑intensive applications, and infrastructure scalability.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technical projects with significant ambiguity and cross‑functional coordination.
• Excellent proficiency in one or more backend programming languages such as Rust, Python, TypeScript or Go.
• Expertise and proven track record of building systems on modern cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Comfortable and curious working with AI‑assisted development tools such as Claude Code, Codex or Cursor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building AI‑native products or integrating LLM/agent‑based systems into production environments.
• Background in cybersecurity, security operations, or high‑sensitivity infrastructure environments.
• Experience designing multi‑tenant SaaS platforms at scale.
• Familiarity with real‑time data pipelines, streaming systems, and large‑scale telemetry processing.
• Experience working in high‑growth startup environments.
• Track record of building and scaling engineering teams, processes, and technical culture.