Principal Software Engineer, DevX Architecture

CarGurus; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 168,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity for all employees

Hybrid work model

Daily free lunch

New car discount

Commuting cost coverage

Job summary

CarGurus is seeking an experienced developer-focused architect to shape the Developer Experience Architecture team. You will standardize AI agentic development, evolve authentication and identity platforms, and improve service and job creation on AWS.

You will own projects and collaborate with engineers and product managers across the org, with a focus on delivering high-impact, scalable solutions. You will work on cross-cutting problems, including Claude Code, plugin marketplace, and MCP

Qualifications

• Eight or more years of hands-on, fullstack software design and development, including at least five years of Java.
• Experience building performant, large-scale web applications and cloud-native systems on AWS or similar cloud providers.
• Working knowledge of authentication and identity standards (OAuth2/OIDC), or a strong appetite to learn them.

Responsibilities

• Design and ship developer tooling, core frameworks, and reusable templates that raise engineering productivity and quality.
• Advance our agentic development ecosystem: Claude Code configuration and governance, plugins and skills, and MCP servers.
• Strengthen the Auth service and agent identity model using Keycloak, OAuth2, and OIDC.
• Build and operate services with Java, Spring Boot, AWS, and Kubernetes.
• Define standards, guardrails, and best practices, then drive adoption across product teams.
• Continuously assess, root cause, and improve system reliability and performance.

Skills

Java

React

Node.js

Remix

Terraform

AWS

OAuth2/OIDC

AI coding tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Job description

Who We Are

At CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG), our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. We started as a small team of developers determined to bring trust and transparency to car shopping. Since then, our history of innovation and go-to-market acceleration has driven industry-leading growth. In fact, we’re the largest and fastest-growing automotive marketplace, and we’ve been profitable for over 15 years.

Who We Are

At CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG), our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. We started as a small team of developers determined to bring trust and transparency to car shopping. Since then, our history of innovation and go-to-market acceleration has driven industry-leading growth. In fact, we’re the largest and fastest-growing automotive marketplace, and we’ve been profitable for over 15 years.

What We Do

The market is evolving, and we are too, moving the entire automotive journey online and guiding our customers through every step. That includes everything from the sale of an old car to the financing, purchase, and delivery of a new one. Today, tens of millions of consumers visit CarGurus.com each month, and ~30,000 dealerships use our products. But they’re not the only ones who love CarGurus—our employees do, too. We have a people-first culture that fosters kindness, collaboration, and innovation, and empowers our Gurus with tools to fuel their career growth. Disrupting a trillion-dollar industry requires fresh and diverse perspectives. Come join us for the ride!

Role Overview

The Developer Experience Architecture team at CarGurus builds the platforms, tooling, and standards that make hundreds of engineers faster, safer, and more productive. You will work on our highest-leverage initiatives: standardizing AI agentic development (Claude Code, our internal plugin marketplace, and MCP integrations), evolving our authentication and identity platform (Keycloak, OAuth2/OIDC), and improving the paved paths for service and job creation on AWS. These are complex, cross-cutting problems with global impact. You will own your projects and partner with engineers and product managers across the org. And no, you do not need to know about cars to work here.

What You'll Do

• Design and ship developer tooling, core frameworks, and reusable templates that raise engineering productivity and quality
• Advance our agentic development ecosystem: Claude Code configuration and governance, plugins and skills, and MCP servers
• Strengthen the Auth service and agent identity model using Keycloak, OAuth2, and OIDC
• Build and operate services with Java, Spring Boot, AWS, and Kubernetes
• Define standards, guardrails, and best practices, then drive adoption across product teams
• Continuously assess, root cause, and improve system reliability and performance
• Define, communicate, and drive technical solutions and complex projects from concept through successful completion, ensuring clear direction, accountability, and measurable outcomes
• Partner effectively across teams to influence decisions, resolve complex technical challenges, and build alignment without relying solely on direct authority
• Demonstrate strong business judgment by prioritizing work based on customer and business impact, translating technical decisions into measurable outcomes, and consistently focusing on delivering meaningful results.

What You'll Bring

• Eight or more years of hands-on, fullstack software design and development, including at least five years of Java. Experience with client and server side JavaScript, including React, Node, and Remix, along with Terraform experience is a plus
• Experience building performant, large-scale web applications and cloud-native systems on AWS or similar cloud providers
• Working knowledge of authentication and identity standards (OAuth2/OIDC), or a strong appetite to learn them
• Hands-on experience applying modern AI coding tools (assistants, agents, MCP) to real engineering work
• Comfort writing tests, using observability tools, and owning projects end to end
• Curious, collaborative, and eager to learn
• Demonstrated deep expertise in a relevant technical stack, including critical code reviews, scalability, architecture, testing strategy, performance, and cross-team integration.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

The displayed range represents the expected annual base salary / On-Target Earnings (OTE) for this position. On-Target Earnings (OTE) is inclusive of base salary and on-target commission earnings, which applies exclusively to sales roles.

Individual pay within this range is determined by work location and other factors such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

This annual base salary forms part of a comprehensive Total Rewards Package. In addition to benefits, this role may qualify for discretionary bonuses/incentives and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).

Position Pay Range

$168,000—$210,000 USD

Working at CarGurus

We reward our Gurus’ curiosity and passion with best-in-class benefits and compensation, including equity for all employees, both when they start and as they continue to grow with us. Our career development and corporate giving programs, as well as our employee resource groups (ERGs) and communities, help people build connections while making an impact in personally meaningful ways. A flexible hybrid model and robust time off policies encourage work-life balance and individual well-being. Thoughtful perks like daily free lunch, a new car discount, meditation and fitness apps, commuting cost coverage, and more help our people create space for what matters most in our personal and professional lives.

CarGurus may require in-person interviews as part of our hiring process, particularly for positions based in our Boston and Dublin offices. Candidates selected for an in-person interview will be notified in advance. Please be aware that travel expenses are the responsibility of the candidate.

We welcome all

CarGurus strives to be a place to which people can bring the ultimate expression of themselves and their potential—starting with our hiring process. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We foster an inclusive environment that values people for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. That’s why we hope you’ll apply even if you don’t check every box listed in the job description. We also encourage you to tell your recruiter if you require accommodations to participate in our hiring process due to a disability so we can provide the appropriate support. We want to know what only you can bring to CarGurus.