Principal Software Engineer - U.S. (remote)

DISCO; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Open, inclusive environment

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) matching

Flexible PTO

Stock RSUs

Job summary

DISCO, based in Chicago, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to shape and evolve our architecture using distributed domain-driven design, ensuring robustness and scalability across systems. You will lead architecture strategy, drive platform capabilities, and communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders, enabling informed buy vs.

build decisions. This role values deep experience with multi-tenant, cloud-native, data-intensive distributed systems and a track record of

Qualifications

• 15+ years of architecture experience.
• Experience with high-volume distributed architectures prioritizing reliability and availability.
• Experience with big data technologies such as Elasticsearch, NoSQL, Kafka, and data pipelines.
• Experience with infrastructure services and observability systems.
• Experience with Domain Driven Design concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture definition and evolution using distributed domain-driven practices.
• Guide teams on best practices, patterns, and buy vs. build decisions.
• Prioritize platform capability improvements and communicate architecture descriptions via automation.

Skills

15+ years exp

Distributed architecture

Big Data

Elasticsearch

Kafka

NoSQL

CI/CD

Cloud: AWS/Azure/GCP

Domain Driven Design

Microservices

Observability

Security-focused design

Tools

Docker-based services

Jenkins

CodePipeline

Terraform

Enterprise Message Bus

Job description

Your Impact

The Principal Software Engineer shapes and evolves our architecture using Distributed Domain Driven Design practices, ultimately ensuring the robustness and scalability of our systems. They influence architectural directions, and through project-embedded consultation. They guide teams to leverage best practices and design patterns.

What You'll Do

• Architecture Leadership: Drives the definition and evolution of our architecture using Distributed Domain Driven Design practices. Acts as the strategy leader for key Architecture Quality Attributes (e.g., Availability, Performance, Scalability, Securibility) to inform architecture assessments. Provides project-embedded architecture consultation to promote best Practices, design patterns, and informed buy vs. build decisions.
• Platform Capability Enhancement: Contributes to the prioritization of platform capability improvements across feature and data platforms. Enhances the capture and communication of architecture descriptions through automation and innovative tools. Shepherds platform-wide strategies, including naming, protocol standards, and design patterns, to ensure ongoing value creation.
• Effective Communication: Communicates complex technical concepts effectively in both written and spoken forms, catering to both technical and non-technical audiences. Collaborates with stakeholders to build consensus when necessary, ensuring alignment on architectural decisions.

Who You Are

• 15+ years of relevant experience
• Experience with high volume distributed technical architectures with a high cost of failure, i.e. focus on reliability and availability
• Experience with some amount of ‘Big Data’ technologies such as: ElasticSearch, NoSQL Stores, Kafka, Columnar Databases, DataFlow or Pipeline Systems, Graph DataStores
• Experience with leveraging common infrastructure services like Enterprise Message Bus platforms, configuration services, Toggle management systems, and observability systems like Logging and Distributing Tracing Systems
• Experience with Domain Driven Design concepts and practices such as bounded contexts, event storming, specification by example, etc.
• Experience with design, implementation, and operation of data-intensive, distributed systems
• Ability to design and communicate external and internal architectural perspectives of well-encapsulated systems (e.g. Service Oriented Architecture, Docker-based Services, micro-services) using patterns and tools such as Architecture/Design Patterns and Sequence Diagrams
• Skilled using Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) with an emphasis on automation tools like Terraform, Jenkins, CodePipeline.
• Knowledge of API / Data Model Design and Implementation, including how to scale out, make highly available, or map to storage systems
• Knowledge of multiple software stacks
• Skilled with designing and operating software in a Cloud Provider such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Knowledge about algorithm development for intensive pipeline processing systems
• Possesses an understanding of how to design and develop from a security perspective
• Possesses an understanding of how to identify, select, and extend 3rd party components (Commercial or Open Source) that provide operational leverage but do not constrain product and engineering creativity

Even Better If You Have

• Experience designing, modifying, and operating multi-tenant systems
• Experience using feature or release toggles as a code branching strategy

Authorization to Work in the US

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future. DISCO is not currently sponsoring visas.

Perks of DISCO

• Open, inclusive, and fun environment
• Benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as 401(k)
• Competitive salary plus RSUs
• Flexible PTO
• Opportunity to be a part of a company that is revolutionizing the legal industry
• Growth opportunities throughout the company

About DISCO

DISCO provides a cloud-native, artificial intelligence‑powered legal solution that simplifies e‑discovery, legal document review and case management for enterprises, law firms, legal services providers and governments. Our scalable, integrated solution enables legal departments to easily collect, process and review enterprise data that is relevant or potentially relevant to legal matters.

At DISCO, we believe AI is a core enabler of how work gets done. All employees are expected to proactively adopt and responsibly use AI tools to drive efficiency, improve outcomes, and continuously evolve how they operate in their role.

Are you ready to help us fulfill our mission to use technology to strengthen the rule of law?

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.