Principal, Design Engineering

Celestica; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

Celestica seeks a visionary Senior Principal Software Engineer in San Jose, CA, to lead next-gen test infrastructure and CI/CD automation. The ideal candidate will integrate GenAI capabilities and act as both a hands-on architect and Agile Product Owner.

With 15+ years of experience, you will manage tech debt, mentor future leaders, and optimize infrastructure. The role offers a rich compensation package, including a salary range of $155K to $243K, complemented by a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive engineering experience.
• Experience in deploying AI/ML solutions.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Prototype, build, and deploy AI-driven applications.
• Architect and scale end-to-end test orchestration frameworks.
• Act as a Product Owner/Scrum Master for teams.
• Lead complex modernizations of infrastructure.
• Mentor and cultivate future technical leaders.

Skills

Python

Bash

Perl

TCL

Jenkins

Ansible

Docker

Zabbix

Education

Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent

Tools

Jira

Jira Align

SCM systems

virtual testbeds

Job description

Summary

We are seeking a visionary Senior Principal Software Engineer / Technical Staff Member to spearhead the evolution of our next-generation test infrastructure, CI/CD automation, and developer platforms. In this role, you will act as a blend of an elite hands-on architect, an Agile Product Owner, and an AI pioneer. You will lead the charge in integrating GenAI capabilities into our engineering pipelines, minimizing technical debt, and scaling global infrastructure. If you are a continuous learner who thrives on taking calculated technical risks to drive massive enterprise efficiencies, we want you on our team.

Key Responsibilities

• AI Innovation & Tooling: Prototype, build, and deploy AI/LLM-driven applications (e.g., RAG systems, log analyzers, agentic IDEs) to automate pipeline triaging, ticket population, and developer workflows.
• Infrastructure Architecture: Architect, build, and scale end-to-end test orchestration frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and automated virtual/physical testbeds from the ground up.
• Agile Leadership & Product Ownership: Act as a Product Owner/Scrum Master for cross-functional DevOps, Release Engineering, and Test Platform teams. Translate efficiency goals into high-impact user stories and manage technical debt.
• Migration & Optimization: Lead complex infrastructure modernizations (e.g., bare-metal to containerized environments, massive code repository migrations, multi-site lab consolidations) with minimal downtime.
• Cross-Functional Strategy: Represent the organization on enterprise-level technical councils (AI, Test, Architecture) to evaluate vendor proposals, drive governance, and deliver technical roadmaps to executives.
• Mentorship: Actively mentor and cultivate future technical leaders, principal candidates, and global engineering teams across onshore and offshore sites.

Technical Excellence

• Programming & Scripting: Strong proficiency in Python, Bash, Perl, or TCL.
• AI/ML Practice: Practical experience deploying local LLMs, building Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, and utilizing agentic developer tools (e.g., Windsurf, Claude Code, Ollama, LlamaIndex, Docker).
• DevOps & Automation: Mastery of Jenkins, Ansible, Docker, and infrastructure monitoring tools (e.g., Zabbix). Extensive experience migrating SCM systems (e.g., GitLab to GitHub).
• Networking Domain: Deep understanding of networking protocols, Operating Systems (e.g., SONiC, Linux), virtual testbeds, and traffic generation tools (e.g., iperf3, IXIA).

Leadership & Agile Methodologies

• Certifications: Registered Product Owner (RPO) or Registered Scrum Master (RSM). Proven capability using Jira and Jira Align for sprint/quarterly tracking.
• Scale: Proven track record of managing or technical-leading large-scale operations (50+ engineers/contractors globally) and optimizing multi-million dollar lab/CAPEX budgets.

Physical Demands

• Duties of this position are performed in a normal office environment.
• Duties may require extended periods of sitting and sustained visual concentration on a computer monitor or on numbers and other detailed data.
• Repetitive manual movements (e.g., data entry, using a computer mouse, using a calculator, etc.) are frequently required.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Salary

The stated range includes Base Salary and target short-term Incentive (STI) compensation only. A comprehensive benefits package is offered in addition to this range.

155-243K

The range described in this posting is an estimate by the Company, and may change based on several factors, including but not limited to a change in the duties covered by the job posting, or the credentials, experience or geographic jurisdiction of the successful candidate.

Typical Education

• Education: Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or an equivalent technical field.
• Experience: 15+ years of progressive engineering experience, including a history of technical distinction at a major enterprise.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to present technical strategies directly to executive leadership.

Notes

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.

Location

Req ID: 137651
Region: Americas
Country: USA
State/Province: California
City: San Jose

Equal Opportunity Employment

Celestica is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment and also states that retaliation against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment practice will not be tolerated. All information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Celestica is an E-Verify employer.