[USA] Principal Software Engineer

Spectrum Effect; Bellevue (WA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Hybrid work arrangement

Competitive salary

Engineering career growth

Job summary

Spectrum Effect, a fast-growing AI automation company, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to architect and deploy high-performance software for wireless analytics. You will own design, development, and deployment of real-time systems, mentoring engineers, and aligning technical solutions with business goals.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years of software development, strong Linux and distributed systems experience, and comfort guiding cross-functional teams in a dynamic startup environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering or equivalent.
• 7+ years in Python/Go/Rust/C++ and 10+ years overall software development.
• Experience designing real-time and near-real-time systems, including ML inference.
• Strong Linux knowledge and software architecture understanding.
• Ability to independently own solutions from design through implementation and iteration.
• Leadership experience and excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Solution Ownership: Lead rapid design, development, and iteration of software solutions and features.
• System Translation: Translate complex RF requirements into technically sound software solutions.
• Comfort with Ambiguity: Thrive in a fast-paced startup with shifting priorities and balance speed vs quality.
• Technical Communication: Convey complex software concepts to internal and external stakeholders, including executives.
• Mentoring: Guide software engineers to improve processes, quality, security, reliability and performance.

Skills

Python/Go/Rust/C++

Real-time systems

Distributed systems

Linux

Software architecture

Leadership

Communication skills

Telecom RF knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Kafka

NoSQL (MongoDB/InfluxDB)

CI/CD

Job description

Do you thrive in environments where you are empowered to make impactful decisions and bring clarity to complex problems? Do you want to be part of a fast-moving high-growth company? Come and join us at Spectrum Effect!

Spectrum Effect’s mission is to solve the most challenging and costly problems in the wireless industry through innovation and AI-powered automation. Our team is passionate about creating disruptive technologies, developing solutions with engineering excellence, and delivering substantial value to our customers. Deployed by leading mobile operators across the globe, our Spectrum-NET software solution performs automated AI-driven analysis of radio access networks. Spectrum-NET is a cloud-native, horizontally scalable solution based on a Kubernetes-orchestrated microservices architecture.

Our 60+ person team is located primarily in Seattle (U.S.) and Monterrey (Mexico), with team members enjoying ownership in our private company through stock options and competitive salaries. This is an amazing opportunity to join an emerging leader in the AI automation space and make a real impact on the mobile industry.

Job Description

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer with a strong aptitude for designing, developing, and deploying high-performance software solutions while defining best practices and technical standards. The ideal candidate will excel in navigating ambiguity, driving cross-functional collaboration, and translating complex technical concepts or insights into thoughtful solutions. We are looking for someone who can:

• Solution Ownership: Lead the rapid design, development, and iteration of software solutions and features.
• System Translation: Work with system engineers to translate complex technical RF requirements and deliver top-tier software solutions that are technically sound, feasible, and aligned with business objectives.
• Comfort with Ambiguity: Thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with shifting priorities. Maintain a pragmatic, solutions-oriented outlook and balance speed versus quality trade-offs effectively. Bring structure and clarity when navigating situations with high uncertainty.
• Technical Communication: Communicate complex software concepts effectively to both internal and external stakeholders, including executive audiences.
• Mentoring: Provide technical guidance to software engineers, particularly in areas like improving engineering processes, ensuring software quality and security standards, and ensuring system reliability and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering or equivalent
• Minimum of 7 years of Python, Go, Rust, C++, or similar related experience and 10+ years of general software development experience
• Experience designing and building real-time and near-real-time systems, including ML inference
• Experience with distributed systems, databases, and messaging systems
• Strong Linux knowledge with hands-on experience.
• Strong knowledge of software architecture principles and ability to contribute to architectural discussions
• Ability to independently own solutions from design through implementation and iteration
• Comfortable working with ambiguity, shifting priorities, and speed-versus-quality & coverage trade-offs.
• Strong judgment, decision-making, and problem-solving skills
• Experience working in a leadership or senior engineering role
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Curiosity and willingness to learn domain-specific telecom and RF related technology.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with technologies such as Kubernetes, Helm, Docker, Kafka, or NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, InfluxDB)
• Familiarity with data/ML techniques and libraries such as NumPy and SciPy is a plus.
• Experience working with modern deployment techniques and practices, such as CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation
• Understanding of RAN (Radio Access Network) concepts, including cells, sites, controllers, and topologies

Additional Information

Why Join Us

• Dynamic Team:Collaborate with passionate experts driving real innovation in the telecom space
• Career Growth:Work on high-impact problems with real ownership and visibility
• Meaningful Work:Help shape the next generation of ML-driven network analytics
• Attractive Benefits:Competitive salary, stock options, and a flexible work environment

Do you have the technical chops and product sense to help shape the future of wireless automation?

U.S. Person status is required for this position due to contractual obligations. This is a hybrid position. The candidate should be based in or willing to relocate to the Greater Seattle Area.