Principal, Software Engineer - BACKEND

Walmart; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 143,000 - 286,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental

401(k)

Stock purchase

PTO & holidays

Life insurance

Disability

Education benefit program

Job summary

Walmart seeks a USA Principal, Software Engineer to lead design and delivery of scalable platform capabilities in Sunnyvale, CA. You will guide multiple teams, applying cloud-native architecture and AI/ML integration to build intelligent, highly available systems.

This on-site role requires strategic leadership, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration to translate complex business needs into effective solutions and maintain alignment with platform roadmaps and business objectives.

Qualifications

• Degree or experience as listed in the minimum qualifications.
• Experience leading platform-scale software engineering and cloud-native design.
• Proven ability to mentor teams and translate business needs into technical work.

Responsibilities

• Lead platform engineering with scalable infrastructure and cloud-native designs.
• Drive end-to-end software delivery across multiple teams.
• Architect AI-enhanced applications for high-traffic usage.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate requirements into outcomes.
• Maintain architectural documentation and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Platform leadership

Cloud-native architectures

Distributed systems

CI/CD

Observability

AI/ML integration

Mentorship

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/related

7+ years software engineering

Tools

Cloud platforms

AI/ML frameworks

Job description

Position Summary...

What you'll do...Immigration sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship.

This is a full-time, onsite role at our Sunnyvale, CA office. This position is not eligible for remote work. Role summary:

The (USA) Principal, Software Engineer leads the design and delivery of scalable platform capabilities, driving technical excellence across multiple teams. This role oversees the full software development lifecycle, applying cloud-native architecture and AI/ML integration to build intelligent, high-availability systems. The position requires strategic technical leadership, mentorship, and collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders to translate complex business needs into effective solutions. The Principal Engineer champions innovation, continuous improvement, and operational excellence while ensuring alignment with long-term platform strategies and business objectives.

About the team

The BuyBox team is integral to Walmart’s e-commerce platform, developing and maintaining a microservices ecosystem that optimizes offer selection through machine learning and business rules. The team enhances offer ranking, ensures seamless system interactions, and monitors performance to resolve issues promptly. Focused on collaboration, technical expertise, and continuous innovation, the team drives operational excellence and supply chain efficiency. Utilizing agile methodologies and data-driven decision making, the team supports Walmart’s commitment to reliable service and value, fostering a culture centered on problem solving and ongoing improvement.

What you'll do

• Lead platform engineering efforts by delivering scalable infrastructure, reusable tooling, and cloud-native architectures aligned with strategic roadmaps.
• Drive full software development lifecycle activities including coding, testing, deployment, monitoring, and maintenance across multiple teams.
• Architect and implement AI-enhanced applications and intelligent systems supporting millions of users.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams, promoting best practices and innovation.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business needs into actionable technical requirements and measurable outcomes.
• Maintain architectural documentation to ensure transparency and alignment.
• Foster continuous improvement through experimentation and adoption of emerging technologies.

What you'll bring

• Extensive experience in platform engineering leadership, delivering scalable, cloud-native architectures and reusable tooling.
• Proven expertise in designing and implementing distributed systems optimized for real-time data processing and AI/ML integration.
• Strong proficiency in software development lifecycle management, including coding, testing, CI/CD deployment, and observability.
• Demonstrated ability to apply model-driven design and leverage advanced development tools to enhance quality and velocity.
• Skilled in technical mentorship, architectural decision-making, and fostering engineering excellence across multiple teams.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a focus on requirements analysis, debugging, and delivering customer‑centric solutions.
• Effective collaboration and communication skills to engage cross‑functional stakeholders and drive strategic alignment.

At Walmart, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage. Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company‑paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. Other benefits include short‑term and long‑term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more. You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable. For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices. Live Better U is a Walmart‑paid education benefit program for full‑time and part‑time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short‑form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.

For Information About Benefits And Eligibility, See One.Walmart.

The annual salary range for this position is $143,000.00 - $286,000.00 Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include :

Additional Compensation

• Stock

Minimum Qualifications

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

• Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.
• Option 2: 7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.

Preferred Qualifications

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area., We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Primary Location

1395 Crossman Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1114, United States of America

Walmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and has a no tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment.