Senior Principal Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Principal Engineer based in Canada.

This is a high-impact senior engineering role focused on designing, building, and scaling complex backend systems in a cloud-native environment. The role sits at the intersection of architecture, hands-on engineering, and technical leadership, driving key initiatives from concept to production. You will work on large-scale distributed systems that support millions of users globally, with a strong emphasis on performance, reliability, and scalability. The environment is highly collaborative, data-driven, and engineering-led, where technical excellence and innovation are strongly valued. You will play a key role in shaping engineering standards, guiding teams, and influencing architectural direction. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in deep technical ownership while also mentoring and elevating other engineers.

• Lead the end-to-end design, development, and delivery of large-scale backend systems, ensuring scalability, reliability, and maintainability in cloud environments such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Oracle Cloud.
• Own major technical initiatives, define architectural approaches (“what,” “why,” and “how”), and partner with architects and engineering leaders on strategic decisions.
• Drive transformation of monolithic systems into modern distributed architectures using best practices in microservices, caching, messaging, and data storage design.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership, including code reviews, mentoring engineers, and guiding implementation through individual contributors.
• Champion engineering excellence by defining standards, automating processes, and promoting data-driven decision-making across teams.
• Represent the organization in technical communities through knowledge sharing, seminars, blogs, or open-source contributions.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of relevant software engineering experience with deep expertise in backend development, particularly in Java, with openness to other backend technologies.
• Strong experience with relational databases such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, along with distributed systems design and cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, or Oracle Cloud).
• Proven ability to design and scale high-performance systems, including expertise in system architecture, APIs, networking, and data structures & algorithms.
• Demonstrated experience in leading technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and influencing engineering best practices at scale.
• Strong understanding of system modernization, including migrating monolithic applications to distributed, cloud-native architectures.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a focus on simplicity, scalability, and long-term maintainability.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to align technical decisions with business impact.

Benefits:

• Flexible work arrangements, including remote, hybrid, or on-site options depending on preference and eligibility.
• Comprehensive health insurance coverage through top-tier providers.
• Work-life balance initiatives, including flexible leave policies and personal time off.
• Professional development support, including education and certification sponsorships.
• Inclusive and diverse workplace culture with employee resource groups and global community networks.
• Employee perks such as free domain registration and WordPress blog setup.
• Opportunities for career growth, internal mobility, and exposure to diverse technical challenges.