Software Engineer Principal

at  Vertex Inc

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY:

The Principal Engineer is a key leadership role within the engineering team, responsible for overseeing and guiding complex technical projects, driving innovation, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality software products. This role involves a combination of hands-on technical work, strategic planning, and team mentorship. If you have drive to lead and mentor engineering teams, ability to set technical direction for greenfield SaaS products and excellent communication skills to work with cross-functional teams, including product management and other stakeholders, this position is for you!

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Technical Skills:

• Expertise in multiple languages (e.g., C#, Java, Python, etc.).
• Strong understanding of software design patterns, principles, and best practices.
• Deep knowledge of AWS or other cloud platforms (Azure, Google Cloud).
• Extensive experience in designing, developing, and maintaining SaaS applications.
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation).
• Knowledge of database systems (SQL, NoSQL) and data architecture.
• Understanding of security best practices and frameworks.

Leadership Skills:

• Proven ability to lead and mentor engineering teams.
• Ability to set technical direction and make high-stakes decisions.
• Ability to lead the team as a product owner and drive the delivery of the product vision with the engineering teams.
• Excellent communication skills to work with cross-functional teams, including product management and other stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills to address complex technical challenges.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DESIRED EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s OR Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related field; or equivalent combination of education/experience.
• Minimum Ten (10) years of experience in software development or engineering roles.
• Proven experience in leading complex, large-scale projects.
• Previous roles demonstrating technical leadership and architectural design skills.
  Other Qualifications

The Winning Way behaviors that all Vertex employees need in order to meet the expectations of each other, our customers, and our partners.

• Communicate with Clarity - Be clear, concise and actionable. Be relentlessly constructive. Seek and provide meaningful feedback.
• Act with Urgency - Adopt an agile mentality - frequent iterations, improved speed, resilience. 80/20 rule – better is the enemy of done. Don’t spend hours when minutes are enough.
• Work with Purpose - Exhibit a “We Can” mindset. Results outweigh effort. Everyone understands how their role contributes. Set aside personal objectives for team results.
• Drive to Decision - Cut the swirl with defined deadlines and decision points. Be clear on individual accountability and decision authority. Guided by a commitment to and accountability for customer outcomes.
• Own the Outcome - Defined milestones, commitments and intended results. Assess your work in context, if you’re unsure, ask. Demonstrate unwavering support for decisions.

• Technical Leadership: Guide the engineering team on best practices, architecture, and technology choices.
• Project Oversight: Ensure successful delivery of projects, from concept to production.
• Mentorship: Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with stakeholders to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Innovation and R&D: Drive innovation by staying updated with the latest technologies and trends.