Principal Software Engineer
Eliassen GroupAbout the role
Description
On-site in Los Angeles, CA
Our client seeks a Principal Software Engineer to lead backend services and APIs for a payment processing platform supporting prominent technology partners. The role will drive technical leadership across release engineering, DevOps pipelines, observability, reliability, and secure SDLC in an AI-enabled environment.
This is a contract to hire opportunity. Applicants must be willing and able to work on a w2 basis and convert to FTE following contract duration. For our w2 consultants, we offer a great benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, 401k with company matching, and life insurance.
Rate: $70.00 to $76.00/hr. w2
JN -072026-107846
Responsibilities
Lead development of backend services and RESTful APIs for payment processing at scale.
Drive release engineering, Azure-based DevOps pipelines, and secure SDLC practices.
Design and optimize distributed, event-driven architectures using queues and messaging.
Implement observability with Datadog or equivalent, including alerting and incident response.
Own test automation frameworks and integrate suites into CI/CD.
Advance CI/CD workflows, platform reliability, and SLA adherence.
Collaborate with QA, Security, and Infrastructure for seamless deployments.
Mentor engineers and promote engineering best practices.
Translate stakeholder requirements into scalable technical solutions.
Operate in an AI-driven SDLC and implement intelligent testing capabilities.
Experience Requirements
8+ years of software engineering experience with 2+ years as a hands-on technical lead.
Expertise in C#, .NET, SQL Server, and Azure services such as AKS, Service Bus, App Services, and Azure DevOps.
Strong knowledge of RESTful API design, OAuth2, and microservices.
Hands-on with queuing, multithreading, and distributed computing using Kafka, Service Bus, or MQ.
Proven ownership of test automation frameworks beyond unit testing, integrated with CI/CD.
Observability experience with Datadog or similar tools.
Experience in payments or financial services with high transaction volume.
Familiarity with GitHub Actions and container orchestration.
Secure coding and compliance in regulated environments such as PCI DSS or SOC 2.
Experience with Agile methodologies and tools such as JIRA.
Preferred: fintech environment experience, peer-to-peer payments exposure, stability and release management, open-source or publications, and leadership of scalable platform practices.
Education Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent work experience.
Responsibilities
- Lead development of backend services and RESTful APIs for payment processing at scale.
- Drive release engineering, Azure-based DevOps pipelines, and secure SDLC practices.
- Design and optimize distributed, event-driven architectures using queues and messaging.
- Implement observability with Datadog or equivalent, including alerting and incident response.
- Own test automation frameworks and integrate suites into CI/CD.
- Advance CI/CD workflows, platform reliability, and SLA adherence.
- Collaborate with QA, Security, and Infrastructure for seamless deployments.
- Mentor engineers and promote engineering best practices.
Qualifications
- 8+ years of software engineering experience with 2+ years as a hands-on technical lead.
- Expertise in C#, .NET, SQL Server, and Azure services such as AKS, Service Bus, App Services, and Azure DevOps.
- Strong knowledge of RESTful API design, OAuth2, and microservices.
- Hands-on with queuing, multithreading, and distributed computing using Kafka, Service Bus, or MQ.
- Proven ownership of test automation frameworks beyond unit testing, integrated with CI/CD.
- Observability experience with Datadog or similar tools.
- Experience in payments or financial services with high transaction volume.
- Familiarity with GitHub Actions and container orchestration.
Benefits
- Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits
- 401k with company matching
- Life insurance
Skills mentioned
About Eliassen Group
Eliassen Group is a strategic consulting firm that helps organizations achieve more through technology, business advisory, and life sciences solutions. For nearly 40 years, we have combined exceptional people, deep domain expertise, and intelligent capabilities — including AI — to expand our clients' capacity and accelerate meaningful outcomes. We are driven by a purpose to positively impact our employees, clients, consultants, and the communities we serve. Eliassen is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and all employment decisions are based on merit, performance, and business needs. Eliassen does not discriminate based on race, color, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, sex (including pregnancy and childbirth), disability, veteran status, age, national origin, citizenship status, or any other status protected by law. If you are contacted about an open position with Eliassen Group, please confirm you are working directly with us. All email communication will come from an @eliassen.com address (never Gmail, Yahoo, etc.), and Eliassen Group will never request personal information until you have worked directly with someone clearly affiliated with Eliassen Group. If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact fraud[at]eliassen.com Eliassen Group values transparency in our recruitment practices and uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools during application screening and hiring. You may receive email or SMS notifications from the Eliassen Virtual Recruiting Team (noreply@eliassen.com, 781 808 2924). All AI‑assisted evaluations are reviewed by human recruiters, and measures are taken to support fairness, consistency, and prevent bias or discrimination. By proceeding, you consent to the use of these tools. Skills, experience, and other compensable factors are considered when determining pay. Posted pay ranges reflect a W2 hourly rate; other employment options may be available.