Principal Software Engineer

About the role

• About the Company

DEPT® is a Growth Invention company that helps ambitious brands grow through the intersection of technology and marketing. With more than 4,000 specialists across Brand & Media, Experience, Commerce, CRM, and Technology & Data, DEPT® combines technology expertise with creative and strategic thinking to build products and experiences that drive growth.

DEPT® values being better together, relentlessly curious, and focused on getting things done. The company promotes collaboration, technical excellence, pragmatic decision-making, continuous learning, and purpose-driven work.

• About the Role

DEPT® is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to serve as a technical anchor for engineering teams and lead the architecture and delivery of complex software systems.

The role is primarily focused on backend engineering, including distributed services, data platforms, agent and LLM-backed systems, APIs, integrations, and cloud infrastructure. You will own technical workstreams end-to-end, from architecture and implementation through deployment, monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement.

This position also requires strong familiarity with modern frontend technologies so you can make informed architectural decisions involving API design, latency, rendering strategy, and frontend integration.

As a Principal Engineer, you will work directly with clients and collaborate with product managers, engineers, marketing, sales, finance, designers, and project managers. You will translate complex technical concepts into clear requirements and recommendations for both technical and executive audiences.

• Key Responsibilities

Lead the architectural design and implementation of complex backend and distributed systems from inception through deployment and ongoing optimization.

Own system deployment, monitoring, incident response, and post-incident learning.

Take full ownership of technical workstreams and proactively remove project roadblocks.

Define and document technical scope, requirements, estimates, timelines, dependencies, and risks.

Identify scope gaps, ambiguities, and documentation debt before they become project or budget issues.

Act as a technical consultant to clients by leading presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and technical discussions.

Translate technical concepts and engineering trade-offs for audiences ranging from developers to business executives.

Evaluate proposed solutions based on client value and recommend changes when appropriate.

Mentor P1 and P2 engineers through pair programming, code reviews, architecture guidance, and knowledge sharing.

Lead smaller engineering teams of approximately 2–5 individual contributors when required.

Collaborate with project managers, designers, product teams, and other disciplines to deliver successful projects.

Develop solutions involving microservices, serverless architectures, APIs, data platforms, and AI/LLM-powered systems.

Apply GenAI development tools responsibly to improve engineering productivity and software delivery.

Contribute to technical strategy and architectural decision-making across projects.

• Required Qualifications

7+ years of professional software development experience building software used in real-world environments.

3+ years of professional Python development experience with deep expertise across multiple technology stacks.

Expert-level knowledge of backend architecture, API design, and system design patterns.

Experience with microservices and serverless architectures.

Familiarity with AI agent development and working knowledge of LLM concepts, including trade-offs involving cost, relevance, and performance.

Proven experience using GenAI development tools such as Gemini CLI, Claude Code, or Codex in real development workflows.

Experience integrating APIs and external systems into end-user-facing applications.

Strong understanding of SQL and NoSQL database platforms.

Working knowledge of modern web frameworks, preferably Angular and TypeScript, sufficient to make frontend-aware architectural decisions.

Experience with at least one major cloud provider, with Google Cloud preferred; AWS and Azure are also applicable.

Hands-on experience with Docker, including containerization, local development environments, and troubleshooting.

Proficiency with Git or Mercurial, Agile methodologies, and CI/CD tooling.

Strong problem-solving and initiative with the ability to work independently and deliver results with minimal guidance.

Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills.

Ability to explain technical information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Strong leadership and stakeholder-influence skills.

Commitment to DEPT®'s B Corp values and purpose-driven work.

• Preferred Qualifications

Experience with an AI agent development framework, particularly Google's Agent Development Kit (ADK).

Strong Angular experience.

Experience working in a digital agency or high-growth technology environment.

Experience leading cross-functional teams.

People management experience.

Hands-on experience architecting microservices and distributed systems.

Experience with data platforms and AI/LLM-backed applications.

Experience working directly with enterprise clients on technology strategy and delivery.

• Benefits & Perks

DEPT® offers a collaborative, open-door, best-idea-wins environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Benefits include:

Healthcare coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) plan with company matching

Paid time off (PTO)

Paid company holidays

Parental leave

Remote work environment

Opportunities to work with cutting-edge technologies

Collaborative global engineering culture

Professional growth and continuous learning opportunities

Compensation: The anticipated U.S. remote salary range is $122,000–$165,000 USD for a 40-hour workweek. Compensation is based on factors including relevant experience, expertise, physical location, and organizational impact.

• Equal Opportunity Statement

DEPT® is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) committed to an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process and workplace. The company believes people perform at their best when they feel safe and free to be themselves and provides equal opportunities regardless of identity, background, beliefs, lifestyle, or disabilities.

DEPT® welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences and encourages applicants who may not meet every listed qualification to apply.

Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process and employment experience.

DEPT® participates in E-Verify, meaning Form I-9 information will be provided to the federal government to confirm authorization to work in the United States.

DEPT® is a B Corp-certified company committed to purpose-driven work and creating positive impact.