Principal Engineer Job Description

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Principal Engineer Job Description

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Engineering

Job summary 1

Principal Engineer provides technical leadership and direction to ensure engineering strategies and resulting designs meet customer, company, and regulatory requirements. Capable of overseeing high-impact, complex, urgent, or otherwise critical issues and driving the required cross-department collaboration and execution to ensure success. Leads the development of new and novel engineering methods, techniques, and strategies by business plans. Possesses industry recognition and mentors engineering staff within their discipline.

Duties & Responsibilities 1

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Requirements & Skills 1

Job summary 2

Principal Engineer's responsibilities of this engineering grade level inherently include and expand upon the responsibilities established for lower engineering grade levels. Responsible for compliance with applicable policies and procedures. Ensures quality and effectiveness of key results of major projects within function through sound design, early risk assessments, and implementation of fallback strategies. Has full awareness of the potential consequences (defects and failure modes) of design changes to established processes. Mitigates risk within functions through sound design, early risk assessments, and implementation of fallback strategies.

Duties & Responsibilities 2

Identifies, plans, and conducts medium- to large-size projects within engineering specialty requiring custom, risk-managed execution plans, investigations, and/or equipment. Manages multiple, often concurrent, projects and meets deadlines.
Maintains project controls and reporting for cost, scope, and schedule; develops execution strategy including procurement; balances multiple demands within an Understands the business needs of the company, and has a thorough knowledge of the customer and clinical needs when developing a project scope. Incorporates business foresight of emerging technological trends.
Works with marketing, product development, and manufacturing to establish scope, priorities, and schedules on multiple projects. - Independently performs economic analysis and feasibility studies related to complex and often multiple competing project alternatives. Responsible for achieving the project's financial targets in support of business objectives.
Analyzes business forces (customers, suppliers, competitors, technologies, government regulations) in major markets to identify trends and recommend responses. Independently executes, and/or directs others in the execution of the design of products/processes/equipment/systems/facilities by applying novel engineering theories, concepts, and techniques within the disciplines. experiments, often with multiple variables, gather data and perform a detailed analysis.
Designs and leads complex experiments, often with multiple variables, gathers data, and performs detailed analysis. Assesses relevance. Conceptualizes complete solutions. Creates or coordinates the design solutions for novel or complex problems; integrates regulatory and operational needs; assesses cost benefit. Explores multiple alternatives. Structures studies and integrate cross-disciplinary and cross-functional issues to arrive at the optimal cause of action.
- Applies technology in innovative ways. Combines technologies to anticipate or address customer needs; shares solutions across sites; employs proven solutions to increase the effectiveness of engineering methodology or manufacturing process. Mentors others by sharing technical expertise and providing feedback and guidance.
- Where appropriate provides tasks/project assignment opportunities for employee development and evaluates performance. Represents the organization as the prime technical contact on contracts and projects.
- Interacts with both senior management and external personnel on significant technical matters often requiring coordination between organizations. Submits articles for internal or external publication. Acts as a trusted advisor. Balances bottom-line objectives of a project with the long-term interest of the customer. Is identified as a Subject Matter Expert in the discipline. Participates in internal teams to develop and align procedures and standards. May influence validation strategy.

Requirements & Skills 2

A Bachelors Degree in Engineering, science, or closely related discipline is desired, or equivalent technical experience plus demonstrated competence, with a desired 8+ years of significant engineering and/or operational experience. A post-graduate education/degree is desired and may contribute towards the desired years of experience. Has demonstrated competency within a discipline.
Has a career history marked by a consistent series of technical contributions and accomplishments. A significant contribution to product or process development or improvement through the creative application of technical effort will equally be recognized.
Possesses a strong technical knowledge and application of concepts, practices, and procedures. Works on problems of complex scope where analysis of situations or data involves multiple competing factors. Exercises judgment and advises management as to the appropriate actions.
Interacts well with diverse groups within engineering and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators.
- Listens to and understands others' points of view and articulates tactfully and respectfully one's perspective orally, in writing, and in presentations.
- Works well with other engineers in a collaborative, fast-paced goal-driven environment.
- Possesses interpersonal skills to negotiate and reconcile differences.

Job summary 3

We are looking for an exceptional Principal Engineer who has experience building highly scalable services, can lead projects, and collaborates with many teams onsite and offshore. You will have a significant influence on our overall strategy by helping to define and drive system architecture and spearhead the best practices that enable high-availability services. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, know how to deliver, are deeply technical and highly innovative, and are looking for leadership opportunities, we want to talk to you. Our job descriptions evolve with our business needs and priorities. In addition to the description above, your role may include additional projects and team support as needed.

Duties & Responsibilities 3

Work with the development team to provide required assets and design alignment, creating complex strategies to improve the productivity of the associates and improve the quality of the specialized deliverables.
Work with business owners and multiple stakeholders across teams to create technical project plans and launch highly specialized strategic projects.
Forecast, backlog groom, sprint plan, roadmap plan, estimate, and manage delivery quality using complex delivery guidelines and tools.
Present complex user research results to stakeholders for understanding gaps and performance issues in the technical web application, business monitoring, metrics monitoring, PCI compliance audits, security compliance audits, and code quality audit participation.
- Monitor the status of identified risks, take corrective actions and update risk response plans. Track impediment resolution and escalation to closure while maintaining project backlogs and reporting using complex data tools.
- Work with the architecture review board to ensure project artifacts are built in compliance with organization-approved standards.
- Allocate and maintain resources, along with resourcing managers, to bring new resources into projects based on the requirements as well as identify developmental opportunities for team members.

Requirements & Skills 3

5+ years of professional hands-on software development experience with Java
Experience managing a software development team
2+ years of high-volume applications/systems experience
- 2+ years of professional experience with Spring / REST
- Experience with AWS or other cloud services
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, Master’s degree preferred

Job summary 4

Principal Engineer will be responsible for troubleshooting complex technical issues reported by our customer to determine if the underlying cause is an application or data integrity related and then to act on trying to remedy those issues where possible. Principal Engineers are also responsible for collaborating with upstream and downstream teams related to investigation updates, findings, and possible remediations related to customer issues. Principal Engineer assists with the ongoing refinement of workflow related to the handling of customer issues and how most efficiently and effectively to collaborate and integrate with other teams involved in the support process. This position will also be required to work with their clinical counterparts, software engineers, sales, and other BD teams to resolve customer issues to the customer's satisfaction and provide management reports on findings.

Duties & Responsibilities 4

Participate in the process to prioritize customer tickets as well as the troubleshooting process.
Strong ability to fix and document application issues as well as the ability to work with customers to discover possible solutions while the underlying issue is being resolved.
Prioritize efforts based on alignment with business goals, strategic direction, and timelines.
Collaborates across solution groups to ensure common processes and seamless integration.
Participate in collaborative efforts of multi-functional teams that may include members of various functions such as R&D, field operations, regulatory, quality clinical, sales, and user experience design to ensure proper integration solutions are implemented.
Understands and can apply customer, technical, and regulatory considerations with appropriate parties to identify the drivers leading to customer application and integration issues.
- Evaluates alternative solutions/decisions considering the potential impact on the internal/external customer; understands the resource implications of solutions and makes customer-focused recommendations that highlight quality.
- This role will be expected to perform hands-on troubleshooting and performance optimization.
- Has in-depth functional expertise and broad knowledge of database, application, and integration products and methodologies.

Requirements & Skills 4

Job summary 5

We are looking for a Senior Engineer who, along with their teammates, can build/prototype new ideas quickly, measure their effectiveness, and assess viability in the fast-growing Partner engagement practice. Your team, and you, will have the autonomy to define your roadmap, move at your own pace, and deliver innovative solutions.

Duties & Responsibilities 5

Requirements & Skills 5

Job summary 6

We seek a Principal Engineer with experience in hydro-mechanical systems to support military landing gear production. This role will be focused on testing and validating supplier engineering for landing gear products.

Duties & Responsibilities 6

Development and qualification of aircraft hydraulic brake and landing gear control system components including valves, sensors, manifolds, and cockpit controls.
Manage project life cycle from the proposal phase to entry into the service phase.
Develop and coach others.
Lead small technical development teams.
- Develop component specifications, test plans, and interface documents, working with systems engineers, customers, and suppliers.
- Provide technical expertise to internal functions including program management, supply chain, & supplier quality assurance.
- Lead or actively participate in design reviews, communicate progress and plans, and develop project schedules & cost estimates.

Requirements & Skills 6

Job summary 7

As a Principal Engineer, you will resolve complex technical issues in a fast-paced, customer-critical environment, working on improving processes, standards, and strategies to perfect our Support Services.

Duties & Responsibilities 7

Effectively resolve complex technical problems with diagnostic tools, analytical tests, and other techniques
Use judgment, creativity, and sound technical knowledge to obtain and recommend solutions to internal and external customers via a variety of mediums, onsite as needed
- Identify, document, and report design, reliability, and maintenance issues
- Validate technical information and release early warnings to highlight potential obstacles
- Guide junior support engineers on complex cases and elevated engagements

Requirements & Skills 7

8 to 12 years of related experience in a professional role
Dedication to quality customer service and active listening skills
Refined communication skills, especially when translating highly complex technical issues to a non-technical audience
- Outstanding analytical skills to resolve customer issues efficiently and promptly
- Bachelor’s degree or higher
- Dell Technology Proven Professional Certification

Job summary 8

This Principal Engineer role will create and support high-profile, delightfully designed Consumer Products, Commerce, Subscriptions, and service/utility offerings, along with supporting our suite of brands and sites.

Duties & Responsibilities 8

Leading software development projects.
Evaluating, identifying, and developing software solutions around the following areas: Data, API Development, and Content Management
Develop Proof of Concept applications
Documenting and presenting learnings and solutions to other developers and stakeholders
Training and overseeing the activities of the members of the development team
- Planning, tracking, and scheduling software deliverables
- Collaborate with people across the Premium Experience organization
- Continuously seek to improve the performance, maintainability, extensibility, scalability, reliability, and security of Vox Media software, rebalancing priorities as needed based on the business and product outcomes required.

Requirements & Skills 8

8+ years of experience working with other developers on a live product
A passion for building contemporary web applications, along with an extensive understanding of best practices in development with reactive frameworks, such as React, Vue, Angular, or Next
Hands on experience with GraphQL
A comprehensive understanding of back-end development (Node and Express.js at the very minimum, but bonus points for additional expertise), and even a database or two
Knowledge of how to choose the right technology for the job, and the ability to spot when a framework will save you time, when it will get in the way, and when it isn't worth the trouble
- An eagerness to mentor junior engineers, advocate for best practices and foster inclusive technical discussions
- Experience with distributed systems, using standard AWS infrastructure services, such as ECS, Lambda, SNS, and Cloudwatch, or their equivalent in other cloud service providers
- Working knowledge of modern identity protocols and standards like OpenID Connect, and OAuth2 is a plus

Job summary 9

As a Principal Engineer you will help solve unique engineering challenges our internal teams face while also crafting solutions to enable our customers to use our platform effectively. You'll have a direct impact on making our processes more efficient and will work directly with our engineering leadership to define the requirements necessary for a variety of projects. We pride ourselves on using the best technology for the job, maintaining high code quality while iterating with extreme speed, and sharing learnings along the way (both internally and externally).

Duties & Responsibilities 9

Requirements & Skills 9

Experience: Have at least 5 years of functional programming experience as an engineer (Must have experience with functional languages like Elixir or Erlang)
CS Foundations: Strong knowledge of computer science principles
Flexibility: Experience in handling multiple deadlines for various projects from internal tooling to feature development in a fast-moving team environment
Diving Deep: A generalist background and the ability to “go deep” anywhere in the stack
Pride In Your work: Pride for the work you do and care deeply about the products which consume your services
Effective Solution Building: Desire to shape our engineering culture by coming up with ideas, tools, and infrastructure wherever you see a problem to be solved
- A Team Player Mentality: Working in highly performant and collaborative teams
- Design Appreciation: Strong appreciation for good design
- Mentor and Mentee: Smarts, humility, communication skills, and equal willingness to teach and learn

Job summary 10

We are looking for a Principal Engineer eager to help build the next generation of robots and IoT devices. You will work with a team of creative and talented individuals, where we have the freedom to question the ingrained norms and propose new solutions.

Duties & Responsibilities 10

You will work closely with members of your immediate team, product owners, architects, internal industry experts, and other software engineering teams to develop high-quality solutions. You will be detail-oriented, self-directed, and self-motivated, with a strong capacity for working successfully and collaboratively with members across the organization.
Participate in requirements discovery, solution ideation, and design.
Design and build the next generation of robot control.
Gain a core understanding of the robotics industry.
Practice agile development methods and exemplify the core values of transparency, collaboration, acceptance of change, and iterative development.
Learn from, collaborate with, and mentor team members to boost overall team performance.
- Facilitate technical conflict resolution with active listening and critical thinking.
- Produce appropriate unit tests and documentation.
- Advocate for reducing friction to/in the development lifecycle.

Requirements & Skills 10

Frequently asked questions

What is the job description of a principal engineer?

The job description of a principal engineer can vary depending on the industry and company they work for. Generally, a principal engineer is a senior-level position responsible for providing technical leadership, driving innovation, and overseeing the design and development of complex systems or products. They are often required to collaborate with other departments and teams to ensure that the technical solutions they develop meet the company's objectives and requirements.

Some common responsibilities of a principal engineer may include:

Leading the design and development of new products or features, and overseeing the implementation of new technology and processes.

Mentoring and coaching junior engineers, providing guidance and direction to help them grow and develop their skills.

Conducting research and analysis to identify trends and opportunities in their industry, and staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in technology.

Collaborating with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, and other engineers, to ensure that technical solutions are aligned with business goals.

Developing and implementing engineering standards and best practices, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.

Providing technical guidance and support to other teams, such as sales, marketing, and customer support.

Evaluating and selecting vendors and contractors for outsourced engineering work.

In summary, a principal engineer is a highly experienced technical leader who plays a critical role in driving innovation, developing complex systems or products, and mentoring and guiding junior engineers.

What are the 5 most important skills and qualities of a principal engineer?

The 5 most important skills and qualities of a principal engineer may vary depending on the industry and company they work for. However, some common skills and qualities that are essential for success in this role are:

Technical expertise: A principal engineer must have a deep understanding of their industry and be highly skilled in the technical aspects of their job. They should be proficient in the relevant programming languages, software tools, and technologies needed to design and develop complex systems or products.

Leadership: A principal engineer should have strong leadership skills, including the ability to provide direction, guidance, and motivation to their team members. They should also be able to inspire and mentor junior engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals.

Communication skills: A principal engineer should have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. They should be able to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and be able to work effectively with team members from different backgrounds and disciplines.

Problem-solving skills: A principal engineer should have strong problem-solving skills and be able to analyze complex technical problems, identify potential solutions, and implement effective strategies to overcome obstacles and challenges.

Strategic thinking: A principal engineer should have the ability to think strategically and understand the broader business objectives and goals of their organization. They should be able to align their technology solutions with the company's strategic vision and be able to make decisions that drive innovation and growth.

Olivia Powell
Recruiting expert

Last updated Sep 25

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Principal Engineer Job Description

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Frequently asked questions

What is the job description of a principal engineer?

What are the 5 most important skills and qualities of a principal engineer?

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