Principal Software Engineer
Employer · Instructure, Inc.
Software developerSystems analyst
IT managerFlexibleFull-timeBudapest
We're hiring a Principal Software Engineer to set architectural direction across the Assessments group. Assessment spans Canvas by Instructure and Mastery, several services, and a set of third-party integrations. You'll own how the pieces fit together, and you'll be accountable for the decisions rather than just the recommendations.
Tasks
- Set architectural direction across Assessments domains, and keep it aligned with the wider engineering strategy.
- Own decisions end to end. Bring a recommendation, get alignment, and drive it to a resolution with a date attached.
- Write and maintain the tech specs, design records, and decision docs that other teams build against.
- Define the boundaries between our services and adjacent domains, including core platform, data, quality engineering, and security.
- Along with your director lead build-versus-buy evaluations with third-party vendors, and document what both sides commit to.
- Coach and sponsor senior and staff engineers so they can take on architectural work themselves.
- Set the standard for using AI in engineering work, and share what works so others can copy it.
- Shape reliability and testing strategy across the group, and cut the sources of repeated on-call load.
Conditions & benefits
Competitive compensationCompetitive compensation, plus all full-time employees participate in our ownership program.Flexible work cultureOur remote, hybrid and in-office collaboration spaces vary by role, team and location.Generous time offGenerous time off, including local holidays and our annual "Dim the Lights" period in late December.Wellness programsComprehensive wellness programs and mental health support.Learning and developmentLearning and development resources, including professional development tools and tuition reimbursement.
Requirements
- 10 or more years building and operating production software, several of them at staff level or above.
- A track record of architecture decisions you drove to completion across more than one team.
- Clear technical writing that makes a complex trade-off legible to engineers, product, and executives.
- Evidence you've grown other senior engineers, through mentoring, sponsorship, or both.
- Proficiency with building and maintaining software on cloud native platforms (preferably AWS).
- Comfort with ambiguity, including defining the problem before solving it.
- Judgment about scope, so you delegate work that belongs at another level instead of absorbing it.