Principal Software Engineer, Cloud Platform

Principal Software Engineer, Cloud Platform

Location: Kirkland, WA
Employment Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $165,000 - $247,000 + Equity + Comprehensive Benefits

About the Company

We're partnering with an innovative Pacific Northwest technology company building advanced sensing and perception platforms for mission-critical applications. Their hardware and cloud software enable customers to collect, process, and act on real-time data from distributed edge devices operating in demanding environments. Their technology supports industries including autonomous systems, aerospace, defense, transportation, critical infrastructure, and public safety.

The Opportunity

We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer, Cloud Platform to lead the architecture and development of cloud infrastructure that powers a growing fleet of intelligent edge-connected devices. This is a highly technical leadership role focused on designing scalable, secure, cloud-native systems that transform high-volume telemetry into actionable insights while enabling reliable device management in the field.

You'll partner closely with software, firmware, hardware, and product teams to build the cloud platform that serves as the backbone of a sophisticated edge ecosystem.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and development of cloud services supporting distributed edge-connected devices.
• Design and build highly scalable data ingestion pipelines capable of processing high-throughput telemetry.
• Develop resilient distributed systems that provide low-latency communication and reliable device management.
• Define secure authentication, authorization, and encryption strategies for device-to-cloud communication.
• Research, prototype, and implement new cloud technologies that improve platform scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Partner closely with edge software and embedded engineering teams to define APIs, communication protocols, and data contracts.
• Mentor engineers and establish engineering best practices around architecture, scalability, and software quality.
• Drive technical direction while balancing long-term platform strategy with rapid product execution.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing and building cloud-native platforms on AWS.
• Deep expertise with cloud technologies such as AWS IoT Core, Kinesis, Lambda, Timestream, or comparable event-driven services.
• Strong background designing distributed systems that process high-volume, real-time telemetry.
• Experience building secure cloud platforms with modern authentication, authorization, encryption, and identity management practices.
• Proven experience leading technical architecture and serving as a technical leader for complex backend systems.
• Experience partnering with hardware, embedded, or edge software teams to support connected devices.
• Track record delivering customer-facing products in fast-paced startup or highly technical environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting fleets of IoT or edge-connected devices at scale.
• Knowledge of networking constraints, intermittent connectivity, and edge-to-cloud communication patterns.
• Experience developing platforms that ingest and process streaming sensor or telemetry data.
• Startup or R&D experience building 0-to-1 products.
• Background in aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, industrial automation, defense, or other mission-critical technology environments.

What Success Looks Like

• Build cloud infrastructure that scales from early deployments to thousands of connected devices.
• Create secure, resilient backend systems capable of handling large volumes of real-time telemetry.
• Enable seamless communication between edge devices and cloud services.
• Elevate engineering quality through thoughtful architecture, technical mentorship, and pragmatic execution.
• Partner cross-functionally to deliver reliable software that powers real-world customer deployments.

Additional Information

Due to the nature of this work, applicants must be eligible to access export-controlled information under applicable U.S. regulations. Employment eligibility will be evaluated during the hiring process.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $165,000 - $247,000
• Equity (RSUs)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Flexible PTO
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Mental health and wellness benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Commuter benefits
• Pet insurance
• Legal assistance program
• Paid holidays