Principal Full-Stack Software Developer (Columbia - Remote)

Job Description This is a remote position. We are a venture-backed company in a high-growth phase, supported by a collaborative and pragmatic team. We invest in continuous learning, value ownership, and encourage engineers to work closely with both product and business stakeholders. Our team is distributed, with hubs in major global tech centers. Role Overview We’re looking for a Principal Engineer who wants both technical depth and product impact. This is not a “pure architect” role; you’ll be in the code, shaping systems, and setting the bar for engineering quality. You’ll own major initiatives end to end: define the problem, design the architecture, choose the technologies, drive the implementation, and shepherd systems safely into production. You’ll be trusted with high autonomy and expected to turn ambiguous business needs into clear, scalable solutions. Key Responsibilities Lead end-to-end delivery of product and platform initiatives, from early problem framing through deployment and ongoing support. Establish technical direction that balances immediate delivery with long-term scalability. Design and implement robust systems across both frontend and backend layers. Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners while maintaining strong individual ownership. Make informed trade-offs between speed, maintainability, and performance. Contribute high-quality code and set standards through thoughtful reviews. Navigate ambiguous problem spaces and turn incomplete requirements into concrete solutions. Introduce pragmatic engineering practices suited for a fast-moving environment. Continuously improve system performance, reliability, and security as usage grows. Take responsibility for production systems, including monitoring, incident handling, and post-incident analysis. Document architectural decisions and technical approaches to support future team growth. Provide guidance and mentorship to other engineers as the team expands. Evaluate tooling and infrastructure decisions, including build-versus-buy considerations. Requirements Extensive experience (10+ years) in software development with a strong breadth across frontend and backend systems. Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver complex initiatives independently in high-growth or startup environments. Deep expertise in JavaScript and TypeScript. Strong experience with modern frontend frameworks such as React or equivalent. Solid backend experience, particularly with Node.js and Go. Strong database knowledge across relational and non-relational systems, including performance optimization. Experience building APIs (REST and/or GraphQL) and designing service-oriented architectures. Familiarity with major cloud providers and distributed system patterns. Hands-on experience with CI/CD, infrastructure automation, and production operations. Experience working with containerization and orchestration tools. Exposure to event-driven architectures and messaging systems. Strong system design skills and an understanding of trade-offs in evolving products. Ability to operate effectively with limited guidance and shifting priorities. Clear communication skills, especially when bridging technical and business contexts. Experience leading migrations, refactors, or platform evolution is a strong asset. Success Indicators You deliver critical systems independently that perform reliably in production. Your architectural decisions enable both rapid development and future scalability. Engineering output improves due to clarity, ownership, and reduced friction. Production environments remain stable, and issues are resolved efficiently when they arise. You become a trusted technical authority within the team.