Principal/Lead Software Engineer

We look beyond what a resume can highlight. We encourage you to apply if you do not have the exact experience or skills outlined below but believe you would be a great asset to Abilitie. About the Role Abilitie seeks a motivated and seasoned Principal Software Engineer to serve as a key technical leader on our development team. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead a small, globally distributed team (primarily in Poland) and report directly to our VP of Engineering. You will guide the design, development, and maintenance of our multiplayer business simulations, internal tools, and automated operations, contributing to your leadership expertise and technical excellence. You will be critical in ensuring we deliver secure, high-quality software that meets our customers’ needs and contributes to Abilitie’s continued growth. Because our team is small but growing, you’ll have ample opportunity to flex your leadership skills, mentor others, and drive architectural decisions, all while collaborating with the VP of Engineering on strategy. We seek someone with above-average business intelligence and excellent communication skills to guide our expanding engineering group. This role has significant room for advancement as the company continues to grow. While experience with our specific toolsets is preferred, it is not required. What You’ll Do Lead & Mentor Serve as the technical lead for a small team of engineers, most of whom are based in Poland. Mentor and grow the team through coaching, code reviews, and hands-on guidance. Collaborate with the VP of Engineering on strategic direction for the team. Architect & Develop Oversee system architecture decisions to maintain scalability, reliability, and security. Contribute to full-stack development, leveraging both front-end and back-end technologies. Ensure implementation of best practices, coding standards, and robust testing. Collaborate & Communicate Work cross-functionally with product, QA, and other stakeholders to plan and deliver features. Coordinate daily work with remote team members, bridging time zones effectively. Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and concisely. Drive Continuous Improvement Identify and address performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and other technical risks. Advocate for and implement improvements to engineering practices and processes. Support and expand automated operations and internal tools to streamline workflows. Preferred Front-End Familiarity React TypeScript HTML/CSS Frontend frameworks (e.g., Material UI) Preferred Back-End Familiarity NodeJS LanchainJS for AI PostgreSQL API Design Amazon Web Services (EC2, Route 53, S3, RDS) Nice to Have Skills PostgreSQL Database Administration Circle CI/CD Testing (unit/integration/E2E) UX/UI Design AI Development + Tooling Who You Are You’re an experienced engineer. You likely have 7+ years of progressive experience, ideally with multiple tech stacks. You understand the tradeoffs of speed, cost, and maintainability. You excel at technical leadership. You have experience architecting systems and mentoring other engineers, and you’re ready to take on a principal-level role and lead a small team. You have an ownership mindset. You thrive in a high-trust, high-responsibility environment. You manage your time well, prioritize tasks, and work autonomously to achieve goals. You appreciate excellent front-end design. You’re not necessarily a world-class designer, but you care about UI/UX and understand the importance of a polished user experience. You’re a skilled full-stack engineer. You’re comfortable navigating back-end and front-end challenges, making well-informed decisions for holistic, maintainable solutions. You take security seriously. You understand the importance of security in web environments and make sound decisions to protect sensitive information. You are comfortable switching contexts. You thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment where priorities may shift quickly. Unique Perks Fully paid employee medical benefits , including HSA/FSA options, dental, vision, STD/LTD, Life Insurance, and a Matching 401K. Unlimited PTO, parental leave, and sabbatical program. Travel to Poland Learning Opportunities – Our simulations are paired with world-class professional development experiences, which will enrich your career development. Award-Winning Company Culture – Recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the Best Workplaces in America for multiple years. Competitive Pay – We hire great folks and compensate accordingly. High Impact – Each contribution has visibility and drives real business outcomes. Freedom & Responsibility – We empower our employees to do their best work in the ways that suit them best. Who We Are Abilitie is an award-winning leadership development organization. Inc. Magazine has recognized us as one of the 2019, 2020, and 2022 Best Workplaces in America and one of the Fastest Growing Companies in America, most recently in 2024 . We create world-class learning experiences that inspire, shape, and develop aspiring leaders. Our team-based business competitions, used by more than 40 Fortune 500 clients such as Marriott, Coca-Cola, GE, and Southwest Airlines, provide an active, learn-by-doing environment that builds critical leadership skills. Our employees are a diverse and inclusive team of passionate, hardworking individuals. Abilitie is committed to creating an environment where everyone can do the best work of their lives. We encourage all qualified individuals—including all genders, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientations, ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, and beliefs—to apply. If you’re ready to lead, innovate, and grow in a Principal Software Engineer role where your contributions will make a tangible impact, we invite you to join our A-Player family at Abilitie. Apply today!