Principal Software Engineer

About Gradle

Gradle is trusted by millions of developers worldwide as the build tool of choice. It is the most widely used build system for JVM languages and serves as the official build tool for Android applications.

Our vision is to create an open-source build system that supports teams of all sizes in building software of any type — with a focus on reliability, performance, and simplicity. We’re dedicated to providing a clear, extensible, and intuitive build language that helps developers work with confidence and efficiency.

We're excited to welcome a Principal Engineer to our team to contribute to the continued growth and evolution of the Gradle Build Tool.

What You’ll Do

• Contribute to and help shape key areas of the Gradle Build Tool
• Collaborate on technically complex projects related to scalability, performance, and resilience
• Partner with a globally distributed team to support and enhance developer productivity
• Offer support and mentorship to fellow engineers through knowledge sharing and collaborative work
• Engage with the open-source community to support and influence the direction of build tooling

About You — What We’re Looking For

Technical Experience

You bring deep experience in software development and enjoy contributing to systems that improve how other developers work.

• Experience leading or contributing to significant product features or systems
• Comfort working with distributed systems or projects that prioritize performance and efficiency
• Experience contributing to widely used products, frameworks, or platforms

Interest in Developer Tools

You care about improving the developer experience and may have contributed to build systems, created Gradle plugins, or worked on internal tooling and infrastructure.

• Familiarity with developer environments such as frameworks, languages, or IDEs
• A collaborative mindset for working with developer productivity and tooling teams
• Openness to learning and sharing knowledge with others

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software development
• Strong proficiency in Java and the JVM ecosystem
• Practical experience using or contributing to Gradle
• Solid understanding of modern software development practices
• Experience with projects requiring scalability, performance, or resilience
• Clear communication skills and the ability to collaborate across time zones
• Interest in developer experience and tools that empower engineering teams

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Help shape a widely used open-source project impacting millions of developers
• Work alongside a thoughtful, experienced, and supportive team
• Tackle meaningful technical challenges in a collaborative environment
• Enjoy a fully remote, flexible work setup that supports your well-being