Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer
Pella, IA; Urbandale, IA; or Remote
Overview: We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to serve as a technical anchor across our full software engineering organization. This role spans the full stack — from our enterprise GraphQL API layer and backend services to modern frontend experiences built in React and Next.js. You will partner with product, architecture, and business stakeholders to translate complex requirements into elegant, scalable solutions, while shaping engineering strategy, elevating the teams around you, and driving the standards that define how we build software across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the design, development, and evolution of full stack solutions spanning frontend, backend, and enterprise integration layers.
- Own and advance our enterprise GraphQL API platform, ensuring it meets performance, scalability, and security standards as the connective tissue between all enterprise systems.
- Architect and build modern frontend applications using React and Next.js, establishing patterns and standards for UI development across teams.
- Partner with product owners, business stakeholders, and technical teams to understand complex requirements and deliver clear, maintainable solutions.
- Define and enforce engineering standards across API design, frontend architecture, code quality, testing, and CI/CD practices.
- Lead and influence architectural discussions across the organization, driving decisions on integration patterns, frontend architecture, and enterprise connectivity.
- Guide and mentor senior, mid-level, and junior developers — fostering a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Work across diverse data layers including MS SQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle DB, ensuring efficient data access, transformation, and exposure through APIs.
- Drive improvements to CI/CD pipelines, containerization strategies, and deployment processes across the stack.
- Identify and champion opportunities to introduce AI, automation, and emerging technologies to reduce toil and accelerate engineering velocity.

Required Skills & Qualifications:
- 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a principal, staff, or equivalent senior technical leadership role.
- Expert proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript across both frontend and backend environments.
- Deep experience with React and Next.js, including server-side rendering, app routing, state management, and component architecture.
- Strong expertise in Node.js and backend service development.
- Deep experience with GraphQL and REST API design, implementation, and governance.
- Solid understanding of API architecture, authentication, and authorization mechanisms (OAuth, JWT, etc.).
- Hands-on experience with relational databases (MS SQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle DB).
- Proficiency with Docker for containerization and deployment.
- Familiarity with event-driven architecture (SNS/SQS, Kafka).
- Knowledge of API gateway technologies and microservices architecture.
- Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders and executive audiences.
- Demonstrated track record of delivering scalable, high-quality solutions in enterprise environments.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with enterprise systems integration (CPQ, ERP, PLM, CRM).
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
- Experience with testing frameworks across the stack (Jest, Playwright, Cypress, etc.).
- Familiarity with design systems, accessibility standards, and UI performance optimization.
- Strong leadership and mentoring skills with the ability to influence technical direction at an organizational level.
- Experience evaluating and integrating AI/ML capabilities or automation tooling into engineering workflows.