Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer (Backend)

We’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to serve as a technical backbone of our backend engineering team. This role is ideal for a high-level engineer who can think strategically about scaling systems and teams while staying deeply embedded in implementation work. This role combines deep technical expertise with product-oriented thinking, making it ideal for engineers who want to shape both technology and product direction.

At SimplyAgree, engineering isn’t a silo. Our teams are lean by design, and we expect senior engineers to act like owners, taking a deep interest in both the mechanics of our business and the experience of our customers. You’ll collaborate closely with Product and Design to frame problems, shape solutions, and identify the highest-value, lowest-effort, iterative paths forward. This is not a “heads-down, just-give-me-the-requirements” role. We value engineers who think broadly about customer outcomes, product direction, and technical excellence.

You’ll also need to be comfortable working in ambiguity, helping transform complex, open-ended challenges into clear strategies and breaking them down into workable assignments for teammates. This is a player-coach role focused on shaping the future of our product and platform while driving the technical excellence to match our ambitions. We also value engineers who embrace emerging practices and tools, including AI-driven development approaches, to help the team move faster and build smarter.

Details

• Location: We are a remote-first company, and you can work from anywhere.
• Competitive salary. $205,000-$225,000, plus eligibility for equity in a fast-growing company.
• Generous benefits. Private healthcare insurance options for you and your family, including vision and dental care, a 401(k) savings plan, flexible spending accounts, a home office allowance, unlimited PTO (minimum 4 weeks encouraged) and more.
• Time to restore. A generous time-off policy, including unlimited PTO, with a suggested minimum of four weeks of vacation to recharge.
• Type of role: Permanent, full-time

Responsibilities

• Lead backend architecture and system design, balancing near-term delivery with long-term scalability and maintainability.
• Partner with product and engineering leadership to define and execute on roadmap goals.
• Collaborate deeply with Product and Design to understand customer problems and shape pragmatic, high-value solutions.
• Navigate ambiguity by framing complex challenges, defining paths forward, and breaking projects into clear, executable tasks for teammates.
• Anticipate scaling needs, both product throughput and engineering team growth, and design systems to meet them.
• Provide architectural guidance, elevate code quality, and identify risks early, particularly around backend performance and integration complexity.
• Act as a thought partner to the VP of Engineering, VP of Product, and Chief Product Officer in planning, sprint scoping, and backlog grooming.
• Serve as a mentor and technical role model, demonstrating strong judgment, documentation, and communication.
• Contribute directly to backend development while helping others move faster and more effectively.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve performance, reliability, and engineering processes.

The right candidate will have:

• 7+ years of experience building and scaling production-grade backend systems.
• Strong fluency in backend languages and frameworks (Python/Django strongly preferred), with experience driving design and implementation decisions at a system level.
• A proven track record of technical leadership, owning architectural decisions, raising engineering standards, and guiding teams through complex builds.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with product managers, designers, and engineers to deliver value quickly and sustainably.
• Excellent communication skills, able to drive clarity, alignment, and pragmatic decision-making.
• Comfort working in uncertain or ambiguous contexts, with the ability to bring structure and clarity for teammates.
• Experience in a startup or fast-moving product environment.

Nice to haves:

• Familiarity with cloud-native architectures (AWS, Kubernetes, Redis, Celery, Docker).
• Experience integrating with third-party platforms (DocuSign, SendGrid).
• Prior exposure to compliance-conscious environments (SOC2, ISO 27001).
• Experience leveraging AI tools and practices (e.g., code generation, automated testing, or architectural guidance) to improve developer productivity and system scalability.
• Experience integrating AI tools and practices into product features and capabilities.

About SimplyAgree

SimplyAgree is a signature and closing management platform for attorneys managing complex private and public transactions. SimplyAgree is used by AmLaw 100, AmLaw 200 and boutique transactional law firms to settle and close transactions worth billions of dollars. We’re looking to add to our small but growing team, in an industry ripe for disruption.

Our company values

At SimplyAgree, we’re committed to delivering the best products and services to our customers, while creating a positive and enjoyable workplace for our team. By design, our company values are actionable, and it should be possible to call out when we are or are not living out our values.

• Pick up a mop. There are no bystanders here. We proactively look for ways to help our customers and each other.
• Steward your role. We are each responsible for the quality of our work. Act like an owner. Make it better.
• Acknowledge ignorance. Ignorance is not a flaw, and we don’t hide from it. Certainty is an unrealistic expectation. We recognize when we don’t know something. By admitting what we know and don’t know, we can push forward in the face of ambiguity and frequent change.
• Ask good questions. Questions help us frame problems before suggesting solutions. We challenge our ideas and assumptions. We ask “why” until we get to the root of an issue.
• Check for understanding. We communicate clearly and empathetically. Mutual understanding requires that a message is received. With the recipient in mind, we remove barriers to understanding.
• Bring it up. We believe in radical candor. We are honest and respectful when confronting problems and misunderstanding. We expect our team members to voice concerns when something doesn't feel right and help each other to avoid pitfalls and impediments.