Principal Engineer

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be a technical leader responsible for setting the technical direction for Linked Data, graph-based knowledge representation, and related modernization efforts across the organization. You will partner closely with Architects and Product to define long-term technical strategy, drive adoption of graph/Linked Data standards, and mentor senior engineers - while remaining hands-on enough to guide real system design and implementation decisions. This role is expected to stay hands-on with actual coding as needed - contributing directly to project completion, building proof-of-concepts, and demonstrating technical direction through working code, not just through design documents. You are expected to drive and influence change across the enterprise, not just within a single team. Responsibilities • Define and communicate the technical vision for Linked Data and graph-based systems across the organization. • Develop modernization strategies and system design roadmaps that move metadata infrastructure toward graph-based, standards-based representation. • Partner closely with Architects and Product to establish long-term technical direction - this partnership is critical to the role, not incidental to it. • Influence engineering teams and drive adoption of architectural standards, including graph data modeling and Linked Data best practices. • Write production code and build proof-of-concepts hands-on, particularly to unblock project delivery, validate new approaches, or demonstrate feasibility before broader team investment. • Mentor and guide technical teams and senior engineers; this role is weighted toward leadership and influence rather than direct people management. • Research and evaluate emerging technologies, with particular attention to AI-driven approaches to metadata, entity resolution, and knowledge graph construction. • Act as a strong, visible collaborator - someone other engineers, Architects, and Product partners want to work with, not just defer to. Required Technical Background • Bachelor's degree in computer science or related discipline, or equivalent work experience. • 12+ years of software development experience, with demonstrated experience operating at an Architect level or equivalent scope. • Strong expertise in Java technologies. • Hands-on experience with graph databases and graph data modeling/implementation. • Working knowledge of RDF, N-Triples, and SPARQL - able to design, query, and reason about graph-based data structures, not just discuss them conceptually. • Strong, practical experience leveraging AI technologies and AI-driven solutions in real engineering work (not just familiarity - genuine fluency). • Deep understanding of: - System design and architecture, particularly for graph-based and Linked Data Systems - Modernization initiatives and enterprise technical roadmaps - Organizational technical strategy • Proven ability to influence teams and drive technical decisions across multiple groups without direct management authority. • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills; comfort operating in ambiguous, not-yet-fully-defined technical territory (e.g., early-stage Linked Data strategy work). • Experience with distributed systems, microservices architecture, and cloud platforms. • Willingness and ability to be hands-on - writing code, building POCs, and directly contributing to delivery, not purely an advisory/architectural role. • Strong understanding of software architecture and design patterns. Working Conditions: Normal office environment.