About the Role:

We are seeking a Principal Engineer to serve as a senior technical authority on enterprise robotic process automation (RPA) and help lead the architectural direction and continued evolution of our automation platform and ecosystem.

This role combines deep automation engineering expertise, technical leadership, and platform strategy to drive the maturation and modernization of a highly visible automation program supporting critical business operations across the organization. As the platform evolves, this engineer will play a key role in evaluating and responsibly integrating AI-assisted engineering capabilities throughout the software delivery lifecycle.

As a Principal Engineer, you will serve as a trusted technical advisor for automation architecture decisions, establish engineering standards, guide platform direction, and partner with engineering and business stakeholders-including VP and executive-level leaders-to deliver scalable, maintainable automation solutions that improve operational efficiency and accelerate delivery.

This role offers a rare opportunity to help redefine the future architecture, operating model, and technology strategy of an enterprise automation platform as it evolves toward AI-augmented engineering and intelligent automation.

Why This Role Matters

This is a high-impact role within a mature, highly visible automation program that is expanding its capabilities and incorporating AI-driven engineering practices into its delivery model.

You will shape platform architecture, automation standards, and the direction of reusable engineering frameworks while serving as a key technical voice in executive-level conversations regarding platform modernization, technology strategy, and long-term automation investments. Engineers in this role have direct visibility into business outcomes and meaningful influence over how enterprise automation capabilities evolve across the organization.

What You'll Work On

• Serve as a senior technical authority on enterprise RPA platform architecture, design patterns, and engineering standards.
• Lead the architectural evolution of enterprise robotic process automation (RPA) platforms and automation services supporting critical business workflows across multiple operational domains.
• Design and implement scalable automation solutions utilizing RPA technologies, workflow orchestration, low-code platforms, APIs, and modern software engineering practices.
• Define automation architecture standards, reusable automation frameworks, and platform components that increase delivery speed, maintainability, and operational reliability.
• Modernize existing automation capabilities by transitioning appropriate UI-driven automations toward API-first and service-oriented integration patterns.
• Guide platform decisions related to automation orchestration, bot lifecycle management, scheduling, monitoring, exception handling, and operational support.
• Provide technical recommendations and architectural guidance that inform platform investment decisions and long-term automation strategy.
• Partner with business and technology stakeholders to identify high-value automation opportunities and guide long-term platform direction.
• Influence enterprise automation governance practices and architectural decision-making across automation initiatives.
• Lead the evaluation and responsible integration of AI-assisted engineering capabilities across discovery, design, development, testing, deployment, and operational support workflows.
• Mentor engineers and promote best practices in automation design, software engineering, and platform development.

Job Summary

This role is responsible for defining, governing, and advancing the enterprise robotic process automation (RPA) architecture used to automate critical business processes across the organization. The Principal Engineer is a recognized technical leader in automation platform design, engineering standards, and architectural direction.

The Principal Engineer provides technical leadership across automation platforms, orchestration frameworks, integration architectures, automation engineering standards, and operational support models. This role engages regularly with VP and executive-level stakeholders to communicate platform direction, provide technical recommendations, and influence technology decisions aligned to business objectives. As the platform evolves, this role will also guide the responsible adoption of AI-assisted engineering practices within automation delivery workflows.

Working within a highly collaborative engineering environment, this role partners with stakeholders across technology and business organizations to deliver scalable automation capabilities, improve platform efficiency, and establish reusable engineering frameworks that support long-term growth.

Success in this role is measured through automation platform reliability, scalability, engineering productivity, architectural quality, reusable framework adoption, successful modernization initiatives, and the ability to influence technology decisions that advance enterprise automation strategy.

Main Responsibilities

Enterprise RPA Architecture & Delivery

Lead the design, implementation, and evolution of enterprise robotic process automation (RPA) solutions, automation frameworks, and platform capabilities that improve operational efficiency and support business-critical processes.

Automation Technical Leadership

Provide technical leadership through automation architecture reviews, engineering governance, mentoring, solution design oversight, and engineering standards development across enterprise automation initiatives. Provide technical recommendations that help inform platform strategy, modernization priorities, and long-term technology investment decisions.

Automation Strategy & Platform Modernization

Define and execute strategies that advance enterprise automation capabilities through reusable frameworks, orchestration improvements, API-driven integrations, AI-assisted engineering capabilities, and the evolution toward intelligent automation practices.

Innovation & Emerging Technologies

Research, evaluate, and prototype emerging automation and AI technologies that improve automation scalability, developer productivity, platform performance, and operational effectiveness.

Documentation & Technical Standards

Develop and maintain architecture documentation, automation standards, implementation guidance, governance models, and executive-ready technical materials that support quality, compliance, and maintainability.

Additional Responsibilities

Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree Computer Science or Engineering or equivalent expereince plus 7 years of related work experience OR Advanced Degree with 5 years of related experience - acceptable areas of study include Computer Science or Engineering

Work Experience:

• 7-10+ years of technical engineering experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing, implementing, and supporting enterprise robotic process automation (RPA) platforms and automation ecosystems.
• Experience with technologies such as UiPath, Microsoft Power Platform, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, or comparable automation platforms.
• Experience designing automation orchestration frameworks, bot lifecycle management processes, scheduling architectures, and operational support models.
• Experience modernizing automation solutions through API-driven integrations and service-oriented architectures.
• Experience building reusable automation frameworks, shared services, and platform components that improve engineering throughput and maintainability.
• Experience evaluating or integrating AI-assisted development capabilities into automation engineering and SDLC workflows.
• Experience with cloud-native technologies, Kubernetes, Docker, and modern software delivery practices.
• Experience with GitLab-based CI/CD pipelines and automation deployment strategies.
• Experience designing secure automation solutions utilizing APIs, OAuth, certificates, secrets management, and enterprise security controls.
• Experience mentoring engineers and establishing automation engineering standards across multiple teams.
• Experience operating within regulated, compliance-focused, or enterprise-scale environments.
• Experience presenting technical recommendations and architectural guidance to senior technology leaders and executive stakeholders.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor, OpenAI, or similar technologies.

Technical Environment

Enterprise Automation & RPA

• UiPath
• Microsoft Power Platform
• Automation Anywhere
• Blue Prism
• Workflow Orchestration Platforms

Development Technologies

• C#
• .NET
• Visual Basic
• Python
• JavaScript
• TypeScript
• SQL
• PowerShell
• XAML

Cloud & Platform Technologies

• Azure
• Kubernetes
• Docker
• GitLab
• CI/CD Tooling

Integration & Security

• REST APIs
• Microsoft Graph APIs
• OAuth
• Certificates
• Secrets Management
• Enterprise Security Controls

AI-Augmented Engineering

• GitHub Copilot
• Claude
• Cursor
• OpenAI
• Similar AI-assisted development technologies

Equivalent technologies and transferable experience will also be considered.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Analytical Thinking: Ability to evaluate complex automation, platform, and architectural challenges, identify root causes, assess tradeoffs, and develop scalable solutions.

Analytics: Ability to leverage operational, engineering, and platform data to measure automation effectiveness and inform technical decision-making.

Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across engineering, product, infrastructure, security, and business teams to deliver enterprise automation solutions.

Communication: Ability to clearly communicate technical concepts, architectural decisions, risks, and recommendations to audiences ranging from engineers to executive leadership.

Customer Service: Ability to partner with internal customers and business stakeholders to deliver automation solutions that provide measurable business value.

Leadership: Ability to influence technical direction, establish automation engineering standards, mentor engineers, and lead complex initiatives through technical expertise and collaboration rather than direct authority.

Software Development: Demonstrated expertise designing, developing, and supporting enterprise software and automation solutions using modern engineering practices.

Technical Writing: Ability to create clear architecture documentation, executive-ready technical presentations, governance standards, and operational procedures that support scalable delivery and long-term maintainability.

Team & Culture

Our team operates in a highly collaborative environment built on trust, technical excellence, and shared ownership. Engineers are encouraged to challenge assumptions, contribute ideas, and help shape the future direction of the platform.

We value thoughtful engineering, strong design discussions, continuous learning, and practical innovation. Team members have meaningful influence on technical decisions and direct visibility into the impact their work has on the business.

This is an environment where experimentation, platform modernization, and responsible adoption of emerging technologies are actively encouraged.

Career Growth

At the Principal Engineer level, growth is measured through increasing technical influence, architectural leadership, and organizational impact.

This role offers opportunities to:

• Serve as a recognized technical leader in enterprise automation and platform strategy.
• Influence technology decisions across multiple organizations and business functions.
• Drive modernization and AI adoption initiatives.
• Establish engineering standards and automation governance practices.
• Mentor engineers and elevate engineering excellence across the organization.
• Expand influence across product, infrastructure, security, and business teams.
• Contribute to industry communities and stay current with emerging automation and AI trends.

Future career paths may include Distinguished Engineer, enterprise architecture leadership, broader platform ownership, or engineering management opportunities.

Additional Requirements

• At least 18 years of age
• Legally authorized to work in the United States

Travel:
Travel Required (Yes/No):Yes

DOT Regulated:
DOT Regulated Position (Yes/No):No
Safety Sensitive Position (Yes/No):No

Washington Pay Range: $157,300 - $212,900

• The pay range above is the general base pay range for a successful candidate in the state listed. The successful candidate's actual pay will be based on various facto