ServiceNow

Principal Software Engineer

ServiceNow • $221K — $387K *
Santa Clara, CA 95051In-Person
Information Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of software engineering experience with leadership responsibility.
  • Proven experience designing and delivering AI/ML products in production.
  • Strong backend engineering experience with distributed systems and cloud-native architectures.
  • Hands-on experience with advanced AI development technologies.
  • Experience leading cross-team technical initiatives without direct authority.
  • Familiarity with modern security architectures and operations is strongly preferred.
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant technical discipline or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

  • Define the technical vision for AI-native security solutions using cutting-edge technologies.
  • Apply emerging AI capabilities to tackle complex cybersecurity challenges in innovative ways.
  • Establish technical architecture and standards to enhance system performance and reliability.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and solve high-value problems in security.
  • Promote AI-native engineering practices across development and operations workflows.
  • Represent team innovations to executives, customers, and partners.
  • Mentor and guide senior engineers to elevate team expertise.

Benefits

  • Health plans including flexible spending accounts.
  • 401(k) Plan with company match.
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
  • Matching donations program.
  • Flexible time away plan and family leave programs.
Full Job Description
Job Description

About the Team:

The Security and Risk Engineering organization is a dynamic group of builders, thinkers, and problem-solvers dedicated to delivering scalable, world-class AI-powered security solutions to reduce risk and protect the company and our customers. We value AI first solutions, clean architecture, intuitive user experiences, and a culture of continuous improvement. Security is a key strategic growth area for ServiceNow, and every engineer here plays a key role in driving innovation and shaping the quality and reliability of our security and risk products.

What you get to do in this role
  • Define the technical vision and architecture for AI-native security solutions, leveraging frontier models, agentic AI, reasoning, retrieval, knowledge systems, and advanced ML techniques.
  • Explore and apply emerging AI capabilities to solve complex cybersecurity problems in fundamentally new ways-not simply augment existing products with AI.
  • Define technical architecture and engineering standards that improve scalability, reliability, performance, and maintainability.
  • Partner closely with Product, UX, security researchers, customers, and engineering leaders to identify high-value problems and translate them into differentiated product experiences.
  • Champion AI-native engineering practices, including extensive use of AI coding agents and autonomous development, testing, evaluation, and operational workflows.
  • Represent the team's technology and innovation with executives, customers, partners, and the broader engineering organization.
  • Mentor senior engineers and raise the overall engineering bar through coaching and technical leadership.


To be successful in this role, you have
  • Deep technical expertise in modern AI/ML, with demonstrated experience building production AI systems using LLMs, foundation models, agentic architectures, RAG, embeddings, knowledge retrieval, model evaluation, and related technologies.
  • Strong understanding of agentic architectures, including planning and reasoning, tool use, context and memory, multi-agent systems, evaluation, observability, guardrails, and human-in-the-loop patterns.
  • Strong technical foundation in software architecture, distributed systems, cloud-native platforms, data systems, and APIs, with the ability to go deep into architecture and code.
  • Experience designing and building highly performant and scalable distributed systems.
  • Experience with cybersecurity problems such as threat detection, vulnerability and exposure management, security operations, identity security, investigation, risk prioritization, or autonomous remediation strongly preferred.
  • Strong proficiency in Python and experience with modern AI frameworks and infrastructure; experience with Java, Go, or similar languages is valuable.
  • An innovator's mindset with the ability to challenge conventional approaches, identify opportunities created by rapidly evolving AI technology, and turn ambitious ideas into working products.
  • Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and balance rapid experimentation with the rigor required for enterprise-grade security products.
  • Strong product instincts and the ability to connect technology innovation to customer problems, differentiated experiences, and business outcomes.
  • Executive-level communication skills and the ability to articulate a compelling technical vision to engineers, customers, and senior leadership.


Qualifications
  • 15+ years of software engineering experience, including significant technical and engineering leadership responsibility.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and delivering AI/ML-powered products and platforms in production.
  • Strong backend engineering experience with distributed systems, APIs, microservices, and cloud-native architectures.
  • Demonstrated ability to design systems that scale to enterprise workloads.
  • Hands-on experience with modern AI development technologies, including frontier LLMs, agent frameworks, retrieval/vector technologies, model evaluation and observability.
  • Extensive experience using AI-native development tools and coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, or equivalent as part of the software development lifecycle.
  • Experience leading technical initiatives spanning multiple teams without direct authority.
  • Experience with cloud platforms in Kuberneties is a must and modern DevOps practices.
  • Experience in cybersecurity products or deep familiarity with modern security architectures and security operations is strongly preferred.
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $221,200 - $387,100, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.

Additional Information

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.

About ServiceNow

ServiceNow provides cloud-based solutions that define, structure, manage, and automate services for enterprise operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and other countries. The company offers service management solutions, including incident, problem, change, request, and cost management as well as service catalogs; and IT, HR, facilities, and field service management solutions. It also provides IT operations management solutions covering service mapping, delivery, and assurance solutions; business management solutions such as financial management, project portfolio suite, vendor performance management, and performance analytics as well as governance, risk, and compliance; and application development services.

ServiceNow Careers

Join the dynamic team at ServiceNow, a global leader in digital workflow solutions, where innovation and leadership converge to shape the future of work. At ServiceNow, we offer more than just job opportunities; we provide a platform for professional growth and a chance to be part of a culture that values diversity, creativity, and continuous learning.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career journey with ServiceNow and contribute to the world’s leading enterprises' digital transformation. Our team is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technologies that improve how people work. With ServiceNow, you will use your skills to impact businesses and industries profoundly, driving efficiency and innovation.

Join Our Market-Leading Team

ServiceNow is not just another technology company. We are a team that thrives on diversity and leadership, fostering an inclusive environment that promotes growth and development. Our commitment to diversity training ensures that every team member can achieve their potential.

Innovative Work

ServiceNow is home to more than 10,000 dedicated professionals who lead the charge in digital workflows and enterprise solutions. As part of our team, you will engage in projects that merge technology with practical applications, creating revolutionary products that advance how services are delivered and managed.

Career Development

At ServiceNow, your career trajectory is filled with boundless opportunities. We support your growth with robust training programs, leadership development courses, and access to global challenges. Whether you are looking for an internship, full-time position, or leadership role, ServiceNow equips you with the tools to excel.

Be Part of a Great Team

Working at ServiceNow means being part of a community that values teamwork and innovation. Our collaborative environment encourages networking and sharing ideas, making our workplace vibrant and dynamic. The benefits of joining ServiceNow extend beyond comprehensive health and wellness; they include fostering professional connections and friendships that last a lifetime.

Explore Job Opportunities and Internships

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, ServiceNow offers a range of employment options to suit your career goals. From internships that provide real-world experience to full-time positions that challenge you to leverage your expertise, we are committed to hiring the best talent.

Stay Connected

Join Our Team Search open positions that match your skills and interests. At ServiceNow, we look for passionate, curious, and solution-driven team players. Explore the possibilities that await you at a company that is committed to your professional success.

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ServiceNow Careers

Empowering professionals to achieve more, ServiceNow is where careers are future-proofed, and ambitions are realized. Join us in our journey of growth and innovation.
Learn more about ServiceNow
Size
16,881 employees
Market Cap
$76.5 billion
Industry
Information Technology
Net Income
$118.5 million
Founded
2004
5 Year Trend
+33.5%
Revenue
$4.5 billion
NASDAQ
NOW
* Ladders Estimates

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