Performant Financial

Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Performant Financial$130K — $160K *
US-AnywhereRemote in Utah, US
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience.
  • 8+ years of professional experience focused on backend systems.
  • Proven track record of delivering reliable, maintainable software in production.
  • Experience in building and operating web-based services and APIs.
  • Familiarity with cloud platforms and modern infrastructure environments.
  • Experience with Infrastructure as Code concepts.
  • Strong communication skills with a collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain backend services.
  • Work across the stack for complete end-to-end solutions.
  • Own services in production, focusing on deployment and performance.
  • Collaborate with product teams to translate requirements into technical solutions.
  • Drive architectural decisions for scalability and reliability.
  • Improve workflows with a focus on CI/CD and infrastructure automation.
  • Mentor engineers through design and code reviews.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with flexibility in work locations.
  • Opportunities for mentorship and technical leadership.
  • Inclusivity in the application process for diverse candidates.
  • Access to AI-assisted development tools for enhanced productivity.
Full Job Description
Position Overview
We are seeking a Sr. Principal Software Engineer to design, build, and operate core backend systems while remaining comfortable working across the entire stack when needed. This role is for an engineer with deep backend expertise who enjoys understanding how systems fit together, from APIs and data stores to deployment, infrastructure, and user-facing components. You will influence technical direction, improve engineering practices, and help ensure our software is scalable, reliable, and easy to operate in the cloud.

Responsibilities
  • Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain high-quality backend services and supporting systems.
  • Work across the stack as needed to deliver complete, end-to-end solutions.
  • Own services in production, including deployment, monitoring, performance, and operational health.
  • Collaborate with product managers and designers to translate functional requirements into technical solutions.
  • Drive architectural decisions with a focus on scalability, reliability, security, and maintainability.
  • Improve development and delivery workflows, including CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation.
  • Partner with engineers to identify and resolve production issues and system bottlenecks.
  • Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership through design reviews, code reviews, and architectural guidance.
  • Help establish best practices for operational readiness, observability, and system ownership.

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, primarily focused on backend systems.
  • Proven ability to deliver reliable, maintainable software in production environments.
  • Experience building and operating web-based services and APIs.
  • Experience working with cloud platforms and modern infrastructure environments.
  • Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code concepts and tooling.
  • Experience contributing to or improving CI/CD pipelines and automated delivery processes.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Collaborative mindset, positive attitude, and desire to continuously learn and improve.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications
  • Experience with TypeScript, Node.js, PostgreSQL, or similar backend technologies.
  • Familiarity with frontend frameworks such as Angular.
  • Experience with containerization, service-oriented architectures, or distributed systems.
  • Exposure to observability tooling (logging, metrics, tracing).
  • Experience using AI-assisted tools to enhance development productivity or operational workflows.

Technologies We Use

TypeScript, Node.js, Angular, SASS
PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch
AWS, Terraform
CI/CD tooling
AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude)

Please note at this time we are unable to proceed with candidates who require visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Location and Workplace Flexibility

We have offices in Atlanta GA, Boston MA, Morristown NJ, Plano TX, St. Louis MO, St. Petersburg FL, and Hyderabad, India. We foster a hybrid and remote friendly culture, and all our employee's work locations are based on the needs of the position and determined by the Leadership team. In-office work and activities, if applicable, vary based on the work and team objectives in accordance with Company policies.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities, duties, and skills from time to time.

About Performant Financial

Performant Financial Corporation is a business services company that provides technology-enabled recovery and related analytics services in the United States. The company primarily offers recovery services to the government and private clients in various markets, such as healthcare, student loans, and general collections. Performant Financial Corporation was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Livermore, California.
Learn more about Performant Financial
Size
1,269 employees
Market Cap
$237.8 million
Industry
Net Income
-$21.5 million
Founded
1976
5 Year Trend
-2.5%
Revenue
$159.7 million
NASDAQ

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