Discover Principal Engineer opportunities at companies seeking experienced technical leaders. Principal Engineers shape architecture, guide complex engineering work, and help teams deliver reliable, scalable products and systems. Browse vetted roles on Ladders, where listed jobs pay $100,000 or more.
A Principal Engineer is a senior individual contributor who influences technical direction across teams or an organization. Depending on the employer and discipline, the role may involve setting architecture standards, evaluating technologies, solving high-impact engineering problems, mentoring engineers, and partnering with product and business leaders. Principal Engineers often lead through expertise and influence rather than direct people management.
Employers commonly seek deep experience in a relevant engineering specialty, a record of delivering complex projects, and strong system-design and problem-solving skills. Communication, technical judgment, collaboration, and the ability to align stakeholders around a sound approach are also important. Requirements vary by industry and role; some positions emphasize software architecture, while others focus on infrastructure, hardware, data, security, or other engineering domains.
Compensation depends on factors such as location, industry, scope, and experience. Ladders focuses on vetted professional opportunities paying $100,000 or more, helping experienced candidates explore senior engineering roles. Review each listing for details about compensation, responsibilities, and qualifications.
Search Principal Engineer jobs to compare opportunities and identify roles that match your expertise and career goals. Explore openings across companies and engineering disciplines, and use each job description to assess technical scope, team influence, and the experience required.
Lead Engineer - Payments Platform
$206K - $260K *
Drive the future of financial technology by designing scalable payment solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance operational excellence and deliver impactful services that support...
2 weeks ago
Director of Engineering, Database Excellence
$230K - $345K *
Lead the charge in database excellence to enhance reliability, performance, and sustainability of GitLab's datastores. Shape long-range strategies while collaborating across teams to drive success in...
Reposted today
$125K - $150K *
Unlock potential by leading our platform engineering efforts, enhancing infrastructure, security, and CI/CD processes. Drive innovation and reliability as you build scalable solutions that empower pro...
2 weeks ago
Lead System Protection Engineer
$126K - $164K *
Empower your career by leading the design and implementation of protective relay systems. Collaborate with a dynamic team to enhance system protection across various energy sectors, ensuring complianc...
3 weeks ago
SailPoint Engineering lead, IAM
$140K - $180K *
Transform identity governance at scale by leading the SailPoint ISC platform. Drive strategy, architecture, and compliance across global operations while collaborating with cross-functional teams to e...
2 weeks ago
Lead Device Software Engineer, Embedded & Firmware
$155K - $209K *
Drive the future of device software as a hands-on technical lead, overseeing architecture and delivery for a team of firmware engineers. Own critical subsystems, ensuring safety and performance while...
2 weeks ago
Electrical/Solar Engineer- June 2027
$77K - $93K *
Join us to design and generate construction documents for commercial and industrial solar PV systems, ensuring technical accuracy and detailed specifications while collaborating with clients and stake...
Today
Principal Polymer Processing Engineer, Injection Molding
$138K - $176K *
Drive innovation in polymer processing by leading injection molding initiatives, optimizing manufacturing performance, and collaborating across teams to enhance product quality and efficiency in medic...
1 week ago
$91K - $118K *
Accelerate your career by driving technical solutions and proposals for engineered equipment. Collaborate with sales and engineering teams to ensure customer satisfaction and secure new business oppor...
4 days ago
Technical Program Manager-Flight Software
$151K - $251K *
Drive the planning and execution of Flight Software development programs, ensuring seamless coordination between engineering and program management for timely delivery of spacecraft software systems...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$160K - $230K *
Elevate your career by owning the infrastructure and security of a multi-environment platform. Collaborate with leadership to build and operate systems that support critical government operations and...
Today
Director of Geotechnical Engineering
$160K - $260K *
Lead a team that shapes geotechnical engineering standards and quality. Engage with infrastructure stakeholders to enhance trust in subsurface intelligence technology while driving technical excellenc...
Yesterday
Director of Geotechnical Engineering
$160K - $260K *
Join us to lead geotechnical engineering standards and quality, driving technical credibility and customer engagement in civil infrastructure projects. Collaborate across teams to translate engineerin...
Yesterday
Director of Geotechnical Engineering
$160K - $260K *
Champion geotechnical engineering excellence by leading standards and quality. Engage with infrastructure stakeholders to enhance trust in subsurface intelligence technology while driving collaboratio...
Yesterday
Director of Geotechnical Engineering
$160K - $260K *
Shape the future of geotechnical engineering by leading standards and quality initiatives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance product capabilities and drive customer engagement in comp...
Yesterday
Staff Engineer - Connectors Power BU
$120K - $145K *
Accelerate progress at the forefront of power connector innovation, leading product development initiatives while driving cross-functional collaboration and mentoring engineering talent to deliver hig...
2 weeks ago
Endpoint Engineer (Journeyman)
$88K - $105K *
Advance endpoint capabilities by developing, deploying, and supporting secure, standardized solutions for physical and virtual environments, ensuring operational readiness and compliance across divers...
1 week ago
$110K - $130K *
Drive your career with a pivotal role overseeing commissioning for utility-scale PV and BESS projects. Collaborate with diverse teams to ensure seamless execution, optimize processes, and manage techn...
2 weeks ago
$85K - $170K *
Engage in our DevSecOps practice to develop APIs and integrations, ensuring secure systems and effective communication between stakeholders and developers. Contribute to continuous improvement while m...
3 days ago
$95K - $115K *
Empower energy efficiency initiatives across multiple sites, driving resource reduction goals and enhancing environmental performance through strategic engagement and innovative solutions in energy ma...
Yesterday
Experienced Electrical Engineering Consultant
$100K - $152K *
Elevate your career by leading consulting engagements in utility-scale power generation, focusing on renewable energy and battery storage. Collaborate with clients and stakeholders to deliver innovati...
3 weeks ago
Senior Staff Software Engineer - Builder Platform
$150K - $180K *
Contribute to the technical leadership of a multi-faceted platform, guiding cross-functional teams in architecting and evolving core engineering tools, AI infrastructure, and workflows to enhance prod...
Today
$110K - $130K *
Engage your expertise to lead bridge and structural projects from planning to completion. Manage multidisciplinary teams, maintain client relationships, and drive practice growth across Massachusetts...
2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Engineer high-quality software solutions while mentoring teams and setting technical standards. Drive innovation in cloud-native products and enhance developer capabilities through hands-on leadership...
2 weeks ago
$173K - $313K *
Shape the future of customer-facing applications and APIs by leading engineering teams to enhance DNS and IP Acceleration services, ensuring performance, reliability, and usability at Internet scale...
3 weeks ago
What is a Principal Engineer?
A Principal Engineer is a senior technical individual contributor who helps set engineering direction, addresses complex problems, and influences architecture and practices across teams or an organization.
What does a Principal Engineer do?
Responsibilities vary, but may include designing systems, establishing technical standards, guiding high-impact projects, mentoring engineers, and collaborating with product and business stakeholders.
How is a Principal Engineer different from an Engineering Manager?
A Principal Engineer typically leads through technical expertise and influence, while an Engineering Manager generally focuses on people management, team operations, and delivery. Some organizations combine or vary these responsibilities.
What qualifications are commonly required for Principal Engineer jobs?
Employers often look for extensive experience in a relevant engineering discipline, a history of delivering complex projects, strong system-design skills, and effective communication and collaboration.
How much do Principal Engineers earn?
Pay varies by location, industry, specialization, and role scope. Ladders features vetted professional job listings paying $100,000 or more; check individual listings for compensation details.