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.
Aircraft Certification Engineer - Systems
$120K - $145K *
Transform aircraft certification processes by leveraging your expertise in FAA and military standards. Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure compliance and safety for military commercial derivative...
3 days ago
Senior Director, Engineering - Proactive Offense
$315K - $370K *
Join a team that's redefining offensive security by leading engineering efforts to transform research into scalable, customer-facing products. Drive strategy, execution, and innovation across multiple...
1 week ago
$123K - $185K *
Lead the charge in optimizing process control and equipment projects across multiple manufacturing plants, driving improvements and ensuring effective implementation in the Feed Manufacturing Operatio...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer, Technical Lead
$190K - $280K *
Engage with us to lead complex software initiatives, driving technical excellence and mentoring teams. You'll shape architecture, tackle challenges, and deliver high-performance solutions that support...
3 weeks ago
Senior Mechanical Commissioning Engineer/Specialist
$120K - $160K *
Join a team to lead commissioning projects, providing technical expertise and project management for critical facilities. Collaborate across teams, mentor others, and ensure successful testing and val...
Reposted 1 week ago
$80K - $95K *
Lead the charge in managing complex ERP implementation projects, ensuring alignment between customer needs and internal resources. Drive project success through effective communication, risk managemen...
Reposted 3 days ago
$100K - $120K *
Champion the adoption of innovative physics products by building relationships, driving sales processes, and translating complex research needs into actionable solutions, enhancing usage and revenue i...
Reposted 2 days ago
Design Engineer II, High Voltage (Remote)
$90K - $113K *
Shape the future of renewable energy by leading preliminary substation design for utility-scale solar and BESS projects. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure technical excellence from con...
2 weeks ago
Sr. Manager, Field Engineering
$110K - $130K *
Shape the future of field engineering by leading technical support, training, and quality assurance efforts. Drive continuous improvement while ensuring top-tier service and communication with clients...
Reposted 1 week ago
$140K - $185K *
Elevate your career by managing a dynamic data engineering team, shaping scalable data pipelines, and driving innovative data solutions to enhance enterprise data strategies and execution efficiency a...
Reposted 1 week ago
Site Reliability Engineering Manager
$114K - $190K *
Build a resilient Site Reliability Engineering practice, leading a global team to enhance cloud platform reliability, scalability, and operational excellence while fostering collaboration and continuo...
2 weeks ago
Design Engineer - MRF and Transfer Stations
$140K - $200K *
Transform the Southwest's waste management landscape by leading design and project management for Transfer Stations and MRFs. Drive business development and foster team growth while ensuring technical...
2 days ago
$115K - $130K *
Contribute to the development and optimization of robust applications using JAVA, SQL, and JavaScript, ensuring efficient data management and exceptional client support within a dynamic team environme...
3 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer, Consumer
$159K - $254K *
Transform the digital dining experience by leading full-stack development efforts, collaborating with cross-functional teams to innovate and enhance guest interactions through cutting-edge web solutio...
Reposted 4 days ago
$190K - $215K *
Engage in the design and development of robust full-stack solutions, guiding teams in secure engineering practices while integrating innovative technologies in a federal environment. Drive impactful c...
Reposted today
Applications Engineers, Agentic Workflows
$110K - $130K *
Drive the future of engineering workflows by building and delivering robust AI-driven automation and agent-based capabilities, ensuring products meet real customer needs and are reliable for complex e...
Reposted today
$148K - $165K *
Lead the charge in AI innovation by designing and implementing solutions that transform business processes. Collaborate with stakeholders to optimize operations, leveraging your advanced expertise in...
Reposted 5 days ago
Senior/Staff Developer Experience Engineer
$199K - $270K *
Shape the future of software development by enhancing tooling, CI/CD, and operational workflows, ensuring teams can seamlessly transition code changes into production with improved speed, quality, and...
Reposted today
$120K - $145K *
Accelerate the delivery of complex, cross-functional programs by leading strategic planning, governance, and stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment with client objectives and operational excellenc...
Yesterday
$108K - $130K *
Design and develop scalable backend applications in a collaborative, remote environment. Engage with cross-functional teams to enhance software quality and mentor peers while ensuring high performance...
2 weeks ago
$147K - $274K *
Empower innovation by leading applied AI research initiatives that shape product features. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate complex problems into impactful AI solutions, mentoring...
1 week ago
$116K - $194K *
Elevate your career by joining a dynamic engineering team focused on ATM and TCR technologies. As a key technical specialist, you'll enhance customer-facing banking services through innovative solutio...
4 days ago
$104K - $153K *
Champion innovative AI-driven self-service solutions, enhancing employee experiences through ServiceNow. Collaborate with teams to streamline processes, ensuring high-quality engineering from design t...
2 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Engage with sales teams to identify prospects and demonstrate solutions that enhance organizational security. Educate clients on challenges and drive meetings to provide tailored solutions, ensuring e...
2 weeks ago
$59K - $110K *
Engage with patients and caregivers to enhance their treatment journey through education and support. Collaborate with teams to ensure quality service and compliance while driving innovative solutions...
Today
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.