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.
Principal Engineer, Digital Workplace Technology Engineering
$180K - $210K *
Join a team that's redefining the digital workplace by leading the design and implementation of next-gen platforms, enhancing collaboration and AI capabilities to drive employee engagement and innovat...
Today
Lead Engineer - Thermal-Hydraulic Methods Development
$98K - $188K *
Join a team that's shaping the future of reactor physics and technology. Contribute to computational methods development, numerical analysis, and thermal-hydraulic modeling while supporting software d...
1 week ago
Senior Manager, Deployed Engineering
$150K - $180K *
Pioneer innovative solutions as a Senior Manager in Deployed Engineering, leading hands-on deployments and building a high-performing team. Collaborate closely with customers and internal teams to dri...
3 weeks ago
$160K - $200K *
Drive innovation by designing and developing scalable backend services, collaborating closely with engineering teams to enhance platform performance and reliability while mentoring junior developers a...
3 weeks ago
Senior Engineer - Distribution
$110K - $130K *
Drive innovation by providing technical leadership on electrical distribution projects. You will oversee design packages, mentor junior engineers, ensure compliance with standards, and deliver reliabl...
Reposted 1 week ago
$135K - $160K *
Lead the charge in solving critical engineering challenges, driving technical direction, and fostering team growth. Collaborate across departments to enhance systems, ensuring reliability and innovati...
1 week ago
$100K - $120K *
Lead the charge in delivering innovative civil engineering solutions for diverse land development projects. Collaborate with teams, mentor staff, and ensure high-quality design while promoting efficie...
4 weeks ago
$135K - $160K *
Innovate within the AI Platform team by designing and operating core components for AI-driven solutions, focusing on model serving, agentic infrastructure, or observability. Collaborate across teams t...
3 weeks ago
$150K - $180K *
Accelerate progress at a dynamic engineering team, tackling complex technical challenges while delivering high-quality code. Own architectural decisions and enhance integration across services in a co...
1 week ago
Substation Engineering: Principal Engineer
$125K - $150K *
Unlock your potential as a senior technical leader in utility substation engineering, driving quality standards and innovative solutions for complex projects while mentoring a growing team and collabo...
3 weeks ago
Lead Electrical Engineer, Mission Critical
$138K - $184K *
Lead the design and execution of electrical systems for mission critical facilities, collaborating with teams to ensure high availability and efficiency. Oversee projects from concept to construction...
Yesterday
Senior Engineering Manager - Tenant
$208K - $234K *
Drive the growth of Honeycomb Private Cloud by leading a senior engineering team, enhancing customer relationships, and ensuring operational excellence across multiple engineering domains. Collaborate...
3 weeks ago
$130K - $160K *
Transform business challenges into innovative solutions by leveraging AI and engineering expertise. Collaborate with stakeholders to identify opportunities, develop full-stack applications, and drive...
6 days ago
Principal Software Development Engineer
$150K - $214K *
Lead the charge in designing and implementing enterprise Finance solutions, optimizing processes, and driving global transformation initiatives through innovative technology and collaboration with sta...
3 weeks ago
$125K - $150K *
Join our dynamic team as you lead Methods and Insights, driving engineering excellence through effective people management, operational delivery, and innovative system building. Empower engineers to t...
2 weeks ago
Principal Systems Engineer - AV Sensor Design
$238K - $365K *
Join a team that's redefining lidar technology for autonomy products. Lead the technical strategy, collaborate with experts, and drive innovations from concept to production, ensuring performance and...
2 weeks ago
Engineering Manager, Enablement
$150K - $185K *
Champion the development of high-trust engineering teams while managing intake, capacity planning, and operational excellence. Drive delivery and foster collaboration across functions to meet evolving...
1 week ago
$153K - $213K *
Take ownership of a customer-facing product area, driving strategy and execution. Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance user experience, leverage AI, and achieve key performance metrics while deli...
3 weeks ago
Principal Engineer, Service Delivery - Networking
$122K - $174K *
Unlock your potential as you drive the deployment of cutting-edge networking solutions, ensuring exceptional service delivery and customer satisfaction through expert collaboration and proactive issue...
Reposted 1 week ago
Engineering Manager - Autonomy Subsystem Evaluation
$218K - $335K *
Transform the future of autonomous systems by leading a team to evaluate subsystems, develop metrics, and drive improvements in driving quality. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure effec...
Today
$160K - $190K *
Lead the charge in defining and executing enterprise AI architecture strategy, ensuring scalable, ethical AI integration across platforms. Drive innovation through Generative and Agentic AI, aligning...
1 week ago
$138K - $173K *
Drive cross-functional collaboration to ensure high-quality software delivery. Lead and mentor a team of engineers while optimizing processes and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous impro...
3 weeks ago
$160K - $230K *
Join a team that's redefining product engineering by owning high-impact areas from concept to launch. Collaborate closely with leadership to enhance user experiences and drive innovation in a fast-pac...
Today
$103K - $176K *
Innovate solutions by leading mechanical engineering projects to enhance production processes. Collaborate with stakeholders to design, implement, and optimize equipment and systems, ensuring safety a...
2 weeks ago
Sr. Consulting Engineer - Generator
$120K - $150K *
Unlock your potential as a key resource in power plant consulting, focusing on generator engineering. Collaborate with industry leaders to deliver innovative solutions while enjoying a flexible remote...
6 days 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.