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.
VPP - Lead Field Project Engineer
$100K - $120K *
Take ownership of critical VPP projects; manage field operations, partner support, and technical training while leading a team of engineers to ensure top-tier service and product quality within the re...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Principal Security Engineer - Information Security
$130K - $155K *
Join our team as a Principal Security Engineer, where you'll design and enhance security solutions, shape strategy, and lead initiatives to protect enterprise assets while mentoring junior engineers a...
2 weeks ago
Senior Project Controls Analyst
$160K *
Drive the future of project controls by providing expert EVM, cost, and schedule analysis for federal programs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance decision-making and ensure program co...
Yesterday
Engineering Manager, Messaging & Applications Teams
$120K - $145K *
Lead and develop dynamic engineering teams to enhance communication systems that improve health equity outcomes for underserved patients. Drive technical direction, manage shared codebases, and collab...
Reposted today
Senior Project Manager- Aviation Construction
$110K - $130K *
Lead a team that manages high-profile aviation and defense projects, ensuring successful delivery through collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and innovative solutions while adhering to strategic ob...
3 weeks ago
Software Engineer II, Backend (Partner Merchant Interface)
$133K - $183K *
Engineer scalable backend solutions for partner integrations, collaborating cross-functionally to ensure timely project delivery and operational stability. Leverage your expertise in distributed syste...
Reposted today
Senior Engineer (AWS, Azure, Terraform, Kubernetes)
$150K - $175K *
Lead innovative cloud solutions by architecting and managing robust platforms. Collaborate with a dynamic team to tackle complex challenges in AWS and Azure, enhancing your skills while driving impact...
5 days ago
$110K - $130K *
Lead strategic initiatives by managing complex projects from inception to launch. Collaborate across teams to implement new markets and contracts, ensuring compliance and operational readiness in a dy...
1 week ago
$182K - $273K *
Champion innovative power architecture solutions, driving analysis and optimization across CPU, AI, and SoC designs. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance power management and validate pe...
3 weeks ago
Senior Program Manager - Data Center Construction
$110K - $130K *
Take ownership of large-scale construction projects, managing stakeholders and ensuring compliance. Oversee project governance, track milestones, and enhance processes while fostering client relations...
Yesterday
$150K - $180K *
Drive the technical design and delivery of innovative AI agent solutions, leading a team to ensure operational readiness and quality. Collaborate with stakeholders to define requirements and guide eng...
Reposted 4 weeks ago
Engineer III, Endpoint Engineering
$110K - $130K *
Join a team that's redefining endpoint management by designing and optimizing Active Directory, Group Policy, and Intune solutions for a global organization, ensuring seamless integration and user pro...
4 weeks ago
$87K - $108K *
Shape the future of fire protection engineering by designing innovative fire suppression and alarm systems for diverse, complex infrastructure projects. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ens...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Director, Software Engineering - Platform & Tool Development
$189K - $260K *
Join a dynamic team as a senior technology leader, overseeing engineering strategy and execution for innovative platforms and applications. Drive modernization and AI integration while ensuring high p...
Reposted 3 days ago
Manager/Senior Manager, Autonomous Enterprise Consulting
$135K - $160K *
Transform client businesses by leading AI strategy and implementation. Drive impactful consulting engagements, build trusted relationships, and leverage emerging technologies to deliver measurable out...
1 week ago
Manager/Senior Manager, Autonomous Enterprise Consulting
$135K - $160K *
Lead transformative AI consulting engagements, driving business value through innovative strategies and solutions. Collaborate with clients to assess processes, develop roadmaps, and implement AI tech...
1 week ago
21GRAMS- Senior Delivery Manager
$95K - $100K *
Join our dynamic team as a Technical Delivery Manager, overseeing AI-driven project delivery across diverse digital platforms. Ensure timely, high-quality outputs while leveraging innovative technolog...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer - Growth
$120K - $145K *
Lead the charge in transforming patient engagement by integrating booking into our core product. Drive innovative experiments and optimize multi-channel outreach to ensure underserved communities rece...
5 days ago
Senior Mechanical Engineer- Tailings Delivery
$110K - $180K *
Empower innovation by leading mechanical design for large-scale tailings delivery systems. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams on world-class mining projects, ensuring technical excellence and cl...
Today
Computer Systems Engineer/ Architect
$110K - $130K *
Unlock potential by designing and optimizing enterprise data solutions in a Databricks Lakehouse environment, supporting critical missions with a focus on scalability and best practices...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$130K - $145K *
Elevate public health data interoperability by designing and implementing secure, scalable data pipelines. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to modernize legacy systems and ensure compliance, dr...
3 days ago
$110K - $130K *
Engage with customers to evaluate and implement solutions, driving technical discovery and adoption. Collaborate with sales teams to demonstrate value, manage multiple projects, and identify expansion...
1 week ago
$82K - $172K *
Advance your career as an Embedded Linux Software Developer, contributing to the evolution of mission-critical devices. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance networking capabilities and d...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Senior Software Engineer, Web Platform
$190K - $267K *
Join a team that's redefining web performance and developer experience. You'll tackle complex platform challenges, optimize Shreddit’s architecture, and enhance tooling for a high-traffic site, empowe...
2 weeks ago
Rust Senior Software Engineer - Bare Metal as a Service & Datacenter Networking
$135K - $160K *
Drive your career forward by developing cutting-edge control planes for AI infrastructure. Collaborate with a dynamic team to enhance cloud-native orchestration platforms, leveraging your expertise in...
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.