Principal Engineer

At Instructure, we believe in the power of people to grow and succeed throughout their lives. Our goal is to amplify that power by creating intuitive products that simplify learning and personal development, facilitate meaningful relationships, and inspire people to go further in their education and careers.
We do this by giving smart, creative, passionate people opportunities to create awesome. And that's where you come in:

As a Principal Engineer at Instructure, Inc., you will serve as a technical leader and pivotal contributor in the design, development, and delivery of our developer portal and PaaS products. You'll drive complex architectural decisions, mentor engineering teams, and champion the scalability, reliability, and performance of our platforms, directly impacting the Instructure developer experience and global learning outcomes.

What you will do:

• Lead architectural design and technical direction for PaaS features, services, and platform components, ensuring strategic and technical alignment.

• Drive the development of complex software, producing high-quality, maintainable, and well-tested code across multiple technologies and platforms.

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to multiple engineering teams, fostering best practices in software development, code quality, and system architecture.

• Collaborate closely with engineering managers, SRE, and stakeholders to gather requirements, translate them into technical specifications, and deliver innovative solutions.

• Evaluate and implement new technologies, tools, and methodologies to enhance development processes and product capabilities.

• Conduct thorough code reviews, offering constructive feedback and ensuring adherence to coding standards and architectural principles.

• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues, including root cause analysis and implementing preventative measures.

• Serve as a subject matter expert in relevant technical domains, sharing knowledge and expertise across the organization.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering processes, tools, and infrastructure.

What you will need to know/have

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 10+ years of progressive software development experience, including 3+ years in a lead or principal engineering role.

• Deep expertise in designing, building, and scaling complex, highly available, distributed systems.

• Proficiency in multiple programming languages (such as Ruby, Python, Java, JavaScript, Go) and familiarity with modern web frameworks.

• Extensive experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).

• Robust understanding of database systems (relational and NoSQL) and data modeling principles.

• Demonstrated ability to drive technical initiatives from conception to deployment and maintenance.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills; capable of clearly articulating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

• Proven track record of mentoring/coaching engineers and building collaborative team environments.

• Experience with Agile methodologies and DevOps practices.

Get in on all the awesome at Instructure!

We offer competitive, meaningful benefits in every country where we operate. While they vary by location, here's a general idea of what you can expect:

• Competitive compensation, plus all full-time employees participate in our ownership program - because everyone should have a stake in our success.

• Flexible work culture. Our remote, hybrid and in-office collaboration spaces vary by role, team and location.

• Generous time off, including local holidays and our annual “Dim the Lights” period in late December, when teams are encouraged to step back and recharge based on departmental needs.

• Comprehensive wellness programs and mental health support

• Annual learning and development stipends to support your growth

• The technology and tools you need to do your best work

• Motivosity employee recognition program

• A culture rooted in inclusivity, support, and meaningful connection

We believe in hiring great people and treating them right. The more diverse we are, the better our ideas and outcomes.

Instructure is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We comply with applicable employment and anti-discrimination laws in every country where we operate.

All employees must pass a background check as part of the hiring process. To help protect our teams and systems, we’ve implemented identity verification measures. Candidates may be asked to verify their legal name, current physical location, and provide a valid contact number and residential address, in accordance with local data privacy laws.

Any attempt to misrepresent personal or professional information will result in disqualification.