Principal Software Engineer - Platform

ROLE SUMMARY

We are seeking a skilled Software Engineer who will design, build, and maintain software systems that deliver business value. In this role, you will focus on code quality, architecture decisions, and reliable delivery while leveraging AI tools to enhance productivity. You will verify and review AI-generated code to ensure it meets our quality standards.

In this platform-focused role, you will build internal tooling and shared infrastructure that enables other engineering teams to be more productive. As part of the discovery-to-scale pipeline, you will receive validated patterns from Forward Deployed Engineers and generalize them into self-service platform capabilities. You will treat the platform as a product—conducting user research, building golden paths, and optimizing for developer experience.

This role encompasses business unit technical strategy and architectural direction. You will define strategic direction and be accountable for outcomes, shape practices across the business unit and maintain external visibility. You will handle business unit complexity creating clarity from ambiguity.

Forward Impact Engineering and Engagement Teams deliver rapid outcomes by experimenting, learning fast, and proving what works—moving ideas quickly from concept to validated solution.

Within Forward Impact Engineering, the Core Technology team is the technical backbone for Forward Impact Teams (FITs). The team provides “one place, one click, enterprise-grade guardrails” for innovation, giving FITs a simple, safe way to spin up environments and build prototypes in hours, not weeks. Core Technology’s mission is not to build a monolithic enterprise platform, but to assemble a flexible, evolving set of building blocks and patterns that make experimentation easy, compliant, and repeatable.

ROLE BEHAVIOURS

• Think in Systems: Defines organizational systems architecture principles; recognized industry authority on complex systems; advises executive leadership on systemic risks and opportunities; publishes thought leadership on systems thinking in technology organizations

• Communicate with Precision: Creates spec-driven development practices; mentors others on precise communication; spans C-level executives to frontline workers; drives clarity as a core value across their function; represents the organization externally

• Don't Lose Your Curiosity: Drives team curiosity through challenging questions; creates environments where exploration and experimentation are encouraged; models problem discovery orientation; seeks out ambiguity rather than avoiding it

• Own the Outcome: Drives accountability culture focused on outcomes not deliverables; owns business relationships and impact metrics across their function; makes trade-offs between custom solutions and generalizable work; there is no "I must run this by X"; ensures verification rigor for AI-generated code

• Be Polymath Oriented: Bridges gaps between engineering, design, business, and science; rapidly immerses in new domains; speaks the language of Commercial, Manufacturing, or R&D; makes better decisions by understanding broader context

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

SCALE

You define technical standards across the business unit, guide enterprise architecture, be recognized externally for architectural expertise, and drive innovation:

• Architecture & Design: You define architecture standards and patterns across the business unit. You innovate on approaches to large-scale challenges, shape AI-integrated system design, and are recognized externally as an architecture authority.

• Cloud Platforms: You shape cloud strategy across the business unit. You solve large-scale cloud challenges, define cloud governance, and are recognized as an authority on cloud architecture.

• Code Quality & Review: You shape coding standards and quality practices across the business unit. You champion code review as a critical engineering skill, define AI-assisted development guidelines, and are recognized for quality engineering.

• Data Modeling: You define data modeling standards across the business unit. You handle extreme scale and complex distributed data challenges, innovate on approaches, and are recognized as a data architecture authority.

• DevOps & CI/CD: You shape DevOps culture and practices across the business unit. You introduce innovative approaches to deployment and infrastructure, solve large-scale DevOps challenges, and are recognized externally.

• Technical Debt Management: You shape approaches to technical debt across the business unit. You create frameworks others adopt, balance large-scale technical health with delivery velocity, and are recognized for strategic debt management.

PROCESS

You shape engineering processes across the business unit, establish best practices at scale, and be recognized for process excellence:

• Lean Thinking & Flow: You shape lean culture and practices across the business unit. You innovate on flow optimization approaches, solve large-scale process challenges, and are recognized externally for delivery excellence.

• Time Management & Deep Work: You shape productivity culture across the business unit. You innovate on approaches to balancing deep work with responsiveness, influence how teams manage time, and are recognized for exceptional delivery.

DOCUMENTATION

You shape knowledge strategy across the business unit, enable broad knowledge sharing, and be recognized for documentation excellence:

• Developer Experience: You shape developer experience strategy across the business unit. You create innovative approaches to internal platforms, are recognized for building high-adoption self-service capabilities, and influence industry practices on internal developer platforms.

• Knowledge Management: You shape enterprise knowledge strategy and governance. You drive learning organization culture, create frameworks that others adopt, and are recognized for building knowledge-sharing organizations.

• Pattern Generalization: You shape the discovery-to-scale pipeline across the business unit. You define the organizational approach to pattern generalization, balance enterprise standardization with field flexibility, and are recognized for building high-adoption platform capabilities from field discoveries.

• Technical Writing: You shape documentation culture and standards across the business unit. You innovate on documentation approaches, are recognized for exceptional technical writing clarity, and lead documentation initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

• 10+ years of relevant experience.

• Deep technical expertise with a proven track record of organization-wide technical leadership.

 
Work Location Assignment: Hybrid

Purpose 

Breakthroughs that change patients' lives... At Pfizer we are a patient centric company, guided by our four values: courage, joy, equity and excellence. Our breakthrough culture lends itself to our dedication to transforming millions of lives.  

Digital Transformation Strategy

One bold way we are achieving our purpose is through our company wide digital transformation strategy. We are leading the way in adopting new data, modelling and automated solutions to further digitize and accelerate drug discovery and development with the aim of enhancing health outcomes and the patient experience.

Flexibility  

We aim to create a trusting, flexible workplace culture which encourages employees to achieve work life harmony, attracts talent and enables everyone to be their best working self. Let’s start the conversation!  

Equal Employment Opportunity 

We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial to building a successful business. As an employer, Pfizer is committed to celebrating this, in all its forms – allowing for us to be as diverse as the patients and communities we serve. Together, we continue to build a culture that encourages, supports and empowers our employees.

Disability Inclusion

Our mission is unleashing the power of all our people and we are proud to be a disability inclusive employer, ensuring equal employment opportunities for all candidates. We encourage you to put your best self forward with the knowledge and trust that we will make any reasonable adjustments to support your application and future career. Your journey with Pfizer starts here!

Information & Business Tech