Principal Software Engineer

About the role

At PowerSchool, we power education for students around the world. As the global leader in cloud-based K-12 software, we support the full education ecosystem—from the central office to the classroom to the home. As a Principal Software Engineer/Architect, you will shape our software systems and pursue the most demanding and impactful software development tasks. Your expertise will fuel the development of robust, efficient, and top-tier software solutions, leveraging generative AI, agentic AI, and other AI-enabled tools to enhance development efficiency, improve code quality, and support scalable system design.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a highly skilled software engineer addressing the most complex and pressing software development needs across a multi-product portfolio, contributing to planning, scoping, estimation, and execution of technical solutions, including AI-assisted development and delivery tools.
• Work closely with product managers, designers, fellow engineers, and engineering leaders to enhance software applications and create new ones, leveraging AI insights to inform design choices and technical tradeoffs.
• Make sound, critical architectural decisions for the team and optimize code for performance, scalability, and reliability, including evaluating AI-driven approaches and automation.
• Independently write clean, maintainable code using programming languages such as TypeScript, Java, C#, Python, or other relevant tech stacks while utilizing AI-enabled tools to improve development speed, accuracy, and consistency.
• Engage in code reviews, identify and resolve bugs, and fine-tune existing systems, including the use of AI-powered analysis and testing techniques.
• Contribute across all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from initial design to deployment, incorporating AI where it enhances quality, efficiency, or maintainability.
• Assist in testing and quality assurance, ensuring software reliability and optimal performance through both traditional and AI-augmented testing methodologies.
• Innovate by exploring emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning capabilities, and propose creative solutions to technical challenges.
• Guide and mentor engineers, sharing best practices for high-quality software development and the responsible, effective use of AI tooling.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 15+ years of relevant and related work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent, or equivalent years of relevant work experience.
• Occasional travel, up to 5-10%, for key moments such as team summits, training, or conferences, with increased frequency during peak periods based on business demands.
• This position is subject to company on-call policies, which may require working hours outside of the normal workday as needed.
• Experience as the primary engineer responsible for large and complex coding projects, system design, and code integrity of large enterprise codebases, with demonstrated success in codebase modernization and decomposition.
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., for coding, testing, debugging, or documentation) to improve productivity and code quality.
• Ability to evaluate, apply, and govern AI solutions responsibly, with consideration for security, performance, and maintainability.
• Proficiency with current software design principles, including patterns, algorithms, and data structures.
• SQL and database experience.
• Familiarity with OWASP threats and mitigation techniques.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, along with effective written and verbal communication.
• Capability to manage a heavy workload, handle frequent interruptions, and work with minimal oversight.
• Adaptability to a changing, dynamic environment.
• A passion for mentoring and guiding junior engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Kanban methodologies and relevant tools.
• Understanding of the Education Technology industry.

Pay

A reasonable estimate of the base compensation range for this position is $100,500 - $231,900 USD.

Benefits

• Comprehensive insurance coverage (Medical, Dental, Vision, Pharmacy benefits, Life Insurance, and AD&D).
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts.
• Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability.
• Comprehensive 401(k) plan.
• Generous parental leave.
• Unrestricted paid time off (Discretionary Time Off - DTO).
• Wellness Program, including ClassPass & Employee Assistance Program.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Optional benefits: Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Student Debt Repayment Program, and Prepaid Legal coverage.