Principal Software Engineer

About the role

TriNet is a leading provider of comprehensive human resources solutions for small to midsize businesses (SMBs). We enhance business productivity by enabling our clients to outsource their HR function to one strategic partner, allowing them to focus on operating and growing their core businesses. Our full-service HR solutions include payroll processing, human capital consulting, employment law compliance, and employee benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and workers’ compensation insurance.

The Principal Software Engineer will architect, innovate, and create multi-disciplinary technical and functional solutions to complex business problems. This position provides technical leadership to development and design teams and oversees all technical aspects of projects. The candidate must design and implement reusable services that are highly scalable, secure, performant, and low-cost to maintain and operate.

Responsibilities

• Solve complex and ambitious problems by crafting elegant and impactful solutions and generate concise and effective analysis, reports, and presentations for both internal and external customers.
• Contribute to technical innovations along with defining coding standards.
• Mentor and support other members of the software development team and contribute to software development best practices.
• Serve as an expert advisor to executives on the use of current and future technologies for optimal impact on business strategies and results.
• Work closely with product owners and other stakeholders to understand requirements and design software solutions to meet product needs.
• Lead innovation across the organization by exploring new technologies, demonstrating their value through proof of concept, and incorporating them into the platform.
• Design and implement customer identity and access management (CIAM) systems using Okta APIs and SDKs.
• Build and integrate secure authentication flows using OIDC/OAuth 2.0 (Authorization Code flow with PKCE, Client Credentials) and SAML 2.0.
• Develop token validation mechanisms (JWT validation, scoping, claims handling) to secure backend microservices.
• Write custom Okta hooks (Inline/Event hooks) and utilize Okta Workflows to extend platform capabilities and sync data with external databases.
• Create reusable internal libraries, SDK wrappers, and documentation to help product squads implement identity features safely.
• Comply with all policies and standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Typically 12+ years of hands-on object-oriented programming in Java, Python, and/or JavaScript (UI) frameworks.
• Experience in architecting and designing software solutions for enterprise-wide web applications.

Skills

• Experience working with cloud-native CI/CD tools and technologies.
• Experience with microservice architecture, end-to-end UI/API integration, and knowledge of API protocols like REST, gRPC, and GraphQL.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to address complex problems.
• Experience in drafting best coding practices and designing highly scalable, secure, and easy-to-maintain software solutions.
• Solid analytical skills with the ability to refine strategic, technical roadmaps and synthesize improvements and recommendations.
• Ability to continuously drive results, display a high level of confidence, inspire, and motivate team performance.
• Ability to architect, design, review, and document high-level and detailed solutions.
• Provide hands-on support in implementing critical components across the entire stack, from front-end, middle-tier, back-end, infrastructure, and data stores to automate and scale.
• Experience in building large-scale platforms that handle real-time complex transactions and ability to troubleshoot distributed systems.
• Knowledge of core cloud services and serverless approaches, and infrastructure as code.
• Strong understanding of application security best practices and security by design.
• Deep protocol knowledge: hands-on experience configuring SAML 2.0 (identity/service provider initiated flows) and OIDC (Authorization Code, Implicit, and Client Credentials grants).

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Life and disability insurance.
• 401(K) savings plan.
• Employee stock purchase plan.
• Eleven (11) company-observed holidays.
• Paid time off (PTO) and a comprehensive leave program.

For detailed information about our benefits offerings, visit TriNet Benefits.

Pay

The salary range for this role in Atlanta, GA, is $143,700.00 to $287,500.00. The candidate’s final salary offer will be based on skills, education, work location, and experience. A candidate’s compensation may also include bonuses consistent with TriNet’s corporate bonus plan.

Schedule

Minimal travel required. Work in a clean, pleasant, and comfortable office or home setting.

Preferred location: Atlanta, GA. All qualified external applicants will be considered for an in-office role based in Atlanta. Qualified internal candidates may be considered for remote hire at the company’s discretion.