Principal Software Engineer

JOB SUMMARY

We're looking for a pragmatic, hands-on Principal API & Integration Engineer who gets things done. You'll spend significant time writing code while helping elevate the technical skills of the broader team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on designing and implementing centralized API platforms, has extensive experience with third-party integrations and Transportation Management Systems (TMS), leverages AI-assisted development tools to accelerate delivery, and excels at simplifying and automating complex integration processes. You'll balance individual contribution with strategic technical leadership, creating unified API strategies that serve multiple web and mobile applications while helping engineers grow their craft through practical guidance and code review.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Build and Ship

Design and implement enterprise-wide API strategy serving all internal and external applications

Build scalable, reusable API platforms and integration frameworks that reduce duplication across systems

Develop robust integrations with third-party systems and Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Create automated integration pipelines that simplify onboarding of new partners and systems

Leverage AI-powered development tools (GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to accelerate API and integration development

Modernize legacy integration patterns and migrate to modern API architectures

Build API gateways, service meshes, and integration middleware that scale globally

Design self-service integration tools and SDKs that empower development teams

Lead Through Example

Define long-term API strategy and integration architecture across the organization

Champion and integrate new API technologies and integration practices that solve real problems

Mentor engineers on API design patterns, integration best practices, and microservices architecture

Share best practices for AI-assisted development and cutting-edge integration tooling

Establish API standards, governance, and documentation practices

Guide architectural decisions that impact API consumers across web, mobile, and partner systems

Foster a culture of API-first thinking and integration automation

Technical Execution & Strategy

Partner with product, backend, mobile, and partner teams on API design and integration requirements

Create comprehensive API documentation, developer portals, and integration guides

Implement API versioning, lifecycle management, and deprecation strategies

Design authentication and authorization frameworks (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, SSO)

Build monitoring, observability, and analytics for API performance and usage

Establish rate limiting, throttling, quota management, and SLA enforcement

Lead technical deep dives into integration failures, performance bottlenecks, and scalability issues

Proactively identify opportunities to simplify and automate integration workflows

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience

10+ years of professional software engineering experience with focus on APIs and integrations

2+ years in a technical leadership position

Extensive experience with third-party system integrations and API partnerships

Strong background with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) integrations

Proven track record of designing and implementing enterprise API platforms

History of simplifying complex integration processes through automation

Experience with AI-assisted development tools and workflows

Track record of mentoring and growing technical talent

Willingness to maintain hands-on technical involvement

API Architecture & Design

Expert-level proficiency in RESTful API design and implementation

Strong experience with GraphQL, gRPC, or other modern API paradigms

Deep understanding of API gateway patterns and service mesh architectures

Knowledge of API versioning strategies and backward compatibility

Experience with OpenAPI/Swagger specifications and API documentation tools

Understanding of API security patterns (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, mTLS)

Experience designing APIs for high-volume, multi-tenant environments

Integration Expertise

Extensive experience integra