Principal Software Engineer
eBayAbout the role
At eBay, we're more than a global ecommerce leader — we’re changing the way the world shops and sells. Our platform empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world. We’re committed to pushing boundaries and leaving our mark as we reinvent the future of ecommerce for enthusiasts.
Our customers are our compass, authenticity thrives, bold ideas are welcome, and everyone can bring their unique selves to work — every day. We're in this together, sustaining the future of our customers, our company, and our planet.
Join a team of passionate thinkers, innovators, and dreamers — and help us connect people and build communities to create economic opportunity for all.
Role Summary
The Principal Engineer in the Identity Domain provides senior technical leadership for identity services across the platform. This role defines and evolves enterprise-wide identity and access management (IAM) capabilities, influencing architecture, engineering standards, and execution across multiple teams.
The Principal Engineer sets technical direction for authentication, authorization, and identity federation, drives adoption of modern identity standards, and ensures identity is implemented as a consistent, secure platform capability.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
Act as the senior technical authority for identity services across platforms and teams
Define and evolve enterprise-wide IAM architecture and engineering standards
Design and maintain reference implementations for core identity capabilities
Review and influence system designs and code to ensure security, scalability, and correctness
Authentication, Authorization & Access Management
Architect and implement OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), and SAML 2.0 for SSO and federation across hybrid, multi-cloud, and SaaS environments
Drive adoption of phishing-resistant, passwordless authentication, including FIDO2, WebAuthn, and Passkeys
Define API authorization patterns using JWT and mTLS for service-to-service communication
Lead the transition to adaptive, context-aware authorization models (RBAC/ABAC) aligned with Zero Trust principles
Identity Lifecycle & Federation
Define and implement automated identity lifecycle management using SCIM
Guide teams on unified and federated identity constructs and cross-domain trust models
Incorporate global trends in identity and identity verification into platform design and standards
Influence & Mentorship
Mentor engineers across teams, raising the bar for identity and security engineering
Provide technical guidance to product and platform partners on identity-related decisions
Influence roadmaps and priorities through technical leadership and domain expertise
Required Qualifications
Extensive experience designing and building identity and access management systems
Strong knowledge of identity protocols and standards (OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SAML, SCIM)
Experience with federated and unified identity architectures in distributed environments
Proven ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams and platforms
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with identity verification, risk-based authentication, or trust signals
Familiarity with Zero Trust architectures and adaptive access control models
Experience operating identity platforms at scale in regulated or security-sensitive environments
Impact & Scope (Principal Level Alignment)
Technical decisions have broad impact across the Identity Domain and adjacent platforms
Establishes standards and patterns adopted by multiple teams
Recognized as a principal-level domain expert for identity, authentication, and authorization
Additional Details
The base pay range for this position is expected in the range below:
$240,800 - $321,500Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including location, skills
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