Principal Full Stack Engineer

Job Description:

Principal Full Stack Engineer

Location:

Boston, MA (Hybrid, 3x/wk onsite requirement)

Department:
Technology / Digital

Reports To:

Software Engineering Manager

Position Summary

The Principal Full Stack Engineer plays a critical role in shaping and delivering the digital experience that drives customer growth across Grand Circle Corporation's portfolio of travel brands. This role is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of modern front-end development, E-commerce performance, and full-stack solutions, ensuring our web platforms are fast, scalable, and optimized for conversion.

This individual will bring deep expertise in React, Next.js, Vercel, and headless CMS architectures, along with a proven ability to lead technical initiatives that improve site performance, strengthen SEO/SEM outcomes, and elevate engineering standards. As a hands-on technical leader, you will guide the team toward modern architectural practices, reduce technical debt, and build high-performing, customer-facing digital experiences.

Success in this role requires strong technical leadership, a bias toward action, and the ability to translate business growth goals into scalable, high-quality engineering solutions.

What You'll Do

* Lead front-end and full-stack engineering initiatives with hands-on ownership of architecture, development, and delivery

* Architect and build modern web applications using Next.js, React, and Vercel, leveraging server-side rendering, static site generation, and emerging web patterns

* Drive technical strategy for SEO, SEM, and E-commerce performance in partnership with marketing teams

* Own and optimize web performance metrics, including Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse scores

* Design and implement integrations with headless CMS platforms (e.g., Optimizely) to support scalable and flexible content delivery

* Establish and enforce engineering standards, including clear definitions of done, code quality, and performance benchmarks

* Mentor and coach engineers, elevating team capabilities through hands-on leadership and best practices

* Lead technical decision-making across front-end architecture, tooling, and deployment strategies

* Build and deploy applications using modern cloud platforms (Vercel, Azure), including CI/CD pipelines

* Partner with back-end teams to deliver cohesive full-stack solutions across C#, .NET, SQL, Docker, and related technologies

* Continuously evaluate and introduce new technologies and approaches to improve E-commerce performance and user experience

* Balance speed, quality, and scalability in delivering business impact

* Collaborate cross-functionally to align engineering efforts with broader company goals

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means delivering high-performing, scalable web experiences that drive measurable improvements in customer acquisition, engagement, and conversion. You will establish modern engineering standards, improve site performance and reliability, and empower both engineering and content teams through thoughtful architecture and tooling.

You will be seen as a technical leader who elevates the team, reduces complexity, and consistently delivers solutions that align with business growth objectives.

Qualifications

* Significant experience in software development with a strong focus on front-end engineering and E-commerce platforms

* Deep expertise in React and Next.js, including server-side rendering, static site generation, and performance optimization

* Experience with headless CMS platforms, including content modeling and API-driven architectures

* Proven track record of building high-performing, customer-facing web applications

* Strong understanding of web performance optimization and technical SEO best practices

* Proficiency in modern JavaScript/Type Script, HTML5, CSS3, and responsive design

* Experience with front-end tooling (Webpack, Vite), testing frameworks (Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress, Playwright), and state management

* Full-stack experience with back-end technologies such as C#/.NET or Node.js and API design

* Experience mentoring engineers and elevating technical standards within a team

* Strong collaboration and communication skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders

* Experience with cloud platforms, particularly Azure and Vercel

* Solid understanding of software design principles, including Domain Driven Design and SOLID principles

* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

* Experience with Graph

QL and modern API architectures

* Experience building and maintaining design systems or component libraries

* Familiarity with content preview and editing workflows in headless CMS platforms (ideally Optimizely)

* Experience optimizing Core Web Vitals at scale

* Contributions to open-source projects or technical thought leadership

Total Rewards

The base salary range for this role is $165,000 - $175,000 annually. Final compensation may vary and will be determined based on…