Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer

Location:

United States

Location:

Remote;
Hybrid to Wayne, PA;
Hybrid to Naperville IL

As a Principal Engineer on our Data Platform & AI Enablement team, you will help build the shared data foundations that power analytics, reporting, and intelligent features across Frontline’s products. Your work will enable educators and administrators to access trusted insights and AI-driven capabilities that support better decisions and better outcomes for students.

This is a hands‑on, high‑impact engineering role. You’ll think beyond individual pipelines or services and design durable, cloud‑native data capabilities that scale across a multi‑tenant SaaS environment. You’ll collaborate closely with Product, Architecture, Cloud Operations, and fellow engineers to shape solutions from early concept through production delivery—ensuring they are reliable, secure, and built for the future.

You’ll design and evolve the core data platform components that other teams depend on everyday.

• Designing and implementing scalable data ingestion, transformation, and storage solutions across distributed systems
• Building and operating batch and event‑driven data pipelines that support analytics and application experiences
• Contributing to thoughtful data modeling strategies across relational, analytical, and semi‑structured stores
• Ensuring strong standards for reliability, observability, and performance across cloud‑native environments
• Leading root cause analysis and resolution of complex platform issues

• Shaping data architecture patterns that support model inference, feature preparation, and emerging AI use cases
• Partnering with application and AI teams to expose clean, well‑governed data interfaces
• Evaluating new data and AI technologies with a practical, implementation‑focused lens

• Author and guide solution‑level design documentation, including trade‑off analysis and implementation direction
• Facilitate design reviews that strengthen alignment and elevate engineering quality across teams
• Provide high‑level estimation and sequencing guidance at the initiative level
• Champion modern engineering practices, automation, and testing strategies for data services
• Mentor engineers through collaborative design discussions and thoughtful code reviews
• Influence architectural direction through partnership, clarity, and shared purpose

• Professional experience building and operating modern data platforms in cloud environments, with strong familiarity in AWS ecosystems
• Deep proficiency in one or more programming languages commonly used in data systems
• Experience with distributed data processing frameworks and event‑driven architectures
• Strong understanding of data modeling, integration patterns, and multi‑tenant SaaS considerations
• Experience collaborating cross‑functionally with Product and Architecture to refine ambiguous requirements and define scalable solutions
• A track record of contributing to shared platform services used by multiple product teams

• Experience designing data systems that support AI or machine learning workflows
• Exposure to vector search, embeddings, or emerging AI‑driven data patterns
• Familiarity with data governance practices, including access controls, lineage, and quality validation

• A systems‑oriented mindset that balances immediate delivery with long‑term sustainability
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and shaping clarity through collaboration
• A proactive, solution‑focused approach to complex engineering challenges
• Openness to feedback and a commitment to continuous improvement
• The ability to communicate architectural direction and technical trade‑offs clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• A collaborative spirit that prioritizes shared success across teams

At Frontline Education, we’re reimagining what’s possible by becoming an AI‑first organization, transforming how we think, work, and serve the educators who shape our schools every day. By…