Principal, IT Software Engineer 1

DIRECTV is a leading provider in the telecommunications industry, seeking a Principal, IT Software Engineer 1. This role involves designing, developing, and delivering complex software solutions while mentoring junior engineers and contributing to architectural decisions within a cross-functional team.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain end-to-end software solutions that address complex business and technical requirements
• Lead architectural discussions and make informed technical decisions for assigned projects, ensuring scalability, reliability, and maintainability
• Write clean, well-documented, and high-quality code while adhering to established engineering standards
• Identify and manage technical dependencies across teams and systems, proactively communicating cross-team impacts
• Participate in sprint planning and backlog refinement, organizing work to ensure consistent delivery against sprint commitments
• Contribute to Program Increment (PI) planning by helping define scope, identify risks, and align technical work to longer-term roadmap targets
• Monitor progress against commitments and escalate risks or blockers to leadership in a timely manner to protect delivery timelines
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure technical solutions align with business objectives
• Serve as a mentor and technical guide for junior and mid-level engineers, providing consistent feedback on code quality, technical approach, and professional development
• Lead peer code reviews and promote a culture of continuous improvement within the development team
• Actively participate in and contribute to the broader IT development community by sharing knowledge, presenting best practices, and supporting peer education initiatives
• Assist in identifying, assessing, and mitigating technical risks throughout the software development lifecycle
• Collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams including product management, QA, infrastructure, and other engineering groups to deliver cohesive solutions
• Communicate technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences

Requirements:

• 3 to 5 years of progressive software engineering experience with demonstrated growth in technical complexity and scope of responsibility
• Advanced proficiency in one or more programming languages relevant to the team's technology stack
• Strong understanding of system design principles, software architecture patterns, and engineering best practices
• Experience designing and developing solutions in distributed or enterprise-scale environments
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, version control systems, and modern software development tooling
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions and influence decisions without formal authority
• Experience mentoring or guiding less experienced team members in a professional setting
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across teams and organizational boundaries
• Hands-on experience working within Agile frameworks, including sprint planning, retrospectives, and backlog management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse audiences
• Comfortable presenting technical recommendations and facilitating discussions with both engineering teams and business stakeholders
• Exposure to Program Increment (PI) planning or SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) is a plus