Principal Software Development Engineer, Full Stack

Zillow is a real estate technology company whose Data Engineering & Enterprise Tools team powers Zillow Rentals with analytics tools, AI enablement solutions, and data products. The Principal Software Development Engineer will provide technical leadership for internal tooling and data-product ecosystems by designing high-scale full-stack systems, setting architecture and engineering standards, mentoring engineers, and guiding cross-team initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Architect and drive the end-to-end design of complex, high-scale web applications and services, spanning modern user interfaces, APIs, data stores, and cloud infrastructure
• Lead technical direction and decision-making for multi-team initiatives, establishing engineering standards and best practices for full-stack development, testing, and operations
• Collaborate with product management, UX, and cross-functional partners to translate business objectives into actionable engineering plans and technical roadmaps
• Mentor and coach senior and staff engineers, fostering a culture of learning, inclusion, and technical excellence across teams
• Guide technical reviews and design forums, providing clear feedback on architecture, implementation approaches, and risk mitigation for critical projects
• Anticipate and resolve systemic technical challenges, making high-impact decisions on service boundaries, data models, and integration strategies
• Champion engineering excellence in code quality, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, and incident response
• Evaluate and introduce new technologies, frameworks, and architectures that improve developer experience, scalability, and operational excellence

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience building and operating production web applications, with significant experience across both front-end and back-end components
• Demonstrated track record leading the technical design and delivery of complex, high-scale systems or platforms involving multiple teams and services
• Experience mentoring senior engineers and influencing engineering practices and standards across teams in an agile, product-focused environment
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience