Principal Software Engineer

Pella Corporation is hiring a Principal Software Engineer to provide technical leadership across its software engineering organization. The role spans full-stack development, enterprise GraphQL APIs, and modern frontend applications, while shaping engineering standards, architecture, and team capabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, and evolution of full stack solutions spanning frontend, backend, and enterprise integration layers
• Own and advance our enterprise GraphQL API platform, ensuring it meets performance, scalability, and security standards as the connective tissue between all enterprise systems
• Architect and build modern frontend applications using React and Next.js, establishing patterns and standards for UI development across teams
• Partner with product owners, business stakeholders, and technical teams to understand complex requirements and deliver clear, maintainable solutions
• Define and enforce engineering standards across API design, frontend architecture, code quality, testing, and CI/CD practices
• Lead and influence architectural discussions across the organization, driving decisions on integration patterns, frontend architecture, and enterprise connectivity
• Guide and mentor senior, mid-level, and junior developers — fostering a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Work across diverse data layers including MS SQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle DB, ensuring efficient data access, transformation, and exposure through APIs
• Drive improvements to CI/CD pipelines, containerization strategies, and deployment processes across the stack
• Identify and champion opportunities to introduce AI, automation, and emerging technologies to reduce toil and accelerate engineering velocity

Requirements:

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a principal, staff, or equivalent senior technical leadership role
• Expert proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript across both frontend and backend environments
• Deep experience with React and Next.js, including server-side rendering, app routing, state management, and component architecture
• Strong expertise in Node.js and backend service development
• Deep experience with GraphQL and REST API design, implementation, and governance
• Solid understanding of API architecture, authentication, and authorization mechanisms (OAuth, JWT, etc.)
• Hands-on experience with relational databases (MS SQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle DB)
• Proficiency with Docker for containerization and deployment
• Familiarity with event-driven architecture (SNS/SQS, Kafka)
• Knowledge of API gateway technologies and microservices architecture
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders and executive audiences
• Demonstrated track record of delivering scalable, high-quality solutions in enterprise environments
• Experience with enterprise systems integration (CPQ, ERP, PLM, CRM)
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Experience with testing frameworks across the stack (Jest, Playwright, Cypress, etc.)
• Familiarity with design systems, accessibility standards, and UI performance optimization
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills with the ability to influence technical direction at an organizational level
• Experience evaluating and integrating AI/ML capabilities or automation tooling into engineering workflows