> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/1710777-principal-software-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/1710777-principal-software-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Software Engineer - **Company:** NetApp, Inc. - **Location:** Bellevue, WA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $227,800.0 - $338,800.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Computing Security, Cloud Database, Cloud Engineering, Continuous Integration, Software Design Patterns, Distributed Systems, Fault Tolerance, Python (Programming Language), NetApp Applications, Node.Js, OAuth, Platform as a Service (PAAS), Software Engineering, TypeScript, Enterprise Data Management, Enterprise Software Applications, ReactJS, Delivery Pipeline, Large Language Models, Multi-Agent Systems, Multi-Cloud, Cloudformation, Build Management, Containerization, AngularJS, Kubernetes, Information Technology, Production Code, Front End Software Development, Virtual Agents, Terraform, Api Management, Serverless Computing, Docker, Golang - **Published:** July 15, 2026 - **Apply:** https://jobs.netapp.com/talentcommunity/apply/1408968500/?locale=en_US ## About the Role * 12+ years in software development. * 7+ years hands-on with fault-tolerant, highly scalable cloud architectures, including service-oriented and cloud-native services (FaaS, PaaS) on at least one hyperscaler (AWS, Azure, or GCP)., * Strong server-side engineering in one or more of Node.js, Python, Java, Go, or Rust. Front-end experience (TypeScript, React or Angular) is a plus., * Designed or built AI agent systems or LLM-powered products that run model inference in production: tool calling, RAG, prompt orchestration. * Deep familiarity with agentic design patterns: tool-use protocols, context management, multi-step reasoning, and grounding models in live enterprise data. * Built developer-facing products, APIs, or SDKs used by external customers at scale. * Containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure as code (Terraform, CloudFormation). * Background in enterprise infrastructure, cloud data services, or storage systems, with a working understanding of how enterprise environments run at scale. * Built a new product end-to-end inside a larger company. * Prior experience as a principal engineer or technical lead in a high-performance engineering organization., * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent practical experience. ## Description NetApp's Cloud AI team is building an enterprise AI agent platform that helps Fortune 500 companies automate complex workflows on their own data, across on-premises and multi-cloud environments. It brings together large language models, agentic frameworks, and production cloud engineering. We are hiring a Principal Engineer to be the technical anchor for this product. You will own the architecture, set the engineering direction, and build alongside the team. This is a hands-on role: you will design the core systems and write the production code behind them, while working with leadership to turn product vision into engineering plans the team can ship. What you will build * Define the product architecture: service boundaries, data models, API contracts, runtime design, and the integration patterns that connect AI models to enterprise systems. * Design and build the core systems: agent orchestration, knowledge bases and retrieval over enterprise data, tool-calling, multi-cloud execution, and the layers that tie them together. * Own the developer-facing surface: the APIs, SDKs, and tooling that customers build on. It has to be fast, reliable, and clear to work with. * Lead technical execution across the team: set engineering standards, run design reviews, unblock engineers, and hold the quality bar while the team ships on schedule. * Mentor engineers and raise the technical bar of the team., * Designed distributed systems, cloud-native products, or developer infrastructure and scaled them to production. * Built and maintained CI/CD for large, interconnected deployment pipelines. * Applied cloud security fundamentals: authentication and authorization (OAuth, SSO), encryption, and compliance. * Made high-quality technical decisions under ambiguity, trading off performance, maintainability, cost, and time-to-market, and choosing a path the team can execute. * Communicate clearly with executives and engineers, in person and in writing. You can align a team around a design and write technical documents that settle decisions. * Work effectively across engineering, product, and leadership. ## Related Videos - [The AI-Native Engineering Org: What’s Real, What’s Hype, What’s Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100004-the-ai-native-engineering-org-what-s-real-what-s-hype-what-s-next) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [Go with the Flow: Stop the Leaks Before Your Memory's a Waterfall!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100073-go-with-the-flow-stop-the-leaks-before-your-memory-s-a-waterfall) - [Keeping applications secure by evolving OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100152-keeping-applications-secure-by-evolving-oauth-2-0-and-openid-connect) - [Shipping Faster with Less: Render on Cloud Hosting, AI Workloads, and the Future of DevOps](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1894-shipping-faster-with-less-render-on-cloud-hosting-ai-workloads-and-the-future-of-devops) - [Docker build without Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100114-docker-build-without-docker) ## Related Articles - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [What is Agentic Programming and Why Should Developers Care?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/625-what-is-agentic-programming-and-why-should-developers-care) - [What is Software Engineering in the Age of AI?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/640-what-is-software-engineering-in-the-age-of-ai) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [MLOps And AI Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/82-mlops-and-ai-driven-development)