Principal Software Engineer

We’re looking for a pragmatic, hands-on Principal API & Integration Engineer who gets things done. You’ll spend significant time writing code while helping elevate the technical skills of the broader team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on designing and implementing centralized API platforms, has extensive experience with third-party integrations and Transportation Management Systems (TMS), leverages AI-assisted development tools to accelerate delivery, and excels at simplifying and automating complex integration processes. You’ll balance individual contribution with strategic technical leadership, creating unified API strategies that serve multiple web and mobile applications while helping engineers grow their craft through practical guidance and code review.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Build and Ship

Design and implement enterprise-wide API strategy serving all internal and external applications

Build scalable, reusable API platforms and integration frameworks that reduce duplication across systems

Develop robust integrations with third-party systems and Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Create automated integration pipelines that simplify onboarding of new partners and systems

Leverage AI-powered development tools (GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to accelerate API and integration development

Modernize legacy integration patterns and migrate to modern API architectures

Build API gateways, service meshes, and integration middleware that scale globally

Design self-service integration tools and SDKs that empower development teams

Lead Through Example

Define long-term API strategy and integration architecture across the organization

Champion and integrate new API technologies and integration practices that solve real problems

Mentor engineers on API design patterns, integration best practices, and microservices architecture

Share best practices for AI-assisted development and cutting-edge integration tooling

Establish API standards, governance, and documentation practices

Guide architectural decisions that impact API consumers across web, mobile, and partner systems

Foster a culture of API-first thinking and integration automation

Technical Execution & Strategy

Partner with product, backend, mobile, and partner teams on API design and integration requirements

Create comprehensive API documentation, developer portals, and integration guides

Implement API versioning, lifecycle management, and deprecation strategies

Design authentication and authorization frameworks (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, SSO)

Build monitoring, observability, and analytics for API performance and usage

Establish rate limiting, throttling, quota management, and SLA enforcement

Lead technical deep dives into integration failures, performance bottlenecks, and scalability issues

Proactively identify opportunities to simplify and automate integration workflows

10+ years of professional software engineering experience with focus on APIs and integrations

2+ years in a technical leadership position

Extensive experience with third-party system integrations and API partnerships

Strong background with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) integrations

Proven track record of designing and implementing enterprise API platforms

History of simplifying complex integration processes through automation

Experience with AI-assisted development tools and workflows

Track record of mentoring and growing technical talent

Willingness to maintain hands-on technical involvement

API Architecture & Design

Expert-level proficiency in RESTful API design and implementation

Strong experience with GraphQL, gRPC, or other modern API paradigms

Deep understanding of API gateway patterns and service mesh architectures

Knowledge of API versioning strategies and backward compatibility

Experience with OpenAPI/Swagger specifications and API documentation tools

Understanding of API security patterns (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, mTLS)

Experience designing APIs for high-volume, multi-tenant environments

Integration Expertise

Extensive experience integrating with third-party APIs and systems

Deep knowledge of Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and logistics platforms

Strong background in legacy system connectivity.

Experience with common integration patterns (webhooks, polling, event-driven, batch)

Experience with message queuing and event streaming (Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, AWS SQS)

Understanding of data transformation, mapping, and synchronization strategies

Automation & Tooling

Building self-service integration frameworks and SDKs

Creating automated testing for APIs and integrations (contract testing, integration testing)

Developing integration monitoring and alerting systems

Implementing CI/CD pipelines for API deployments

Experience with Infrastructure as Code for integration resources

Core Technical Skills

Expert-level proficiency in backend development (Java, C#/.NET, Python, or Node.js)

Strong experience with microservices architecture patterns

Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

Proficiency with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes)

Experience with API management platforms (Apigee, AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management, Kong)

Strong background in both relational and NoSQL databases

Knowledge of caching strategies (Redis, CDN) for API performance

TMS & Industry Knowledge

Experience with major TMS platforms (Oracle TMS, SAP TM, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, or similar)

Understanding of transportation and logistics workflows (dispatching, tracking, routing, ELD)

Knowledge of industry standards (EDI X12, EDIFACT, HL7 for healthcare logistics)

Familiarity with telematics and fleet management integrations

Understanding of real-time location tracking and geo-fencing

DevOps & Quality

API lifecycle management and governance

Monitoring and observability (Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, New Relic)

Distributed tracing and API performance monitoring

Experience with agile development practices

Strong problem-solving and debugging skills across distributed systems

Leadership & Communication

Strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Ability to translate business requirements into API specifications

Track record of making architectural decisions and defending technical choices

Experience creating developer documentation and API playbooks

Ability to influence and drive API-first practices across teams

Collaborative mindset with genuine interest in enabling others

Soft Skills

Bias toward action and shipping working solutions

Passion for developer experience and API usability

Ability to manage multiple integration projects simultaneously

Comfortable challenging the status quo constructively

Strong focus on simplification and automation

Customer-centric mindset when designing APIs

NICE TO HAVE

Experience with serverless architectures (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions)

Knowledge of API monetization and partner management

Familiarity with API security testing and penetration testing

Experience with real-time communication protocols (WebSockets, Server-Sent Events)

Background in API product management or developer relations

Understanding of compliance frameworks (SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA)

Experience with API analytics and business intelligence

Knowledge of blockchain or IoT integration patterns

Familiarity with ELD (Electronic Logging Device) integrations

Experience with mobile backend for frontend (BFF) patterns

Understanding of geospatial APIs and mapping services

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

You’re consistently shipping API improvements and new integration capabilities

Multiple applications (web, mobile, partner systems) are successfully consuming your APIs

Integration time for new third-party systems and TMS platforms has dramatically decreased

Complex integration processes have been simplified and automated

The team has adopted API-first practices that improve development velocity

Legacy integration patterns are being systematically modernized

API documentation and developer experience are best-in-class

Engineers you mentor are leveling up their integration skills

API performance, reliability, and adoption metrics are continuously improving

Partner and internal developer satisfaction with integration tooling is high