• Experience: 12+ years in software engineering with a strong background in system architecture and design. At least 3+ years in a role where you’ve led architectural decisions across a large organization or product suite
• Technical expertise: Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred), and event-driven systems. Expertise in one or more programming languages such as Ruby (preferred), Java, or Python
• Leadership: Proven track record of leading and mentoring engineering teams, with the ability to influence without direct authority. Experience in guiding teams through significant technical and architectural changes
• Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, from engineers to executive leadership. Your communication should be clear, persuasive, and tailored to the audience
• Problem-solving: Strong analytical skills with a methodical approach to solving complex technical problems. You’re comfortable navigating ambiguity and making decisions that impact the entire engineering organization
• If you’re passionate about driving technical excellence and architectural innovation at scale, we encourage you to apply

Desirable

• With Affinity's rapid growth and increasing complexity, the need for strong architectural leadership has never been more critical
• As a Principal Software Engineer, you will operate across the entire engineering organization, driving the architectural vision and ensuring alignment with our business objectives
• Your role will be pivotal in shaping the technical landscape of Affinity's platform, from infrastructure to application layers, ensuring scalability, performance, and innovation
• Define and lead architectural strategy: Develop and maintain the architectural vision across multiple engineering teams, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance. Lead critical architectural decisions and ensure they align with the company’s long-term strategy
• Foster cross-team collaboration: Work closely with engineering directors, staff engineers, product management, and design to align on priorities. You’ll be a key driver in cross-team initiatives, breaking down silos and fostering a culture of collaboration
• Innovate and introduce new technologies: Stay ahead of industry trends, proposing and integrating new technologies that drive our platform’s evolution
• Mentor and develop engineering skills: Serve as a mentor to engineers at all levels, from senior engineers to new hires. Elevate the engineering team by sharing your expertise in architectural best practices, design patterns, and performance optimization
• Contribute to code and review: While this role is more strategic, you will still be an active contributor to the codebase, especially in critical areas. Your reviews will set the standard for code quality across the organization