Principal Software Engineer

Position Overview

The Principal Engineer will design, build, and scale core software systems that power Tivly’s technology platform. This is a highly hands-on role focused on applying modern engineering practices—ranging from microservices architecture and API development to multi-language (polyglot) solutions—to optimize performance, reliability, and scalability across our products.

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Reporting directly to the Dir of EngineeringChief Technology Officer, this role plays a key part in defining Tivly’s technical direction, driving system architecture decisions, and mentoring engineers to deliver high-quality, maintainable software that supports business growth and innovation.

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Key Responsibilities

Own the architecture and design of distributed systems serving millions of insurance leads and transactions.

Lead by example through hands-on coding, technical reviews, and system optimization.

Collaborate with Product, DevOps, and Data teams on scalable API integrations and microservices.

Evaluate new technologies and frameworks to enhance performance and maintainability.

Support cross-functional development in multiple languages (e.g., Java, Kotlin, Python, TypeScript, Go).

Mentor senior and mid-level engineers, fostering a high-performing and collaborative environment.

Ensure security, reliability, and compliance within all engineering deliverables.

Contribute to strategic technology roadmap planning and cross-team alignment.

Additional Responsibilities

Perform other related duties, ad hoc tasks, and special projects as assigned to support departmental and organizational goals.

Metrics

Achieving success in this position is dependent upon consistently meeting and maintaining the established metrics and performance standards. These standards are defined by the direct supervisor and the organization and are subject to periodic updates to ensure alignment with evolving business needs and expectations.

Required Qualifications

7+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant time in backend or platform roles.

Advanced proficiency in Java plus hands-on experience with at least one additional language such as Kotlin, Python, Go, or TypeScript.

Proven track record designing, building, and scaling distributed systems and microservice-based architectures in a high-traffic environment.

Strong experience with RESTful APIs, event-driven architectures, and integrating with internal and external services.

Deep understanding of system performance, reliability, and observability (profiling, logging, metrics, alerting).

Practical experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, or Azure), containerization (Docker), and orchestration (Kubernetes).

Familiarity with modern CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and code quality practices.

Experience working closely with Product, DevOps, and Data teams to ship features and platform capabilities.

Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; equivalent practical experience considered.

Core Competencies

Technical Leadership: Guides architecture decisions, sets engineering standards, and influences cross-team technical direction.

Systems Design & Architecture: Designs scalable, resilient distributed systems and microservice-based platforms.

Polyglot Programming: Expert in Java with the ability to work effectively in multiple languages (e.g., Kotlin, Python, Go, TypeScript).

Cloud-Native Engineering: Builds and operates services on modern cloud platforms using containers, orchestration, and CI/CD.

Performance & Reliability: Optimizes systems for latency, throughput, availability, and observability.

API & Integration Design: Crafts clear, secure, and maintainable APIs and integrations with internal and external systems.

Security & Compliance Mindset: Incorporates security, privacy, and compliance requirements into architecture and implementation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partners effectively with Product, DevOps, and Data teams to deliver business outcomes.

* Strategic Thinking:  Aligns technical decisions and roadmaps with broader company and product strategy.

Applicant information collected during the hiring process will be used solely to assess qualifications, verify eligibility for employment, and make hiring decisions. Applicant data will be stored securely and retained only for as long as necessary to complete the recruitment process and meet legal, regulatory, and record‑keeping requirements, after which it will be deleted or anonymized in accordance with our data retention policies.