1

Principal Application Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Application Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$140K - $188K/yr

Principal Application Software Engineer Position Overview Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal Application Software Engineer to design, build, and operate secure ...

The Principal Application Engineer serves as the technical leader responsible for defining, architecting, and validating complex railroad solutions across Wabtec's Digital Intelligence portfolio.

We are seeking a Principal Application Engineer to drive customer‑facing technical engagement for Credo's Zero‑Flap optical module products. This role acts as the technical bridge between Credo ...

New

The Principal Application Engineer serves as the technical leader responsible for defining, architecting, and validating complex railroad solutions across Wabtec's Digital Intelligence portfolio.

$138K - $197K/yr

The Principal Application Engineer serves as the technical leader responsible for defining, architecting, and validating complex railroad solutions across Wabtec's Digital Intelligence portfolio.

The Principal Application Engineer serves as the technical leader responsible for defining, architecting, and validating complex railroad solutions across Wabtec's Digital Intelligence portfolio.

Principal Application Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$140K - $188K/yr

Principal Application Software Engineer Position Overview Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal Application Software Engineer to design, build, and operate secure ...

Principal Application Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$140K - $188K/yr

Principal Application Software Engineer Position Overview Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal Application Software Engineer to design, build, and operate secure ...

Serve as the equipment and process development expert for the Santa Clara Application Engineering team * Operate, troubleshoot, optimize, and evaluate a broad range of application equipment ...

Principal Application Software Engineer Position Overview Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal Application Software Engineer to design, build, and operate secure ...

Principal Application Software Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$140K - $188K/yr

Principal Application Software Engineer Position Overview Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal Application Software Engineer to design, build, and operate secure ...

Showing results 21-40

Principal Application Developer information

See salary details

$72K

$120.8K

$158K

How much do principal application developer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal application developer in the United States is $120,809.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $102,000.00 and $141,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal application developer?

Principal Application Developers are senior-level software engineers responsible for leading the design, development, and implementation of complex software applications. They often set technical direction, mentor other developers, and ensure that coding standards and best practices are followed. In addition to hands-on programming, they collaborate with stakeholders to align technical solutions with business goals. Their role also involves troubleshooting high-level issues and making architectural decisions to ensure scalability and maintainability of applications.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a principal application developer?

To thrive as a Principal Application Developer, you need extensive experience in software development, advanced programming skills in multiple languages, and a strong understanding of application architecture, typically supported by a relevant degree. Mastery of development frameworks, cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), DevOps tools, and often certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect are highly valued. Leadership, effective communication, and problem-solving skills help you guide teams and collaborate across departments. These competencies ensure the successful delivery of robust, scalable applications and effective mentorship within development teams.

How does a principal application developer collaborate with cross-functional teams on large-scale projects?

Principal Application Developers play a critical role in coordinating with cross-functional teams, including product managers, UX designers, quality assurance engineers, and infrastructure specialists. They often lead technical discussions, set architectural standards, and ensure that development aligns with business objectives. Effective collaboration involves frequent communication, agile ceremonies, code reviews, and mentoring team members. This collaborative environment enables Principal Application Developers to guide projects from conception to deployment while fostering a culture of technical excellence.

What is the difference between Principal Application Developer vs Senior Application Developer?

AspectPrincipal Application DeveloperSenior Application Developer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, relevant certificationsBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, relevant certifications
Work EnvironmentLeads project architecture, mentors teams, influences technical strategyDevelops applications, troubleshoots, and implements solutions under guidance
Industry UsageUsed across industries for senior technical leadership rolesCommonly employed for experienced developers executing complex tasks

The Principal Application Developer typically holds a higher level of responsibility, focusing on architecture, leadership, and strategic technical decisions. In contrast, the Senior Application Developer primarily concentrates on coding, problem-solving, and project execution. Both roles require strong technical skills and relevant experience, but the Principal role involves more leadership and strategic planning.

What does a principal application developer do?

A principal application developer designs, develops, and maintains complex software applications, often providing technical leadership within a team. They analyze user requirements, create system architecture, and ensure code quality, typically using programming languages like Java, C#, or Python. They also mentor junior developers and collaborate with stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions.

What states have the most Principal Application Developer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Principal Application Developer jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Principal Application Developer jobs?

For Principal Application Developer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Principal Application Software Engineer

Reston, VA • On-site

Oracle
IT Services • 10K+ employees

$140K - $188K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 16 hours ago


Oracle rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 152 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description


Principal Application Software Engineer
Position Overview
Oracle Government Defense & Intelligence is seeking a Principal Application Software Engineer to design, build, and operate secure application services for sovereign and government cloud environments. This role is a senior technical contributor who leads complex design and implementation work, guides engineers, improves application development practices, and resolves complex production and integration issues across distributed systems. This role will serve as a technical lead for AI-enabled software capabilities, including secure application architecture, governed data integrations, evaluation tooling, and production-ready operational workflows.
Who We Are
Oracle Sovereign Cloud builds and operates secure cloud capabilities for mission-critical government workloads. Our engineers build resilient services, automation, and integrations that support cloud operations in highly secure environments.
Key Responsibilities
  • Lead design and implementation of application features, services, APIs, and integrations aligned to secure, scalable architecture.

  • Develop and guide new application features and enhancements, including design specifications, implementation plans, and technical documentation.

  • Lead code reviews across multiple application areas and coach engineers on quality, maintainability, security, and operational readiness.

  • Troubleshoot and resolve complex application, API, service-to-service, integration, and production issues.

  • Contribute to architecture decisions, scalability strategies, performance optimization, and periodic technical reviews.

  • Implement comprehensive testing, observability, monitoring, error logging, and debugging practices.

  • Collaborate with product, program, QA, operations, security, and customer-facing teams to align technical delivery with mission and business needs.

  • Mentor engineers and contribute to hiring, technical standards, and continuous improvement across the team.

  • Design and implement AI-enabled software capabilities, including secure service integrations, workflow orchestration, evaluation tooling, operational data access, and production application features.

  • Define engineering patterns for testing, validating, monitoring, and operating AI-enabled software, including reliability, latency, quality, failure handling, auditability, and safe degradation.

  • Lead technical design for governed access to approved operational data sources and ensure AI-enabled features provide evidence-grounded, supportable outputs.

  • Mentor engineers on secure implementation, observability, debugging, and operational readiness for AI-enabled software in sovereign or restricted environments.

Minimum Qualifications
  • U.S. Citizenship with active US Government security clearance, TS/SCI with Poly, at hire.

  • 11 years of software development experience; or bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field and 7 years of software development experience; or master's degree in a relevant technical field and 5 years of software development experience; or doctorate in a relevant technical field and 3 years of software development experience.

  • 6 years of experience with programming and/or scripting languages.

  • 4 years of experience with databases.

  • Experience designing, building, testing, and operating distributed application services.

  • Demonstrated experience with code review, automation, quality assurance, secure development practices, and technical mentorship.

Preferred Qualifications
  • 11 years of software development experience or equivalent advanced degree plus experience.

  • 3 years of experience with cloud platforms such as Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

  • 1 year of experience working with operating budgets and/or project financials.

  • Experience with RESTful APIs, microservices, service-oriented architecture, CI/CD, containers, Kubernetes, Linux, observability, and incident response.

  • Experience delivering software in regulated, classified, sovereign, or air-gapped environments.

  • Experience building production AI-enabled software, including secure application integrations, evaluation frameworks, workflow automation, model-serving integrations, operational data platforms, or observability for AI-enabled systems.

Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
  • Lead design and implementation of application features, services, APIs, and integrations aligned to secure, scalable architecture.

  • Develop and guide new application features and enhancements, including design specifications, implementation plans, and technical documentation.

  • Lead code reviews across multiple application areas and coach engineers on quality, maintainability, security, and operational readiness.

  • Troubleshoot and resolve complex application, API, service-to-service, integration, and production issues.

  • Contribute to architecture decisions, scalability strategies, performance optimization, and periodic technical reviews.

  • Implement comprehensive testing, observability, monitoring, error logging, and debugging practices.

  • Collaborate with product, program, QA, operations, security, and customer-facing teams to align technical delivery with mission and business needs.

  • Mentor engineers and contribute to hiring, technical standards, and continuous improvement across the team.

  • Design and implement AI-enabled software capabilities, including secure service integrations, workflow orchestration, evaluation tooling, operational data access, and production application features.

  • Define engineering patterns for testing, validating, monitoring, and operating AI-enabled software, including reliability, latency, quality, failure handling, auditability, and safe degradation.

  • Lead technical design for governed access to approved operational data sources and ensure AI-enabled features provide evidence-grounded, supportable outputs.

  • Mentor engineers on secure implementation, observability, debugging, and operational readiness for AI-enabled software in sovereign or restricted environments.

Qualifications
Disclaimer:
Certain U.S. based or U.S. customer or client-facing roles may be required to comply with applicable requirements, such as immunization/occupational health mandates, and/or drug testing requirements.
Range and benefit information provided in this posting are specific to the stated locations only
US: Hiring Range in USD from: $99,600 to $209,500 per annum. May be eligible for bonus and equity.
Oracle maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations, as well as reflect Oracle's differing products, industries and lines of business.
Candidates are typically placed into the range based on the preceding factors as well as internal peer equity.
Oracle US offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes the following:
1. Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion
2. Short term disability and long term disability
3. Life insurance and AD&D
4. Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)
5. Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
6. Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits
7. 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match
8. Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position. Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits. For employees working at least 35 hours per week, the vacation accrual rate is 13 days annually for the first three years of employment and 18 days annually for subsequent years of employment. Vacation accrual is prorated for employees working between 20 and 34 hours per week. Employees working fewer than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.
9. 11 paid holidays
10. Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire. Refreshes each calendar year. Unused balance will carry over each year up to a maximum cap of 112 hours.
11. Paid parental leave
12. Adoption assistance
13. Employee Stock Purchase Plan
14. Financial planning and group legal
15. Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insurance
The role will generally accept applications for at least three calendar days from the posting date or as long as the job remains posted.
Career Level - IC4
About Us
Only Oracle brings together the data, infrastructure, applications, and expertise to power everything from industry innovations to life-saving care. And with AI embedded across our products and services, we help customers turn that promise into a better future for all. Discover your potential at a company leading the way in AI and cloud solutions that impact billions of lives.
True innovation starts when everyone is empowered to contribute. That's why we're committed to growing a workforce that promotes opportunities for all with competitive benefits that support our people with flexible medical, life insurance, and retirement options. We also encourage employees to give back to their communities through our volunteer programs.
We're committed to including people with disabilities at all stages of the employment process. If you require accessibility assistance or accommodation for a disability at any point, let us know by emailing accommodation-request_mb@oracle.com or by calling 1-888-404-2494 in the United States.
Oracle is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans' status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Oracle will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.

What Oracle employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Oracle logo

About Oracle

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

An Oracle career can span industries, roles, Countries and cultures, giving you the opportunity to flourish in new roles and innovate, while blending work life in. Oracle has thrived through 40+ years of change by innovating and operating with integrity while delivering for the top companies in almost every industry. In order to nurture the talent that makes this happen, we are committed to an inclusive culture that celebrates and values diverse insights and perspectives, a workforce that inspires thought leadership and innovation. Oracle offers a highly competitive suite of Employee Benefits designed on the principles of parity, consistency, and affordability. The overall package includes certain core elements such as Medical, Life Insurance, access to Retirement Planning, and much more. We also encourage our employees to engage in the culture of giving back to the communities where we live and do business. At Oracle, we believe that innovation starts with diversity and inclusion and to create the future we need talent from various backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to successfully participate in the job application, interview process, and in potential roles. to perform crucial job functions. That's why we're committed to creating a workforce where all individuals can do their best work. It's when everyone's voice is heard and valued that we're inspired to go beyond what's been done before.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Redwood City, CA, US

Year founded

1977

Social media