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Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Highlands Ranch, CO

Principal Software Development Engineer

Denver, CO · On-site +1

$139K - $186K/yr

PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER- DEVOPS | REMOTE | US Travel obsessed? Big tech fan? Hey, you're in good company. If you want to be part of the industry that makes the world go round, then ...

Work with a team of engineers, architects, and leaders in an Agile environment. What You Will Learn * A breadth of advanced software technologies and techniques including multi-tiered architectures ...

Design, develop, test, deliver, and maintain software for satellite ground systems. * Work with a team of engineers, architects, and leaders in an Agile environment. What You Will Learn * A breadth ...

Work with talented teams of engineers, architects, and leaders in an Agile environment What You Will Learn * A breadth of advanced software technologies and techniques including multi-tiered ...

Showing results 41-60

Principal Software Engineer information

See Highlands Ranch, CO salary details

$63.5K

$168.9K

$242.5K

How much do principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal software engineer in Highlands Ranch, CO is $168,921.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $141,700.00 and $190,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a principal software engineer typically balance hands-on coding with leadership responsibilities?

Principal Software Engineers often split their time between technical contributions—such as designing system architecture and reviewing complex code—and guiding teams through mentorship, technical direction, and cross-functional collaboration. While they may not code as much as junior engineers, they remain highly involved in critical implementations and code reviews. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong time management, clear communication, and the ability to prioritize tasks that have the highest impact on project and team success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software architecture, programming languages, and system design, often supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field. Advanced proficiency with development frameworks, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure), and familiarity with DevOps tools and agile methodologies are typically required. Exceptional leadership, mentorship, and communication skills help facilitate cross-functional collaboration and guide technical teams. These skills are crucial for driving technical vision, ensuring scalable solutions, and fostering innovation within complex projects.

What is the difference between Principal Software Engineer vs Senior Software Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Software EngineerSenior Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in CS or related field; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in CS; several years of experience
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles, strategic planning, cross-team collaborationDesign, develop, and troubleshoot software; mentorship
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, large enterprises, startupsMost industries, including tech, finance, healthcare

The main difference between a Principal Software Engineer and a Senior Software Engineer lies in their level of responsibility and scope. Principal Software Engineers typically lead technical strategy, influence architecture decisions, and mentor multiple teams, whereas Senior Software Engineers focus on coding, design, and individual project contributions. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the Principal role emphasizes leadership and strategic impact.

What is a principal software engineer?

A principal software engineer is in charge of software development. In this career, you guide the software design process and inspect software programs to make suggestions for improvements. Principal software engineers also process complex data and may need to enforce software design, development, and maintenance requirements. Your job requires a high level of technical knowledge and skills and a thorough understanding of the software development process. Your employer may require you to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in software development. Similar job titles include software architect and principal software developer.

How much does a principal software engineer get paid?

A principal software engineer typically earns between $120,000 and $180,000 annually in the United States, with salaries varying based on experience, location, and company size. They often have advanced skills in software architecture, leadership, and technical expertise in programming languages and tools.
What are popular job titles related to Principal Software Engineer jobs in Highlands Ranch, CO? For Principal Software Engineer jobs in Highlands Ranch, CO, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near Highlands Ranch, CO are hiring for Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities near Highlands Ranch, CO with the most Principal Software Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Principal Software Engineer job openings in Highlands Ranch, CO as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $168,921 per year, or $81.2 per hour.

Principal Software Development Engineer

Travelport

Denver, CO • On-site, Remote

$139K - $186K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 28 days ago


Job description

PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER- DEVOPS | REMOTE  | US

Travel obsessed? Big tech fan? Hey, you're in good company. If you want to be part of the industry that makes the world go round, then look no further. 

Travelport is the brains behind lots of your travel bookings- plane, car or hotel. Our technology is used to book that magical holiday, infamous long-awaited bucket list trip or that overdue school reunion. While we can't solve mosquito bites or lost luggage, we can simplify a lot of the technical parts of travel, and we're looking for the best thinkers to help us do it.

We're hiring right now for a Principal Software Development Engineer! Search for #Travelport on LinkedIn and hear from our amazing team.

How you'll make an impact:

We're looking for a hands-on technical leader who can work across developer, DevOps and platform engineering teams to build tools and patterns that make software delivery faster, safer and more repeatable.

This role is focused on improving how teams build, test, release and operate software. You'll help design and scale delivery tooling, automate common workflows, and create practical patterns that can be reused across multiple engineering teams.

The right person will be comfortable moving between technical detail and team-level change. You'll need to understand how engineers work, build credibility with DevOps and development teams, and help the organisation adopt better ways of delivering software.

Your role in action:

  • Lead the design and build of internal tools and delivery patterns that accelerate software development and deployment.
  • Develop and improve custom CI/CD pipelines to automate standard engineering and operational workflows.
  • Integrate with tools such as Argo CD and Argo Rollouts to support automated, reliable and progressive deployments.
  • Create repeatable patterns for build, release, deployment and infrastructure workflows that can scale across multiple teams.
  • Work closely with developers, DevOps, platform engineering and technical leaders to understand pain points and turn them into practical solutions.
  • Support teams in adopting new tools, processes and ways of working, making sure change is well understood and easy to follow.
  • Help define good engineering practices around automation, deployment, infrastructure as code and operational readiness.
  • Act as a mentor and technical partner for teams, helping engineers build confidence with new tooling and delivery processes.
  • Balance hands-on technical contribution with the ability to influence, communicate and drive change across the organization.

Could this be you? 

  • Strong experience working across software engineering, DevOps and platform engineering environments.
  • Proven ability to build or improve CI/CD pipelines, ideally using GitHub Actions or similar tooling.
  • Strong experience with Terraform and infrastructure as code.
  • Good working knowledge of AWS, including how to build secure, scalable and automated cloud environments.
  • Experience with Argo CD, Argo Rollouts or similar deployment automation tools.
  • Ability to design repeatable, scalable patterns rather than one-off solutions for individual teams.
  • Comfortable working with engineering teams to understand their needs, challenge current ways of working and build practical improvements.
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical change clearly to different audiences.
  • Experience leading change across engineering teams, including adoption of new tools, processes and standards.
  • A mentoring mindset, with the ability to bring others along rather than simply building in isolation.

Preferred experience

  • Java and Spring Boot experience, especially where the role supports application engineering teams directly.
  • Experience working in a platform engineering, developer experience or internal tooling function.
  • Exposure to progressive delivery, blue-green deployments, canary releases or similar deployment approaches.
  • Experience building self-service tooling or paved-road patterns for engineering teams.
  • This is a strong fit for someone who enjoys making engineering teams more effective. The role needs someone who can see the system as a whole, spot friction in the delivery process, and build the tools and habits that help teams move faster without adding risk

Discover why our teams love working here: 

Offer: 200- 230k

Where do we start! Our benefits package includes:

We believe all employees contribute to the success of the company and should be able to share in that success, which is why all jobs are eligible to participate in our bonus program with any payouts being subject to individual and company performance. We offer a comprehensive benefit program that includes medical, dental, vision, employer paid Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary life options, a competitive 401(k) match, as well as many other voluntary benefits to fit your specific needs. We make health and wellness a priority and offer a generous paid time off policy, hybrid working model, as well as contributing to our communities with an annual volunteer day off.  We also offer a New Child leave policy, where the birthing parent receives 16 weeks of paid time off, and the non-birthing parent receives 8. 

Your journey at Travelport starts here- apply now!

We are an equal opportunities employer and will consider all qualified applicants purely on their skills and abilities. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation, if needed.