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Senior Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Renton, WA

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer Lead , you will design and build AI-native systems that go beyond ... Mentor and grow the energetic, diverse, and driven team with a good mix of senior, mid-level, and ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

This role is the senior technical anchor for AEGIS - setting the bar for how IC3 designs, ships ... As a Principal Software Engineer , you will own the multi-year technical strategy and architecture ...

Responsibilities We are seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer to drive the architecture, design, and development of highly scalable cloud infrastructure systems. In this role, you will lead ...

Principal Software Engineer

Renton, WA

$151K - $203K/yr

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer who can guide product ideas through every stage with ... layer of senior and staff engineers. What You'll Bring: * Direct experience creating agentic AI ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will lead the architecture and delivery of product ... senior stakeholders to set the product strategy for services or products of high importance.

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

The Principal Software Engineer will lead efforts to improve performance outcomes for Microsoft Edge, ensuring it remains fast and reliable for users while driving architectural changes and ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will set the technical vision and architecture for the ... Mentor senior engineers and act as a credible technical voice in executive and cross-organizational ...

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$160K - $250K/yr

The Role Gradial is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to drive the architecture and technical ... Mentor senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, rapid iteration, and ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

We are seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to join our Core Infrastructure Services ... As a senior member of our team, you will , shape technical strategy, lead the design, development ...

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

As a Principal Software Engineer , you will define and drive the end-to-end Cloud + AI + Agentic ... Act as a trusted technical advisor to senior stakeholders, creating clarity, driving alignment, and ...

Showing results 41-60

Senior Principal Software Engineer information

See Renton, WA salary details

$92.2K

$174.8K

$241.3K

How much do senior principal software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior principal software engineer in Renton, WA is $174,831.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $141,200.00 and $194,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior principal software engineer do?

A senior principal software engineer leads complex software development projects, designs system architecture, and mentors engineering teams. They focus on technical strategy, ensure code quality, and often collaborate with product managers to align technical solutions with business goals. Strong expertise in programming, system design, and problem-solving is essential for this role.

What is a senior principal software engineer?

A Senior Principal Software Engineer is a highly experienced and skilled professional who leads the design, architecture, and development of complex software systems. They often act as technical experts, providing guidance on best practices, code quality, and system scalability. In addition to coding, they mentor other engineers, influence technology strategy, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver business-critical solutions. Their role typically requires extensive industry experience and a deep understanding of both software engineering and business requirements.

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

To thrive as a Senior Principal Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software development, architecture design, and advanced problem-solving, typically supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field. Mastery of programming languages (such as Java, C++, or Python), cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), and experience with CI/CD tools or architectural frameworks is essential, with certifications like AWS Certified Solutions Architect being advantageous. Exceptional leadership, communication, and mentorship skills set outstanding candidates apart by enabling them to guide teams and influence technical direction. These competencies ensure the delivery of robust, scalable solutions and drive organizational innovation and efficiency.

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

AspectSenior Principal Software EngineerLead Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, extensive experienceBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, significant experience
Work EnvironmentStrategic, architecture, and high-level technical leadershipProject management, team coordination, technical guidance
Industry UsageResearch, enterprise, large-scale tech companiesProduct teams, startups, mid-sized companies

The Senior Principal Software Engineer typically focuses on strategic technical direction and architecture, often working across teams and influencing company-wide technology decisions. In contrast, the Lead Software Engineer manages project execution and team coordination. Both roles require advanced technical skills, but their focus areas differ, with the Senior Principal emphasizing long-term vision and the Lead emphasizing project delivery.

How does a senior principal software engineer typically contribute to strategic decision-making within a technology organization?

Senior Principal Software Engineers play a key role in shaping technical direction and architecture at an organizational level. They often collaborate closely with engineering leadership, product managers, and cross-functional teams to evaluate technology choices and align projects with long-term business goals. This role involves mentoring other engineers, driving adoption of best practices, and proactively identifying technical risks and opportunities. By influencing architectural decisions and setting technical standards, Senior Principal Software Engineers help ensure the scalability, reliability, and maintainability of critical systems.
What cities near Renton, WA are hiring for Senior Principal Software Engineer jobs? Cities near Renton, WA with the most Senior Principal Software Engineer job openings:

Principal Software Engineer

Microsoft

Redmond, WA • On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago


Microsoft rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 132 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

78th of 242 rated software companies


Job description

Overview
Commercial Engineering & AI (CEAI) partners closely with stakeholders to accelerate the transformation of Microsoft's commercial business into a frontier organization. We bring together AI-native engineering, modern platforms, and deep commercial insight to reimagine how work gets done-at scale and with impact.
Within this context, the Scale and Partner AI Experiences (SPAI) organization is at the forefront of transforming Microsoft's sales ecosystem through AI-first innovation. Our mission is to build intelligent, scalable platforms that power partner and customer success, accelerating Microsoft's commercial growth through modern, AI-driven experiences.
As a Principal Software Engineer Lead, you will design and build AI-native systems that go beyond supporting workflows-they intelligently transform them. You will work across data, systems, and agentic workflows to enable faster insights, smarter decisions, and higher productivity across the global sales ecosystem.
Responsibilities
  • Understand end-to-end business processes, workflows, and data flows across the Microsoft sales ecosystem, and identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and agentify those experiences.
  • Rapidly prototype and deliver POCs and iterate on solutions using an experimentation-driven engineering approach.
  • Design, build, and ship scalable, production-quality features and intelligent services using modern engineering practices.
  • Collaborate across teams to integrate systems, data, and signals into cohesive AI-powered workflows.
  • Debug, troubleshoot, and improve system reliability and performance using telemetry and diagnostics
  • Build secure, compliant, and responsible AI solutions ready for production scale.
  • Contribute to a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and engineering excellence.
  • Mentor and grow the energetic, diverse, and driven team with a good mix of senior, mid-level, and entry talent.

Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python OR equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications
  • 6+ years of professional software engineering experience with hands-on coding in languages such as C#, Java, Python, or React.
  • Proficiency in AI-native development - working within Agent Harnesses (GitHub Copilot CLI, Coding Agents), authoring Markdown specs/ADRs and YAML configs as Agent-consumable inputs, orchestrating multi-step Agentic workflows across the SDLC, and reviewing Agent-generated code and PRs with production-grade rigor.
  • Fundamentals in data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, and scalable systems.
  • Experience building, testing, debugging, and maintaining production-quality software, following established engineering practices as well as leveraging large language models (LLMs).
  • Problem-solving and technical judgment skills, with the ability to design scoped solutions, debug complex issues, and improve service performance.
  • Experience in driving AI (LLM/ML) based engineering solution.
  • Experience with cloud platforms and distributed/service-oriented architecture.
  • Familiarity with reliability, monitoring, and performance optimization practices.
  • Collaboration and communication skills, with experience in design reviews.
  • Experience building impactful, user-facing AI solutions.

Software Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

What Microsoft employees say

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About Microsoft

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 100 datacenters and 1 million servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Redmond, WA, US

Year founded

1975

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