O.C. Tanner
Join O.C. Tanner, the global leader in employee recognition and rewards technology, as we embark on our most ambitious technological transformation yet. We're seeking an exceptional Principal Software Engineer to define our company's technical future and lead the evolution of our platform that impacts millions of employees worldwide.
As the recognized thought leader in our industry and consistently ranked as a top workplace, O.C. Tanner is poised for unprecedented growth. This is your opportunity to architect the next generation of our platform-an open ecosystem that will enable AI-powered solutions, partner integrations, and custom client applications at enterprise scale.
The ideal candidate is a visionary technologist with deep expertise in modern distributed systems, proven ability to influence across organizations, and a track record of driving technical excellence at scale. You'll work alongside VPs of technology and fellow principal engineers, with opportunities to grow in the future.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Technical Leadership
Define and execute O.C. Tanner's overall technical strategy across multiple software domains Lead architectural decisions for our next-generation platform, enabling client and partner custom solutions Drive the evolution from monolithic to event-driven microservices architecture using modern patterns Champion technical debt reduction and platform evolvability to dramatically increase delivery velocity Cross-Domain Impact & Innovation
Lead the most critical strategic initiatives spanning multiple engineering domains (15-50+ engineers) Architect AI-enabled platform capabilities and seamless partner AI integrations Design systems using cutting-edge technologies: Java, AWS, TypeScript, React, GraphQL, Kafka Establish architectural standards and evangelize best practices across the engineering organization Leadership & Influence
Partner directly with Engineering Directors to set strategic direction for the entire engineering department Mentor and develop Staff Engineers and senior technical leaders across multiple teams Collaborate with executive leadership to shape company-wide technology vision Drive organization-wide adoption of Domain Driven Design, Team Topologies, and Clean Code principles Technical Excellence & Delivery
Ensure production-ready solutions with focus on testability, scalability, and maintainability Lead system design for complex, highly available distributed systems serving enterprise clients Drive continuous improvement of development processes, CI/CD pipelines, and engineering practices Balance innovation with operational excellence in a fast-paced, high-growth environment Qualifications
Experience & Leadership
15-20 years of software engineering experience with extensive industry leadership history Recognized authority in software architecture, distributed systems, or platform engineering Proven track record scaling engineering organizations and driving company-wide technical transformation Experience with enterprise software development and SaaS platform architecture Technical Expertise
Deep expertise in modern Java ecosystems, cloud platforms (AWS), and microservices architectures Strong background in event-driven systems, API design, and distributed system patterns Experience with React, TypeScript, GraphQL, and modern frontend/backend integration Knowledge of OAuth, API gateways, and enterprise security patterns Leadership & Communication
Exceptional ability to influence and drive change across multiple teams and departments Outstanding communication skills with ability to present technical concepts to executives and non-technical stakeholders Experience mentoring senior engineers and building high-performance engineering cultures Collaborative approach with proven ability to work effectively across all organizational levels
What Makes This Opportunity Exceptional
Industry Leadership:
Join the recognized thought leader in employee recognition technology, impacting millions of workers globally through innovative solutions.
Technical Innovation:
Lead the transformation to a cutting-edge open platform architecture, enabling AI capabilities and ecosystem partnerships that will define the industry's future.
Growth & Impact:
Direct multiple software domains in a company poised for accelerated growth, with clear visibility to executive leadership and advancement opportunities.
Rewarding Culture:
Experience our consistently top-rated workplace culture with a generous variable compensation plan.
Modern Technology Stack:
Work with the latest technologies in a well-funded environment focused on technical excellence and engineering best practices.
This role offers the rare combination of technical leadership at scale, strategic business impact, and the opportunity to shape the future of workplace technology around the globe. If you're ready to drive meaningful change and lead the next evolution of enterprise software, we want to hear from you.
As the recognized thought leader in our industry and consistently ranked as a top workplace, O.C. Tanner is poised for unprecedented growth. This is your opportunity to architect the next generation of our platform-an open ecosystem that will enable AI-powered solutions, partner integrations, and custom client applications at enterprise scale.
The ideal candidate is a visionary technologist with deep expertise in modern distributed systems, proven ability to influence across organizations, and a track record of driving technical excellence at scale. You'll work alongside VPs of technology and fellow principal engineers, with opportunities to grow in the future.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Technical Leadership
Define and execute O.C. Tanner's overall technical strategy across multiple software domains Lead architectural decisions for our next-generation platform, enabling client and partner custom solutions Drive the evolution from monolithic to event-driven microservices architecture using modern patterns Champion technical debt reduction and platform evolvability to dramatically increase delivery velocity Cross-Domain Impact & Innovation
Lead the most critical strategic initiatives spanning multiple engineering domains (15-50+ engineers) Architect AI-enabled platform capabilities and seamless partner AI integrations Design systems using cutting-edge technologies: Java, AWS, TypeScript, React, GraphQL, Kafka Establish architectural standards and evangelize best practices across the engineering organization Leadership & Influence
Partner directly with Engineering Directors to set strategic direction for the entire engineering department Mentor and develop Staff Engineers and senior technical leaders across multiple teams Collaborate with executive leadership to shape company-wide technology vision Drive organization-wide adoption of Domain Driven Design, Team Topologies, and Clean Code principles Technical Excellence & Delivery
Ensure production-ready solutions with focus on testability, scalability, and maintainability Lead system design for complex, highly available distributed systems serving enterprise clients Drive continuous improvement of development processes, CI/CD pipelines, and engineering practices Balance innovation with operational excellence in a fast-paced, high-growth environment Qualifications
Experience & Leadership
15-20 years of software engineering experience with extensive industry leadership history Recognized authority in software architecture, distributed systems, or platform engineering Proven track record scaling engineering organizations and driving company-wide technical transformation Experience with enterprise software development and SaaS platform architecture Technical Expertise
Deep expertise in modern Java ecosystems, cloud platforms (AWS), and microservices architectures Strong background in event-driven systems, API design, and distributed system patterns Experience with React, TypeScript, GraphQL, and modern frontend/backend integration Knowledge of OAuth, API gateways, and enterprise security patterns Leadership & Communication
Exceptional ability to influence and drive change across multiple teams and departments Outstanding communication skills with ability to present technical concepts to executives and non-technical stakeholders Experience mentoring senior engineers and building high-performance engineering cultures Collaborative approach with proven ability to work effectively across all organizational levels
What Makes This Opportunity Exceptional
Industry Leadership:
Join the recognized thought leader in employee recognition technology, impacting millions of workers globally through innovative solutions.
Technical Innovation:
Lead the transformation to a cutting-edge open platform architecture, enabling AI capabilities and ecosystem partnerships that will define the industry's future.
Growth & Impact:
Direct multiple software domains in a company poised for accelerated growth, with clear visibility to executive leadership and advancement opportunities.
Rewarding Culture:
Experience our consistently top-rated workplace culture with a generous variable compensation plan.
Modern Technology Stack:
Work with the latest technologies in a well-funded environment focused on technical excellence and engineering best practices.
This role offers the rare combination of technical leadership at scale, strategic business impact, and the opportunity to shape the future of workplace technology around the globe. If you're ready to drive meaningful change and lead the next evolution of enterprise software, we want to hear from you.