Principal Software Engineer (BE)

Responsibilities

Lead the technical lifecycle of products, including architecture and technology decisions, feature breakdown, production readiness, and ownership of overall technical quality. Guide and review engineers, document architectural decisions, collaborate across disciplines and with clients, and contribute to domain leadership, hiring, and sales support.

Requirements

Requires 8+ years of software development experience, 2–3+ years of application architecture experience, and strong C#/.NET and Microsoft Azure skills. Candidates must demonstrate complex software development, technical communication, iterative delivery, and practical use of AI-assisted development tools; a computer-related degree, coding bootcamp certificate, or demonstrated self-taught skills is required.

Skills

• C#
• .NET
• Microsoft Azure
• Software Architecture
• Application Development
• AI-Assisted Development
• Context- and Specification-Driven AI Development
• Code Generation
• Debugging
• Testing
• Optimization
• Technical Leadership
• Technical Communication
• Client Communication
• Solution Design
• Requirements Discovery

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Legal Support
• Identity Theft Protection
• 401(k) With Company Match
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Remote Work
• Professional Development Funding

About this role

About Nerdery and Being a “Nerd.”
Nerdery is a digital product consultancy. Much more than consultants, we’re
allies and guides on our clients’ digital journey – helping them to grow their
business and delight their customers through intuitive, thoughtfully designed
technology. As true partners, we prepare our clients for the opportunities in
front of them, help them achieve their goals, and quickly deliver value for
their customers. We do this by solving problems in creative ways across
strategy, design, and technology.

At Nerdery, we’re not defined by our job titles but by the impact we make.
You’ll work directly and closely with some of the world’s best brands to help
create innovative digital products that serve everyone. As Nerds, our insight,
innovation, and expertise are celebrated, and our growth is not only encouraged
but expected. Being a Nerd means stepping up and pushing the boundaries of
what’s possible. 

We are looking for a PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE ENGINEER (BE) to join our team! We
invite you to check out the details below and consider whether becoming a Nerd
is the next step in your career journey.

The Principal Software Engineer utilizes their deep professional software
engineering experience to oversee entire project life cycles while serving as a
technical leader to their project team. Highly proficient in their craft, the
Principal Software Engineer provides architectural direction and technical
guidance to other engineers while being effective communicators with
non-technical team members. The Principal Software Engineer is responsible for
the overall technical quality of the product.

Requirements:
* Undergraduate or graduate degree in a computer related field, coding bootcamp
certificate, OR a thorough demonstration of self-taught software development
skills
* 8+ years of software development experience
* 2-3+ years of application software architecture experience, including
familiarity with common design patterns and approaches for solving typical
application problems for their discipline 
* Ability to write complex software and demonstrated proficiency in explaining
the “why” behind code
* Strong technical communication acumen; can explain complex technical problems
to technical and non-technical audiences (clients, project members, team
members, peers, etc.)
* Strong understanding of the development process and ability to maintain an
iterative approach throughout the project lifecycle 
* Strong proficiency in C# and .NET development, including designing, building,
and maintaining scalable, production-ready applications and services.
* Hands-on experience with Microsoft Azure, including developing, deploying,
and maintaining cloud-based applications and services.
* AI-forward development mindset, with demonstrated experience incorporating
AI-assisted development tools into daily software engineering workflows,
including code generation, debugging, testing, and optimization.
* Proficiency in context and specification-driven AI development, including
providing structured context, defining clear technical requirements, and
validating AI-generated solutions for quality, security, and maintainability.

Preferred:
* Introductory systems architecture experience
* Has experience or demonstrates the ability to participate in client pitches
* Exposure to full stack applications and coding skills outside of your
specialization
* Experience developing AI-powered applications, including LLM integrations, AI
agents, agentic workflows, or AI orchestration frameworks.
* Experience participating in technical solutioning, including requirements
discovery, solution design, technical feasibility assessments, and presenting
proposed approaches to clients or stakeholders.

What You'll Do:
* Oversee the entire technical lifecycle of a product including, but not
limited to software/language/framework decisions, breaking down features into
technical stories, and production readiness 
* Write and demonstrate comprehension of complex software using expert level
understanding of code patterns, application architecture, and best practices
* Serve as the technical lead for a team of software engineers
* Own the technical quality of their product 
* Leading fruitful discussions about and documenting architectural decisions
* Adapt the development process to fit the team and client needs
* Foster cross-functional collaboration as a technical liaison between
engineering and other project disciplines (Design, Quality, Project
Management, Strategy, Product, etc.).
* Own the technical review process for team members and provide ongoing
technical feedback and recommendations
* Participate in the internal leadership of their respective domain; provide
input to the strategic direction of the domain, assist with domain
initiatives, and maintain best practices within the domain
* Utilize deep technical communication acumen to explain complex technical
concerns across multiple levels of abstraction and audiences
* Assess the technical skills of prospective candidates and provide
recommendations to hiring managers
* Provide ad-hoc technical support to other practitioners in the domain as
needed
* Assist with sales requests as needed by providing technical recommendations
and estimates to prospective clients
* Participate in other duties as assigned

Pay Range:
* $164,500-$200,000/per year

The pay range provided reflects the target compensation for this position, and
individual pay within this range is determined by a variety of factors
including, but not limited to, the candidate's relevant experience, specific
skills, education, certifications, internal equity with comparable roles at our
company, market conditions, and the geographic location of the role. We are
committed to fair and equitable compensation practices, and we regularly review
our pay structures to ensure competit...

About Nerdery

IT Services and IT Consulting · 51-200 employees · headquartered in Edina, Minnesota · founded 2003