Principal Software Engineer

We are looking for an experienced, capable technology leader who can live technically on our ESW core platform. The Principal Engineer will work with technology management, the development teams and partner closely with the product team to support implementation of our ESW Cloud based platform.  

The Principal Engineer, Platform is a senior individual contributor who sets the technical direction for ESW’s core platform. This role provides hands-on technical leadership across multiple teams, ensuring our platform is secure, scalable, reliable, and easy to build on. 

Our platform is primarily built on latest .NET, Azure, and Kafka, with heavy use of AKS, Cosmos DB, Azure Monitor, Azure DevOps, Helm charts, containers, and shared base images. 

You will collaborate with Engineering Managers, Product, and Architecture to evolve these platform capabilities, simplify complexity, and enable product teams to deliver value quickly and safely. 

You will be a role model and mentor to our software developers and rest of the Platform Core team. The right leader will influence others by demonstrating professionalism, enthusiasm, providing communication and creating a collaborative environment. 

• Own and evolve ESW’s platform architecture (.NET on AKS, Kafka, Cosmos DB).

• Design and review end-to-end platform capabilities and integration patterns.

• Set and enforce architectural standards for AKS, Kafka, APIs, and data.

• Drive key initiatives (service modernisation, container/Helm strategy, Azure refactors).

• Contribute to and review critical .NET platform code.

• Guide AKS, Kubernetes, Helm, and container usage in practice.

• Break down large initiatives into incremental deliveries.

• Raise standards for code quality, CI/CD, testing, and automation.

• Align platform work with Engineering and Product priorities.

• Ensure strong observability, reliability, and incident response across AKS, Kafka, and Cosmos DB.

• Drive cross-team adoption of shared libraries, pipelines, and Kafka patterns.

• Influence platform direction to reduce complexity and duplication.

• Mentor senior engineers and evolve engineering standards.

Hard skills

• Significant experience (10+ years) in software engineering, including senior technical leadership (e.g. Staff/Principal Engineer, Tech Lead). 
• Must have: experience with Azure, .NET, CosmosDB and Kafka; a basic understanding of Docker & Kubernetes
• Proven track record designing and operating largescale, distributed systems and platforms in Azure.
• Experience building and evolving platform capabilities and shared services used by multiple product teams.
• Strong system design and architecture skills (e.g. microservices on Kubernetes, event driven systems with Kafka, APIs, data contracts). 
• Experience with Containers, Helm charts, and shared base images for consistent, repeatable deployments. 
• Solid understanding of DevOps, CI/CD (preferably Azure DevOps), infrastructure as code concepts, and observability. 
• Strong focus on security, reliability, and operational excellence in a cloudnative environment. 

Soft skills

• Able to influence and align multiple teams without direct line management. 
• Clear written and verbal communication in English, comfortable with technical and non-technical audiences. Primarily, the ability to communicate ideas. 
• Pragmatic decision making: balances long-term platform health with short-term delivery needs. 
• High ownership, collaborative, and continuously learning. 
• Intellectual curiosity, learning agility, and enthusiasm for tackling challenging problems. 
• Deep Problem solving and the ability to analyze a business or technical issue and select the most appropriate solutions. 
• Understanding of risk in designs and mitigation strategies. 

Our purpose is simple: to create moments that matter between people and the brands they cherish. We enable brands to expand their global reach, facilitating simple and seamless ecommerce experiences for consumers worldwide. Through our integration solutions, we deliver a complete international checkout experience, including local duties, taxes, fulfilment, delivery management, and global returns and payment processing capabilities.

Guided by our values - Own It, Champion Simplicity, Win as One, and Debate then Commit—we strive to foster innovation, accountability, and teamwork, creating solutions that inspire trust and drive impactful results.

• Direct hire with a SaaS company: This isn’t consulting or outsourcing. Shape the future of our product with ownership, impact, and long-term vision.  
• Annual healthcare allowance: Receive €1,500 annually, along with access to partnered healthcare providers.
• Pension scheme: ESW will match your contributions up to 6.5%.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Access a dedicated platform offering counselling and therapy services.
• Gym membership: Enjoy Flyefit gym access at a reduced rate with no joining fee.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Purchase a bike tax‑free and make your commute healthier and more sustainable.
• TaxSaver Scheme: Save on public transport tickets through our commuter benefits.
• Professional and personal development: Find your spark and leave your mark. We will ensure your talent is nurtured and cultivated for growth and success throughout your career with ESW.
• Learning & Development: Access our internal learning platform and benefit from our career development plan.
• International environment: Work with people from over 30 different cultures.
• Hybrid working: Enjoy the best of both worlds with 2–3 days in our office, and 2–3 days working from the comfort of your home. Right now our offices are in Swords, but we'll be moving to our office in Dublin Docklands in April.
• Diversity, Belonging & Inclusion: When we win, we win together. You'll be part of a culture that values every individual for who they are, fostering an environment where uniqueness is encouraged.
   

ESW is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at ESW are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

If you require any reasonable accommodations or adjustments throughout the hiring process, please let us know. We are dedicated to ensuring equal access and opportunity for all candidates.

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