Principal Software Engineer

Introduction to Demandbase: 

Demandbase helps B2B companies hit their revenue goals using fewer resources. How? By using the power of AI to identify and engage the accounts and buying groups most likely to purchase. Our account-based technology unites sales and marketing teams around insights that you can understand and facilitates quick actions across systems and channels to deliver big wins. It’s flexible, scalable ABM built for you.

As a company, we prioritize both the advancement of careers and the development of world-class technology. We invest heavily in people, our culture, and the communities around us. We have offices strategically located in San Francisco and New York in the US, and Hyderabad, in India and we embrace a hybrid work model in these regions. Outside of these areas we offer a remote work option and boast a significant presence in Austin, TX, Atlanta, GA, and London, UK. Continuously lauded as a great place to work, we are Great Place to Work Certified, and have earned distinctions such as "Fortune's Best Workplaces in the Bay Area,"Best Workplaces in Technology," "Best Workplaces for Millennials," and "Best Workplaces for Parents"!

We're committed to attracting, developing, retaining, and promoting a diverse workforce. By ensuring that every Demandbase employee is able to bring a diversity of talents to work, we're increasingly capable of achieving our mission to transform the way B2B companies go to market. We encourage people from historically underrepresented backgrounds and all walks of life to apply. Come grow with us at Demandbase!

About the Role: 

We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to drive architectural excellence, define our technical roadmap, and lead cross-team technical initiatives. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Engineering, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our platform by providing technical leadership and guidance across multiple teams.

The base compensation range for this position for candidates in the SF Bay Area is: $200,000 - $275,000. For all other locations, the base compensation range is based on the primary work location of the candidate as our ranges are location specific. Actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skillset, years of experience, and depth of experience.

What you'll be doing:

• Define and drive the technical architecture across three engineering teams, ensuring scalable, high-performance, and maintainable solutions.
• Develop and maintain the technical strategy and roadmap, aligning it with the company's business and product goals.
• Lead the integration of DB1 marketing platform with generative and agentic AI to automate user workflows and achieve business outcomes autonomously.
• Work with engineering managers, staff engineers, and product managers to ensure seamless execution of technical initiatives.
• Introduce and advocate for best engineering practices, including software design principles, code quality, security, and cloud scalability.
• Act as a mentor and role model, helping to grow and develop engineering talent within the organization.
• Work closely with product managers to break down product initiatives into deliverable iterations while balancing technical and business needs.
• While this role is strategic and technical, there will be opportunities to contribute to code reviews, proof of concepts, and complex system designs.

What we're looking for:

• A strategic thinker who can balance short-term execution with long-term vision.
• A technical leader who can influence without direct authority and drive technical initiatives across teams.
• Someone with a strong architectural mindset, capable of designing scalable, cloud-based systems.
• A mentor and coach who can uplift the technical expertise of the engineering organization.
• Someone who thrives in a collaborative, agile environment and enjoys solving complex challenges.
• An AI enthusiast who understands how to apply generative and agentic AI to software development and product acceleration.

Skills & Education:

• Strong expertise in distributed systems architecture and scalable microservices.
• Deep understanding, and strong experience building applications across the traditional web application stack
• Strong proficiency in at least one backend language (Java, Scala or Python)
• Experience with data-intensive applications, including databases (SQL & NoSQL) and caching mechanisms.
• Knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD, and modern software delivery methodologies.
• Experience with cloud-native technologies (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and containerization (Kubernetes, Docker).
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5 years in an architectural or technical leadership role.
• Proven experience leading the technical direction of multiple teams and defining cross-functional roadmaps.
• Strong background in agile development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, etc.).
• Experience working in a high-growth, fast-paced SaaS or enterprise software environment.
• Hands-on experience with AI-driven development tools and their integration into engineering workflows.
• Experience integrating AI-powered automation into enterprise platforms to streamline workflows and enhance business outcomes.

Benefits:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and financial security. Our employees enjoy up to 100% paid premiums for Medical and Vision coverage, ensuring access to top-tier care for you and your loved ones. In addition, we provide a range of mental wellness resources, including access to Modern Health, to help support your emotional well-being. We believe in a healthy work-life harmony, which is why we offer a flexible PTO policy, 15 paid holidays in 2025—including a three-day break around July 4th and a full week off for Thanksgiving—and No Internal Meetings Fridays to give you uninterrupted time to focus on what matters most. For your financial future, we offer a competitive 401(k) plan, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and other valuable benefits to ensure your financial peace of mind.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Demandbase:

At Demandbase, we believe in creating a workplace culture that values and celebrates diversity in all its forms. We recognize that everyone brings unique experiences, perspectives, and identities to the table, and we are committed to building a community where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated, and we strive to ensure that every individual has an equal opportunity to succeed and grow, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, background, marital status, genetic information, education level, veteran status, national origin, or any other protected status. We do not automatically disqualify applicants with criminal records and will consider each applicant on a case-by-case basis.

We recognize that not all candidates will have every skill or qualification listed in this job description. If you feel you have the level of experience to be successful in the role, we encourage you to apply!

We acknowledge that true diversity and inclusion requires ongoing effort, and we are committed to doing the work required to make our workplace a safe and equitable space for all. Join us in building a community where we can learn from each other, celebrate our differences, and work together.