Principal Software Engineer
Bothell, Washington
Job Description:
This position requires office presence of a minimum of 5 days per week and is only located in the location(s) posted. No relocation is offered.
What You'll Do:
This position will drive hands-on operational optimization and SRE practices across Tier 1-3 (T1-T3) support for multiple API platforms. You will standardize processes, enhance automation, CI/CD pipelines, security, and reliability; perform root cause analyses (RCAs) for complex issues; and lead targeted modernizations and cloud migrations. As a hands-on SME, you'll supplement the team with deep technical expertise to enable meaningful transformations, emphasizing proactive incident prevention, post-incident learnings, and continuous improvements in platform stability/resiliency.
What You'll Need:
- Hands-on API development, troubleshooting, and optimization: Design, build, debug, and enhance APIs (SOAP, REST, stateful using Cassandra) on legacy and modern platforms like Mule Anypoint (integrations with Salesforce, low-code systems), ensuring high availability, sub-3-second performance with scalability and resiliency.
- Drive platform modernizations and cloud migrations with a hands-on approach: Lead targeted initiatives, evaluate emerging technologies, and implement reliability enhancements.
- Implement and automate CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and alerting: Develop robust automation scripts, integrate observability tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana), and optimize DevOps workflows to reduce toil, improve deployment velocity, and enhance security across platforms.
- In-depth troubleshooting and RCAs for complex, cross-system issues in APIs, cloud environments, messaging, and network layers: Analyze incidents hands-on, derive actionable insights, and drive post-incident improvements or architectural modernizations to prevent recurrence and boost overall system reliability.
- Help standardize T1-T3 support processes across platforms with an SRE lens: Identify and close gaps, promote reliability engineering practices like error budgets, SLAs/SLOs, and chaos engineering where applicable.
- Build, troubleshoot, and automate event-driven architectures using Kafka, Confluent Kafka, Solace to support high-velocity data flows.
- Support data layer transformations and integrations: prioritizing reliability and efficiency in NoSQL (e.g., Cassandra) and tools like Databricks.
- Provide technical leadership: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, share hands-on knowledge, and mentor on SRE best practices to elevate team capabilities in a dynamic environment.
- Stay ahead of telecom trends (e.g., AI-assisted automation, 5G APIs) and apply them to drive organizational impact through optimization and innovation.
What You'll Bring:
- Bachelor's or Master’s degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
- 10+ years in software engineering with a proven track record in hands-on development of scalable applications and APIs in cloud/hybrid environments.
- 5+ years of hands-on experience with high-volume, high-velocity systems, including performance tuning, incident response, and reliability engineering.
- Demonstrated SRE or similar expertise in at least one core area (e.g., API troubleshooting, cloud migrations, automation) with aptitude to adapt across domains.
- Experience in telecom or network environments preferred, including legacy/modern API gateways, messaging, and data integration.
- Hands-on proficiency in API technologies: development, troubleshooting, and optimization of REST, SOAP, MuleSoft Anypoint platform, stateful APIs, and - must be able to dive into code, debug issues, and implement fixes in real-time
- Expertise in CI/CD and automation: Building pipelines (Jenkins, Git), scripting for orchestration, and integrating tools for continuous testing, deployment, and monitoring.
- Exceptional troubleshooting and problem-solving skills across APIs, cloud (Azure preferred, AWS/Google Cloud acceptable), messaging, and network layers: Ability to perform RCAs, learn from incidents, and implement improvements like enhanced alerting, tooling or code.
- Cloud expertise: Hands-on architecting with Docker, Kubernetes, multi-region setups, and SRE practices for high availability.
- Strong hands-on experience in platform modernizations: Leading migrations, architectural refactoring, and transformations in complex environments (e.g., legacy to cloud-native), with direct involvement in coding and implementation.
- Proficiency in messaging and streaming: Hands-on development with Kafka, Confluent Kafka, Solace, or similar for event-driven systems.
- Data handling skills: Hands-on with NoSQL (Cassandra, MongoDB), data transformation tools (Informatica, Databricks), and integration patterns.
- Full-stack or backend development: Java, Python, Spring Boot, Node.js, or equivalent, with focus on reliable, scalable code.
Our Principal Software Engineer earns between $141,300.00 - $237,400.00 USD Annual, not to mention all the other amazing rewards that working at AT&T offers. Individual starting salary within this range may depend on geography, experience, expertise, and education/training.
Joining our team comes with amazing perks and benefits:
- Medical/Dental/Vision coverage
- 401(k) plan
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Paid Time Off and Holidays (based on date of hire, at least 23 days of vacation each year and 9 company-designated holidays)
- Paid Parental Leave
- Paid Caregiver Leave
- Additional sick leave beyond what state and local law require may be available but is unprotected.
- Adoption Reimbursement
- Disability Benefits (short term and long term)
- Life and Accidental Death Insurance
- Supplemental benefit programs: critical illness/accident hospital indemnity/group legal
- Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
- Extensive employee wellness programs
- Employee discounts up to 50% off on eligible AT&T mobility plans and accessories, AT&T internet (and fiber where available) and AT&T phone.
#LI-Onsite – Full-time office role-
Weekly Hours:
40Time Type:
RegularLocation:
Alpharetta, GeorgiaSalary Range:
$141,300.00 - $237,400.00It is the policy of AT&T to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, AT&T will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. AT&T is a fair chance employer and does not initiate a background check until an offer is made.
Job ID R-71244-2 Date posted 07/14/2025Benefits
Your needs? Met. Your wants? Considered. Take a look at our comprehensive benefits.
- Paid Time Off
- Tuition Assistance
- Insurance Options
- Discounts
- Training & Development
Our hiring process
Apply Now
Confirm your qualifications align with the job requirements and submit your application.
Assessments
You may be required to complete one or more assessments, depending on the role.
Interview
Get ready to put your best foot forward! More than one interview may be necessary.
Conditional Job Offer
We’ll reach out to discuss a conditional job offer and the next steps to joining the team.
Background Check
Timing is important – complete the necessary actions to proceed with onboarding.
Welcome to the Team!
Congratulations! It’s time to experience #LifeAtATT.
Check your email (and SPAM) throughout the process for important messages and next steps.
Connect today
Didn’t find what you were looking for here? Sign up for our job alerts so we can connect and share the latest.