Principal Software Engineer

Job Description

**Staff Engineer or Principal Engineer -- Colorado Stealth Startup**

**About the Opportunity?**

Join an elite, venture-backed team building next-generation, AI-powered collaboration tools for the enterprise.

Technical Integrity has been retained to lead the search for a rapidly growing startup developing AI systems that improve how large organizations think, communicate, and make decisions. Their product uses cutting-edge AI to identify and resolve coordination gaps automatically --- helping teams operate more intelligently and efficiently at scale.

Following a recent, substantial, oversubscribed-round of funding (by names you will certainly recognize), the company is expanding its world-class engineering team in Colorado and beyond.

**What You'll Do**

* Architect and implement core systems for an AI-powered enterprise collaboration platform, as a core engineer.
* Define, design, and deliver innovative solutions in distributed systems, backend logic, and AI integration.
* Collaborate closely with product, design, and AI research peers to shape both strategy and implementation.
* Ensure infrastructure reliability, scalability, and security through modern cloud and Kubernetes technologies.
* Work with other Senior Staff Engineers to foster a culture of technical excellence, autonomy, and curiosity.

**Ideal Candidate Profile**

* **Top 20% Engineer:** Strong analytical ability, judgment, and breadth of experience. You think from first principles and have a track record of solving complex, real-world problems.
* **Hands-On Builder:** You're happiest writing code and shipping production systems in a fast paced startup --- not just managing others.
* **Self-Directed \& Autonomous:** You thrive in a lightly structured environment, decomposing ambiguous problems and independently driving them to completion.
* **Backend, Security \& Systems Focused:** Most work centers on backend and business logic development and integrations. Security-centric SRE experience is preferred. Frontend development is helpful but not central.
* **Startup \& Enterprise Experience:** You balance startup agility with enterprise-scale thinking and rigor.
* **Smart, Not Hard:** You work efficiently and sustainably, typically producing exceptional results within a 45--50 hour workweek.
* **AI \& LLM Experience:** You're excited by building in an *AI-native environment* , leveraging **Claude Code** and other LLM-assisted tools to enhance development velocity and creativity.
* **Collaborative \& Solution-Oriented:** No lonewolves. You communicate thoughtfully, contribute positively to discussions, and pair every critique with a constructive solution.

**How We Work**

* We value leverage over brute force --- working smart, not long hours. Engineers are trusted to define their own work, prioritize high-impact projects, and deliver results with minimal oversight.
* The team collaborates through lightweight, peer-driven conversations rather than rigid sprint cycles or daily standups. You'll work alongside senior peers solving challenging systems problems in a small, high-trust team where every hire makes a visible impact.
* This is an environment for creative, disciplined problem solvers who thrive in freedom and accountability.

**Technical Environment and required experience:**

* **AI-native development** using Claude Code and LLM-assisted tools.
* Work at the **bleeding edge of containerization, Agentic platforms, MCP, and distributed systems**.
* A modern, cloud-first infrastructure built on **Knowledge Graph using Neo4J and Terraform and** **Kubernetes**.
* High-impact autonomy: engineers research, design, and deliver major systems end-to-end.

**Interview Process**

We've designed a focused process that balances technical rigor with respect for candidates' time.

* **Step 1:** Introductory conversation with Technical Integrity.
* **Step 2:** Real-world coding exercise (typically \~4 hours).
* This is the main part of our interview process and replaces multiple rounds.
* It reflects our AI-native environment and requires use of **Claude Code** and modern containerization tools.
* Candidates often find it a valuable preview of what day-to-day work feels like here.
* **Step 3:** Three collaborative interviews with engineering leadership.

This process gives both sides a deep sense of technical fit and working style.

**Compensation \& Benefits**

* Competitive salary and meaningful equity packages.
* Recent offers for comparable roles have ranged from **$185,000--$250,000 base**, plus meaningful signing bonuses and equity stakes. (Equity is the big story- take time to learn about that story throughout your interviews and you will be glad you did).
* Very solid Health benefits (Medical, Dental, and Vision)
* 401K match
* Flexible work arrangements --- Colorado-based 1-2 days per week in Boulder.
* Opportunity to collaborate with world-class technical peers on groundbreaking AI systems.

**Application Process**

To apply, please contact **Technical Integrity** with your resume and a concise statement of interest.

We value transparency, prompt feedback, and a respectful candidate experience throughout.

If you're a **senior software engineer or principal technologist** who thrives on autonomy, deep technical challenges, and building at the frontier of AI-assisted engineering, we'd love to hear from you.