Principal Software Engineer

About the role

NetApp is seeking a technical leader for the Cloud AI team to architect an enterprise platform that automates workflows using large language models and agentic frameworks. You will serve as the primary engineering authority, designing core systems and writing production code while guiding the team through the full development lifecycle.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Establish the product architecture, including service boundaries, data models, API design, and integration patterns for AI models.
• Develop core components such as agent orchestration, retrieval systems for enterprise data, and multi-cloud execution layers.
• Manage the developer-facing surface, including APIs and SDKs, ensuring high performance and reliability.
• Direct technical execution by setting standards, conducting design reviews, and maintaining quality across the team.
• Mentor staff engineers and provide technical guidance to improve overall team output.

Requirements

• 12+ years of professional software development experience.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience with fault-tolerant, scalable cloud architectures, including PaaS or FaaS on AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Proficiency in server-side development using Node.js, Python, Java, Go, or Rust.
• Experience building production-grade RESTful APIs and microservices with SQL or NoSQL databases.
• Proven ability to design distributed systems or developer infrastructure at scale.
• Experience managing CI/CD pipelines for complex, interconnected deployments.
• Knowledge of cloud security, including OAuth, SSO, encryption, and compliance.
• Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have

• Experience building AI agent systems or LLM-powered products, including RAG, tool calling, and prompt orchestration.
• Understanding of agentic design patterns like context management and multi-step reasoning.
• Background in creating developer-facing APIs or SDKs for external users.
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools like Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, or CloudFormation.
• Experience in enterprise infrastructure, cloud data services, or storage systems.
• History of building new products from scratch within a larger organization.
• Previous experience as a principal engineer or technical lead.
• Front-end development experience using TypeScript, React, or Angular.

Skills & tools

• Node.js, Python, Java, Go, Rust
• AWS, Azure, GCP
• SQL, NoSQL
• Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CloudFormation
• OAuth, SSO, CI/CD

Practical notes

• Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and stock-based incentives like RSUs.
• The role requires a hybrid presence; specific in-office expectations will be discussed during the interview process.
• Applications must be submitted through the official NetApp careers portal to be considered.
• The hiring process may utilize AI tools to assist in candidate evaluation.
• NetApp is an equal opportunity employer.