Principal Engineer (LATAM)

About the role

You will define the end-to-end architecture for Terrific Live across backend, frontend, data, AI, and real-time systems. You will raise the engineering bar by setting standards for code quality, testing, observability, security, and operational excellence. You will mentor engineers and grow the technical depth of the organization through hands-on contributions. You will design and implement new services and features from database to UI, building rapid prototypes from A to Z. You will tackle the highest-risk, highest-impact problems personally, including live video reliability, real-time engagement, commerce integrations, and AI-powered experiences. You will partner with Product and Data on experimentation infrastructure so every meaningful change can be A/B tested and measured. You will represent engineering with strategic customers and partners on deep technical topics, translating customer reality into architectural decisions. You will make the whole team better through design reviews, technical writing, mentorship, and hiring.

Key facts

What you'll do

Architect the end-to-end Terrific platform, spanning backend, frontend, data, AI, and real-time systems to support live shopping experiences.

Define and enforce engineering standards for code quality, testing, observability, security, and operational excellence across the team.

Mentor engineers and grow the technical depth of the organization by elevating practices and enabling senior contributors.

Design and implement new services and features end-to-end, moving from database schema to user interface with high performance and responsiveness.

Build rapid prototypes that span A to Z, validating concepts quickly while ensuring they can scale into production-grade services.

Tackle the highest-risk, highest-impact problems personally, including live video reliability, real-time engagement, commerce integrations, and AI-powered experiences.

Evolve the technology stack thoughtfully across React, Angular, Node.js, TypeScript, GCP, Firebase, Firestore, Cloud Functions, BigQuery, and Pub/Sub.

Architect systems for global, 24/7 live operation, focusing on uptime, latency, cost efficiency, and graceful degradation during peak live events.

Build for B2B2C scale, creating systems that serve enterprise customers such as brands, retailers, and broadcasters and their consumer audiences across multiple regions and languages.

Partner with Product and Data on experimentation infrastructure so every meaningful change can be A/B tested, measured, and iterated upon rapidly.

Partner with Product and Design from concept through launch, taking full ownership in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Represent engineering with strategic customers and partners on deep technical topics, translating customer requirements and reality into robust architectural decisions.

Make the whole team better through design reviews, technical writing, mentorship, and active hiring involvement.

Drive the delivery of live, interactive, social-native shopping experiences that turn live moments into measurable sales across Latin America, Europe, and Israel.

Requirements

10+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, with a track record of leading at staff/principal level at high-scale products.

Expert-level proficiency in Node.js and TypeScript, with strong frontend experience in React and/or Angular.

Deep experience designing and operating distributed, real-time systems in production, 24/7, under varying load conditions.

Strong data engineering instincts, including SQL and NoSQL, event-driven architectures, and analytical stores such as BigQuery or equivalent.

Hands-on experience building or shipping AI/ML-powered features in production, including personalization, recommendations, search, or generative AI.

Experience on GCP, specifically with Firebase, Cloud Functions, Firestore, Realtime Database, and Pub/Sub.

Experience with commerce platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce, and/or live video/streaming infrastructure.

Excellent judgment on trade-offs between scope, speed, performance, and user experience, backed by strong product intuition.

Clear, calm communicator who writes well, pushes back thoughtfully, and makes the people around them more effective.

Nice to have

Experience with live video/streaming infrastructure and social commerce platforms.

Practical notes

This is a contract role based in Buenos Aires with remote work expectations.

Hours are aligned with LATAM business hours for collaboration with global teams.

Travel is not required for this position.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this contract position.

The engagement is structured as a contract with clear milestones and deliverables.