Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to large, Fortune 100 enterprises with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential.

Last year, more than $3.8 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers.

Upwork’s Marketplace team is completely redefining the user experience for clients and talent to connect and get work done together. The work marketplace of the future will provide rich, multi-modal interfaces that incorporate transformative AI at the core and work seamlessly across devices. We are seeking a product-focused technical leader with an entrepreneurial mindset, extensive full-stack and client development experience, and an understanding of machine learning. As the Senior Principal Engineer for Marketplace Transformation, you will be at the forefront of innovation, working closely with design, product management, and ML teams to rapidly ideate, prototype, and deliver transformative solutions to our customers. If you want to massively scale a business while positively impacting millions of lives by creating economic opportunities for them, then this is the role for you!

Your Responsibilities:

Overall, you will be responsible for setting the technical direction, defining the application architecture, and developing prototypes for a new marketplace platform and product that you ultimately guide product teams to bring to market. 

• Product Transformation: Lead the charge in transforming our products by identifying opportunities for innovation and rapid prototyping. 
• Full-Stack Expertise: Leverage your full-stack development skills to create dynamic, user-centric experiences, with a particular focus on client development 
• ML Integration: Collaborate closely with machine learning experts to seamlessly integrate ML models and algorithms into our products to enhance their intelligence and value.
• Rapid Prototyping: Develop rapid prototypes to eliminate technology risks, explore experimental concepts, and iterate toward customer-ready products. 
• Architectural Excellence: Design scalable and maintainable software architectures that align with our product transformation objectives. 
• Technical Leadership: Provide strong technical leadership to the engineering team, fostering innovation and excellence.
• Collaboration: Collaborate intensely with designers, product managers, and ML teams to drive rapid progress from ideation to product release
• Tech Trend Awareness: Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and industry trends, applying this knowledge to drive innovation within the team.

What it Takes to Catch our Eye:

• Experience as a technical leader for organizations of 75 engineers
• Ongoing hands-on development to tackle your team’s toughest challenges
• Demonstrated mastery of full-stack and client development technologies (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Angular, or Vue.js, ReactNative, Flutter, Android, iOS)
• Understanding of machine learning concepts and hands-on experience integrating ML models into software applications.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a track record of driving product transformation and innovation.
• Exceptional collaboration and communication skills to excel in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.

The annual base salary for this position in California and Washington ranges from [$180,000- $325,000]. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salary for this position in California and Washington, and individual base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for the annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan and eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape talent solutions for how the world works today. We are a remote-first organization working together to create exciting remote work opportunities for a global community of professionals. While we have physical offices in San Francisco and Chicago, currently we also support hiring of corporate full-time employees in 19 states in the United States. Please speak with a member of our recruitment team to determine whether you are located in a state in which we are hiring corporate full-time employees. 

At the core of our vibrant culture are shared values that form the foundation of our organization. These values revolve around trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence. Our overarching mission is to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. We foster an environment where individuals are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work, nurturing personal and professional growth through development opportunities, mentorship programs, and participation in Upwork Belonging Communities.

We take pride in providing exceptional benefits to our employees. These include comprehensive medical insurance coverage for both you and your family, unlimited paid time off, a 401(k) plan with matching contributions, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. To explore these benefits in detail, as well as gain insights into our company values, working principles, and the overall employee experience, we invite you to visit our Life at Upwork page.

Upwork is proudly committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.