Principal Software Engineer

Eidra is expanding in the US market and is seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to join our product and technology group in Chicago.

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer deeply committed to modern engineering practices. The ideal candidate has a passion for building resilient, scalable platforms and digital products, demonstrating excellence in code and architecture. You should be fluent in leveraging AI-assisted development as an integral part of today's high-performing engineering workflow.

You care about building systems the right way — balancing speed with sustainability, pragmatism with quality. You bring technical depth without ego, conviction without dogma, and fluency across modern tech stacks, with the judgment to choose the right tools for the problem and client.

This is a craft leadership role. You’ll set the bar for engineering excellence across teams and clients, leading through hands-on contribution, mentorship, and trusted technical advisory.

This role is based in Chicago, with a commitment of 3 days per week in the office. As part of our US expansion, you’ll help establish Eidra’s reputation in the American market for engineering excellence, modern platform thinking, and commercially impactful technology. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

What You’ll Do

Architect & Build Modern Platforms

• Design and implement scalable, secure, and resilient architectures across web, mobile, backend, and cloud ecosystems
• Lead technical direction across initiatives spanning multiple teams or clients
• Apply modern architecture principles (cloud-native, event-driven, API-first, domain-driven design, composable systems)
• Build systems that operate reliably at regional and global scale
• Establish standards for code quality, performance, observability, and security
  
  

Stay Hands-On in the Craft

• Contribute directly to production code on critical initiatives
• Operate comfortably across multiple tech stacks and ecosystems — whether that's backend systems in Node.js, Python, Go, or Kotlin; modern frontends in React (including Next.js); or cloud infrastructure across AWS, GCP, or Azure — selecting the right tool for the job rather than defaulting to personal preference.
• Pair with engineers to elevate technical quality and decision-making
• Rapidly prototype and validate ideas in ambiguous or early-stage environments
• Fluently leverage AI-assisted development tools to increase velocity, code quality, and team capability
• Lead by example — demonstrating what “great” looks like in practice
  
  

Act as a Trusted Engineering Consultant

• Translate complex technical concepts into business-relevant insights
• Advise clients and stakeholders on architecture, scalability, risk, and trade-offs
• Build strong relationships grounded in expertise and a human approach
• Support new business efforts, pitches, and solution shaping with technical credibility
• Help establish Eidra as a respected engineering voice in the Chicago tech community
  
  

Who You Are

• Approximately 10 years of experience designing and building scalable software systems
• Likely from an early-stage startup, product studio, or high-end agency environment where you’ve operated across ambiguity and rapid growth
• Experienced architecting distributed systems and modern cloud-native platforms
• Comfortable working across a wide range of tech stacks and able to quickly ramp up in new technologies or environments
• Fluent in modern engineering tooling and AI-assisted development workflows
• Deep experience in API design, microservices, event-driven systems, and cloud-native architectures across AWS, GCP, or Azure — including containerization, CI/CD, and infrastructure-as-code
• Commercially minded — you understand how architectural decisions impact cost, scalability, and business outcomes
• A pragmatic decision-maker who understands trade-offs and avoids dogmatic technology choices
• A mentor and multiplier who raises the technical bar of teams around you
• Confident in client-facing environments and able to build trust at both engineering and executive levels
  
  

Craft in Practice: As part of the interview process, you’ll walk us through a piece of code you’re proud of, discussing its architecture, structure, trade-offs, testing approach, scalability, how you’d evolve it today, and how AI-assisted development played (or could play) a role — this isn’t about perfection, but about how you think and build.

What We Offer

At Eidra in the United States, we offer a competitive salary package complemented by comprehensive benefits that prioritize employee well-being, reflecting our Nordic heritage. We provide a range of healthcare benefits, including fully subsidized insurance premiums for employees and their families. Our vacation policy promotes work-life balance with flexible time off, requiring a minimum of 3 weeks off per year. We encourage employees to take vacations in 2-week increments to truly detach and recharge. Our culture emphasizes inclusive decision-making, collaboration, and continuous learning, fostering an environment of transparency and trust. This collaborative spirit extends across our global offices, with opportunities to engage annually with our teams in the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden, enriching your professional experience and network.

Compensation: $150,000.00-$190,000.00 USD based on experience

Sponsorship is not being offered for this role.

Eidra is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Eidra is a carefully selected group of specialist companies. Different in craft but united in the ambition to solve our clients’ problems and create lasting value. We are 1200 people across different markets. All are passionate about change.