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Principal Software Engineer, Core Pricing

Recruiting from Scratch
San Mateo, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 1/4/2026 CLOSED ON 2/4/2026

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Software Engineer, Core Pricing position at Recruiting from Scratch?

Who is Recruiting from Scratch:

Recruiting from Scratch is a specialized talent firm dedicated to helping companies build exceptional teams. We partner closely with our clients to deeply understand their needs, then connect them with top-tier candidates who are not only highly skilled but also the right fit for the company’s culture and vision. Our mission is simple: place the best people in the right roles to drive long-term success for both clients and candidates.

https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/

Principal Software Engineer - Core Pricing Platform

Location: Remote (U.S.-based), Hybrid, or Onsite Options Available at San Mateo, Columbus and Austin

Company Stage: Late-Stage Venture / Public-Scale Environment

Office Type: Remote-First with Periodic On-Site Collaboration

Company Description

Our client is a category-leading technology company operating at scale in the financial technology sector. They build advanced, AI-driven platforms that power next-generation lending and credit products used by major financial institutions. With a digital-first culture, a strong engineering DNA, and a mission-driven environment, the company invests heavily in system reliability, experimentation, and large-scale distributed computing.

As part of a high-impact engineering division, you will help shape the next iteration of the company’s core pricing and decisioning engine—technology that directly influences billions of dollars in loan volume and serves millions of customers nationwide.

This is an opportunity to operate as a technical leader within a platform team that sits at the heart of the business.

What You Will Do

  • Set the long-term technical strategy for the core pricing platform, aligning engineering architecture with company-level product goals.
  • Lead the end-to-end design of a system that optimizes marketplace supply and demand across multiple loan products.
  • Partner closely with machine learning experts to build, refine, and deploy models that improve pricing accuracy and operational efficiency.
  • Drive architectural evolution across large-scale distributed systems, ensuring reliability, scalability, and rapid experimentation.
  • Influence product direction by uncovering cross-team technical requirements, evaluating trade-offs, and aligning stakeholders.
  • Evaluate, prototype, and introduce new technologies that improve performance, developer experience, and innovation velocity.
  • Provide technical mentorship and develop future technical leaders across multiple engineering teams.

Ideal Candidate Background

  • 10 years of experience building and operating large-scale distributed systems in cloud environments.
  • 7 years leading high-impact, cross-team engineering initiatives.
  • Proficiency in at least one major programming language such as Python, Java, C#, or C .
  • Strong understanding of containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
  • Experience designing robust APIs and service-oriented architectures.
  • Ability to clearly communicate complex engineering and business concepts to cross-functional stakeholders.
  • History of mentoring engineers and cultivating strong technical leadership.
  • Comfortable operating in fast-paced, dynamic environments where product requirements evolve quickly.
  • Strong architectural instincts with the ability to balance business value, technical debt, and delivery timelines.

Preferred

  • Advanced proficiency with Python.
  • Experience with A/B testing frameworks, gRPC, Kafka, or other high-throughput communication systems.
  • Background in fintech, pricing platforms, ML-driven systems, ads marketplaces, or risk modeling.
  • Strong mathematical or statistical foundation.
  • Experience building microservices at scale, particularly in AWS.
  • Ability to drive initiatives without direct authority and influence architectural decisions across multiple teams.
  • Experience contributing to or leading engineering organizations through periods of rapid growth.

Compensation, Benefits & Other Details

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) plan with company match.
  • Employee stock purchase plan.
  • Generous vacation, wellness, and paid-leave programs.
  • Technology, ergonomic, and wellness reimbursements.
  • Opportunities for team offsites, on-site collaboration weeks, and professional development programs.
  • Supportive, mission-driven culture with employee resource groups and community-building events.

Salary.com Estimation for Principal Software Engineer, Core Pricing in San Mateo, CA
$212,354 to $256,626
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