Easy Apply
Easy Apply
Lead the architectural evolution from monolithic applications to distributed systems. Define service boundaries, establish architectural standards, shape technical roadmaps, and ensure platform scalability, resilience, and maintainability. Collaborate across engineering teams, solve complex technical challenges, mentor engineers, and influence organizational direction through high-impact architectural decisions.
About Engine
Your MissionEngine is the all-in-one travel and spend management platform trusted by 38K+ businesses and groups representing 1.8M+ travelers. We're the retailer and the rails of business travel, one of the fastest-growing companies in travel tech, built on a decade of proprietary technology, supply, and pricing no one else can replicate. Other travel and AI companies run on our infrastructure to book real trips, hold rates, and move payments, without building any of it themselves. We built it, AI-forward at every layer, from how travelers book to how the rails run.
That work has earned recognition as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators (2025), TravelTech's Reservation Platform of the Year (2026), and one of Built In's Best Places to Work (2020–2026).
We're looking for bold, ambitious people to help redefine how businesses manage and experience travel. Working here, you can expect exponential growth, an ambitious pace, full ownership, and high-caliber colleagues who push you to do the best work of your career. Every hire raises the bar.
That work has earned recognition as one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators (2025), TravelTech's Reservation Platform of the Year (2026), and one of Built In's Best Places to Work (2020–2026).
We're looking for bold, ambitious people to help redefine how businesses manage and experience travel. Working here, you can expect exponential growth, an ambitious pace, full ownership, and high-caliber colleagues who push you to do the best work of your career. Every hire raises the bar.
Come outpace the ordinary and build the future of travel with us.
As a Principal Engineer at Engine, you will play a key role in shaping the technical direction of our platform as we transition from monolithic applications to a distributed architecture. You’ll work across teams to define service boundaries, ensure system coherence, and guide the evolution of our platform while maintaining scalability, performance, and maintainability.
What You'll Do- Define and champion architectural best practices, helping teams design services that are modular, maintainable, and aligned with long-term business needs.
- Lead the transition from monoliths to distributed systems, ensuring scalability, resilience, and long-term maintainability.
- Shape the technical roadmap, working with engineering leaders to drive key decisions around service design, data flow, and system interactions.
- Dive deep into technical challenges, collaborating with engineers to solve complex problems and ensure high-quality implementations.
- Mentor and influence engineers, fostering a culture of strong engineering fundamentals, service ownership, and thoughtful system design.
- Collaborate across teams to ensure our architecture supports business needs without unnecessary complexity.
We’re looking for someone who brings deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and strong influence skills to help us scale our platform.
- 12+ years of experience designing and evolving high-scale distributed systems.
- Strong architectural leadership—you have driven major technical initiatives across multiple teams and influenced engineering direction at an organizational level.
- Expertise in designing modular, loosely coupled systems, with experience breaking down monolithic applications into well-structured services.
- Proven ability to guide teams through complex technical challenges, making high-impact decisions in ambiguous environments.
- Mastery of cloud environments and services (AWS preferred), including best practices for building reliable, scalable systems.
- Experience designing APIs and defining clear service boundaries, ensuring interoperability and maintainability.
- Deep understanding of distributed system patterns, including event-driven architectures, data consistency models, and service communication strategies (REST, gRPC, messaging).
- Strong problem-solving skills and a pragmatic approach—you know when to apply best practices versus when to adapt to practical constraints.
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with experience influencing engineering teams and leadership without direct authority.
We accept applications for this role on an ongoing basis. We review applications as they are received and encourage interested candidates to apply early.
Compensation
Our compensation packages are based on several factors, including your experience, expertise, and location. In addition to a competitive base salary, all roles receive equity. Depending on the role, total compensation may also include an annual bonus. Your recruiter will share your complete compensation package as you move through the process.
Base Pay Range
$205,950—$285,000 USD
The Engine Edge: Perks & Compensation
We believe in rewarding great work with great benefits:
- Compensation: Competitive base pay tied to role and experience, with equity for all employees. Some roles are also eligible for bonuses or commissions.
- Benefits: Check out our full list at engine.com/culture
- Environments for Success: Different roles have different needs in terms of the environments that drive success which is why we have a hybrid-hub model. Whether you are in one of our amazing offices or fully remote, we'll make sure you have what you need to succeed.
Perks and benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and more
Engine New York, New York, USA Office
920 Broadway, New York, NY, United States, 10010
Similar Jobs at Engine
Consumer Web • Software • Travel
Leads implementation strategy and integration workstreams for Engine X corporate card customers. Owns deployments from contract through first transaction and adoption, including ERP, HRIS, SSO, and expense-platform integrations. Partners with Sales, Product, and Engineering to resolve implementation blockers, shape product priorities, scope complex deals, define technical requirements, and accelerate time to first transaction. Also provides senior leadership for corporate card program implementations.
Top Skills:
BrexCard Issuing InfrastructureConcurExpensifyHrisNetSuiteOraclePayments InfrastructureRampSage IntacctSAPSso
Consumer Web • Software • Travel
Lead and scale business and GTM recruiting across multiple corporate functions. Develop talent acquisition strategies, workforce plans, hiring metrics, recruiting processes, employer brand initiatives, and candidate experience improvements. Build and mentor a high-performing recruiting team, advise senior leaders, and integrate AI and automation into sourcing, screening, assessment, scheduling, and pipeline management.
Top Skills:
Agentic WorkflowsAIAshbyAutomationBrighthireGemGreenhouse
Consumer Web • Software • Travel
Lead Engine’s global events portfolio across conferences, executive experiences, partner and supply events, government programs, and first-party customer events. Own strategy, budgets, calendars, execution, brand experience, attendee recruitment, measurement, and monetization. Build scalable playbooks connecting events to pipeline, revenue, sponsorships, and partner participation. Manage multiple event motions across product lines while collaborating with brand, growth, partnerships, sales, supply teams, vendors, and agencies.
What you need to know about the NYC Tech Scene
As the undisputed financial capital of the world, New York City is an epicenter of startup funding activity. The city has a thriving fintech scene and is a major player in verticals ranging from AI to biotech, cybersecurity and digital media. It also has universities like NYU, Columbia and Cornell Tech attracting students and researchers from across the globe, providing the ecosystem with a constant influx of world-class talent. And its East Coast location and three international airports make it a perfect spot for European companies establishing a foothold in the United States.
Key Facts About NYC Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 549,200; 6% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Capgemini, Bloomberg, IBM, Spotify
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, Fintech
- Funding Landscape: $25.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Greycroft, Thrive Capital, Union Square Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Tribeca Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Two Sigma Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, CUNY, AI Now Institute, Flatiron Institute, C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, NASA Space Radiation Laboratory
