Skip to content
Level

Pragmatike

Principal Software Engineer (YC Experience)

Pragmatike is hiring a Principal Software Engineer (YC Experience) in San Francisco, United States. It pays $200k-$400k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Pragmatike.

Level's read on this job

  • Level rates this software engineer role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
  • Pay on this posting starts 19% higher than the typical software engineer posting on Level.
  • The posting mentions TypeScript, Python and Go among its tools and skills.
  • Level classes it as a lead role.
  • Pragmatike has 51 other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

Drive architecture and technical strategy for high-scale distributed systems and platforms.

typescriptpythongokubernetes
system-designdistributed-systemssoftware-architecturetechnical-strategy

Location: San Francisco, California — On-site
Compensation: $180,000–$300,000 USD
Start Date: ASAP
Languages: Fluent English required
Type: Full-time

Tech Stack: TypeScript, Python, Go

About the Opportunity

Pragmatike is recruiting on behalf of a fast-growing technology company building sophisticated software systems and infrastructure at scale.

Pragmatike is recruiting on behalf of a rapidly scaling technology company seeking a Principal Software Engineer with experience in YC-backed or Venture backed start-ups to provide technical leadership across critical systems and engineering initiatives.

This is a high-impact individual contributor role focused on architecture, technical strategy, and solving complex engineering problems.

What You'll Do

  • Define architecture for complex, high-scale systems.

  • Lead company-critical technical initiatives.

  • Design distributed services and platforms using TypeScript, Python, and Go.

  • Solve challenging scalability, reliability, and performance problems.

  • Establish engineering patterns and technical standards.

  • Influence architecture across multiple engineering teams.

  • Partner with Product and Engineering leadership.

  • Mentor Staff and Senior engineers.

  • Drive long-term technical strategy.

What We're Looking For

  • 8+ years of software engineering experience.

  • Exceptional system design and architecture skills.

  • Deep production experience with TypeScript, Python, Go, or similar.

  • Strong distributed systems knowledge.

  • Proven experience solving complex problems at scale.

  • Strong technical leadership without requiring direct management authority.

  • Excellent communication and judgment.

  • Willingness to work on-site in San Francisco.

Nice to Have

  • Cloud and Kubernetes.

  • AI/ML infrastructure.

  • High-performance or distributed systems.

  • Experience in a rapidly scaling startup..

Why Join?

Our client is building highly scalable technology that sits at the core of critical business operations, offering engineers the opportunity to work on complex systems, large-scale integrations, and real-world technical challenges.

You'll join a collaborative, fast-moving environment where ownership is encouraged, decisions are made quickly, and engineers have meaningful influence on architecture, product direction, and engineering culture.

This role offers the opportunity to tackle challenging backend problems, work with modern technologies, and grow alongside an ambitious team building for scale.

Full benefit package and competitive compensation.

 

Pragmatike is committed to a fair, transparent, and inclusive recruitment process. We do not discriminate based on age, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

In accordance with GDPR, your personal data will be processed lawfully, fairly, and securely, and used solely for recruitment purposes, including sharing it with our client(s) for employment consideration. You may request access, correction, or deletion of your data at any time. We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality and security of your information throughout the recruitment process.

How we rate this

Principal Software Engineer (YC Experience) at Pragmatike rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

  1. ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
  2. ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
  3. ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
  4. ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

System DesignDistributed SystemsSoftware ArchitectureTechnical StrategyTypeScriptPythonGoKubernetes

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Pay

This job starts at
$200k
Typical software engineer job
$168k

This posting starts 19% above the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

  1. Tell me about a project where system design was part of your work. What did you do?
  2. Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?
  3. Tell me about a project where software architecture was part of your work. What did you do?
  4. Tell me about a project where technical strategy was part of your work. What did you do?
  5. Walk me through how you've used TypeScript in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

  • List these exact terms on your resume: System Design, Distributed Systems, Software Architecture, Technical Strategy, and TypeScript. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
  • Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

Want an expert to read your CV for this job?

Free. Send your CV and the role you want next. You get your review by email within 24 hours.

Get new software engineer jobs by email

One email a week with the new software engineer jobs, each rated for how much AI is in the work. No recruiter spam, unsubscribe in one click.

Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe in one click.

Similar roles

Software Engineering roles that involve little AI, at other companies.

What kind of AI work fits you?

Answer 12 practical questions in about three minutes. Get a simple profile, the work it points to, and live roles to explore next.

Find my next step

More jobs at Pragmatike

More software engineer jobs

Related searches

Same AI level

Jobs by city