26WD99155
Position Overview
As we transition from a world of files to that of products powered by cloud data services, we're building our core underlying cloud fabric and kernel that is comprised of massively scalable, always-on, globally deployed cloud services that underpin our customer-facing systems. In order to provide a seamless cloud data experience for our customers we're building a platform that bridges existing products and solutions with our cloud data platform.
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join the DX SDK team. The SDK is the kernel of our data interoperability platform. It is the layer our connectors (Revit, Inventor, Rhino, Civil3D, and more) and partner integrations build on to read, write, cache, and synchronize design data with the cloud. In this role you will set technical direction for the SDK and the connectors that sit on top of it, while staying hands-on in the code.
The successful candidate should have a strong sense of ownership and be able to drive projects through to completion. They should be well versed in building customer-facing products and developer-centric APIs, SDKs, and components that are used by many teams. We are also adopting Spec-Driven Development and using AI tools as part of how we build, and we expect our principal engineers to help lead that shift.
What you'll own
Be the technical authority for the SDK. Hold deep knowledge of the SDK's architecture, design trade-offs, failure modes, performance characteristics, and the reasoning behind major decisions such as caching strategy, delta apply and revert semantics, data-model API contracts, and large-model memory behaviour. When architectural questions come up in this area, the team should be able to turn to you
Set and uphold the quality bar. Your code should set the standard, and your reviews should go beyond correctness to design quality, backward compatibility of public SDK contracts, domain fit, and long-term maintainability. As more code is produced through Spec-Driven Development, be clear about where extra care is needed across specs, reviews, tests, and integration validation, so that nothing in your area ships below the bar you set
Own the most important technical debt and non-functional requirements. Identify the top tech-debt items in the SDK, create a plan, and track progress. Build performance, resiliency, observability, and cost into solutions from the start, and make sure stakeholders understand the business cost of debt so it gets prioritised
Lead business-critical initiatives end to end. Own outcomes tied to team and division OKRs such as GA milestones, reliability and trusted-trip targets, adoption, and developer experience. Define success metrics, drive toward them, and report progress. Tie each major initiative back to its customer or business impact
Help the people around you grow. Run design reviews, pair with engineers on hard problems, delegate stretch work and put the right people forward for visible work. At this level your impact is measured as much by the team's output as by your own
Responsibilities
Engage in technical and architectural discussions and decision making to shape the direction of the SDK and the broader data interoperability platform
Lead planning, design, development, and testing of key features and capabilities delivered via the SDK, services, and connectors
Collaborate with stakeholders to understand requirements and use cases, and build towards a cohesive technical strategy
Build strategic partnerships with key cross-organizational teams (DX Platform, connector teams, product, and architecture) so that the SDK both leverages and informs platform capabilities
Uphold team standards by championing engineering best practices, and define what good looks like as the team adopts Spec-Driven Development
Hands-on software development for products that will perform at scale, be supportable, and be extensible
Write code that is tested, readable, and maintainable, and produce clear specs and design docs
Perform code reviews, evaluate implementations (whether written by people or with AI assistance), and provide feedback for tool improvements
Automate processes where possible and create new technologies when needed
Cross-train and mentor teammates, and share knowledge through design docs, demos, and internal forums
Communicate early and clearly. Raise risks, dependencies, and blockers before they become surprises, along with a recommended path forward
Participate in on-call rotation to support production systems
How we build
We are an AI-Native engineering organization, and the DX SDK team is moving toward Spec-Driven Development. We expect a principal engineer to help lead that shift rather than wait for it:
Use AI tools in your day-to-day work for code generation, review, refactoring, and test writing, and share what works so the rest of the team benefits
Help define what Spec-Driven Development looks like for SDK and connector work, where it saves time, and where human judgment still needs to stay in the loop, such as architecture, concurrency, and CAD and domain semantics
Apply extra care as more code is AI-assisted, including stronger specs up front, careful reviews, and integration validation on shared SDK contracts
Drive at least one concrete improvement to how we build each quarter and measure its impact
Minimum qualifications
Great team player with about 8 to 12 years of total industry experience
8+ years of software development with all-round experience in all aspects of product development (frontend, backend, operations, support, etc.)
Demonstrated technical leadership, including leading the design of complex features, setting standards, and mentoring other engineers
Deep understanding of concurrent programming, multi-threading, and optimizing processing of large datasets
Experience designing, evolving, and maintaining APIs and SDKs used by multiple consumers, with attention to versioning and backward compatibility
Working knowledge of build automation and CI/CD pipelines
Comfortable working hands-on with AI-assisted development tools and able to help a team adopt them
Preferred qualifications
Experience with CAD, 3D and 2D Geometry
Experience building and developing software for AEC and Manufacturing industries
Experience leading and delivering community-driven libraries, SDKs, or applications
Experience building and operating cloud data services at scale (always-on, globally deployed) and the SDKs and clients that consume them
Experience with Spec-Driven Development or other structured AI-assisted engineering workflows
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About Autodesk
Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.
We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.
When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!
Salary transparency
Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.
Belonging
We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging
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