10–15 years of progressive software engineering experience, with at least 4–5 years focused on integration architecture, API platform engineering, or distributed systems at scale.
Deep expertise in integration patterns, with proven experience managing enterprise integrations across open-source and packaged solutions.
Experience with enterprise application integration platforms (e.g., TIBCO, IBM App Connect, MuleSoft) is a plus.
Expertise with GraphQL - including schema design, federation, resolver optimisation, subscriptions, and the operational trade-offs of GraphQL at scale.
Proven experience designing and governing enterprise API platforms on Apigee or equivalent - including API proxy design, policy management, developer portals, analytics.
Strong command of RESTful API design, OpenAPI/Swagger specification, versioning strategies, and backward-compatibility management.
Solid experience with event-driven architectures and messaging systems such as Apache Kafka, Google Pub/Sub - including event schema design, consumer group management, and dead-letter handling.
Demonstrated ability to operate as an org-wide technical authority - influencing architecture across multiple teams and driving standards adoption without direct line authority.
Track record of building developer enablement assets - internal API catalogues, integration SDKs, documentation frameworks, and onboarding tooling.
Experience with contract testing methodologies and integration testing frameworks at scale.
Strong security engineering knowledge in the context of API platforms - OAuth 2.0, OIDC, JWT, API key management, secrets vaulting, and PCI-relevant data handling.
Familiarity with distributed tracing, API observability tooling, and SLO/error-budget frameworks applied to integration layers.
Excellent written and verbal communication - ability to produce high-quality ADRs, technical proposals, and integration standards that are clear, persuasive, and actionable.
Experience with AI/LLM API integration patterns - tool-calling APIs, prompt management services, and model routing infrastructure.
Background in fashion, retail, sports, or DTC commerce environments.
Familiarity with developer experience (DX) tooling and internal developer portals.
Contributions to open-source projects in the API, GraphQL, or integration tooling ecosystem.
Key Technologies:
API Gateway - Apigee/Kong or equivalent, API policy design, developer portal, traffic management
GraphQL - Federation, schema stitching, resolvers, subscriptions, GQL performance
REST & Standards - OpenAPI 3.x, RESTful design, versioning, contract testing
Event Streaming -Apache Kafka/Google Pub/Sub or AWS Kinesis, event schema design
Security- OAuth 2.0, OIDC, JWT, mTLS, secrets management (Vault / GCP Secret Manager)
Enterprise Integrations -Third-Party SaaS Integration (Payments, SFCC, Commerce Tools), Master Data systems, ERP, Supply Chain, OMS
AI Integration - LLM tool-calling APIs, model gateway patterns, AI-native integration workflows
Cloud Platform - GCP - API services, managed messaging, cloud-native deployment or AWS equivalent
Languages - Node.js, Python; Java or Go for performance-critical integration services
PUMA's Principal Engineers are expected to operate as enterprise-wide technical leaders who raise the capability of the entire engineering organisation - not just their immediate area of ownership. The following expectations apply to all Principal Engineers at PUMA.
Technical Leadership & Standards
Own technical standards and architecture patterns for your domain and drive consistent adoption across all engineering organisations.
Produce high-quality architectural decision records, technical proposals, and engineering guidelines that are clear, considered, and actionable.
Engage in and lead design reviews and architecture forums with intellectual rigour and commercial awareness.
Demonstrate deep, current technical expertise and a genuine commitment to continuous learning in your domain.
Craft & Quality
Hold a consistently high bar for code quality, test coverage, documentation, and production readiness - and actively lift the bar for the teams around you.
Champion AI-native engineering practices: use AI tooling to accelerate development, improve quality, and solve problems that would previously have required more time or resource.
Balance the tension between pragmatism and perfectionism - know when good enough is right and when it is not.
Influence & Collaboration
Build strong working relationships across engineering, product, and vendor teams based on technical credibility, clarity of thinking, and reliability.
Influence architecture and engineering decisions across teams without direct authority - through well-reasoned positions, clear communication, and genuine curiosity about others' constraints.
Operate effectively in ambiguity, providing technical direction and confidence to teams when requirements or priorities are unclear.
Mentorship & Culture Building
Invest meaningfully in the development of Lead and Senior Engineers - through design reviews, pair programming, code review feedback, and open technical conversation.
Build a culture of curiosity, psychological safety, and high technical standards - where engineers feel safe to challenge assumptions, propose bold ideas, and learn from failure.
Act as a visible culture-builder as PUMA scales its DTC Engineering organisation: lead by example, celebrate engineering excellence, and bring energy and optimism to the task of building something from the ground up.
Building PUMA's Future
This is a rare opportunity to help define the integration backbone of a global sports brand's DTC engineering platform from day one. You will have the scope, support, and mandate to build something that matters - both for the millions of consumers who interact with PUMA's products and for the engineers who will work alongside you. If you are excited by the combination of deep technical challenge, genuine organisational influence, and the chance to build a world-class engineering culture, we want to hear from you.
