Adapt on Purpose

Startups move fast, and we move with intention. We embrace change, stay flexible, and adjust quickly, without losing sight of our principles or our users.

Invent What’s Next

We’re not here to follow best practices, we’re here to define them. We value curiosity, experimentation, and bold thinking that leads to practical innovation.

Raise the Bar

We take initiative and follow through. We don’t wait to be told what to do, and we don’t pass the buck. When we commit, we deliver, and when we miss, we learn and fix it.

Build Together

We collaborate deeply, across disciplines and time zones. We value clear communication, mutual respect, and shared ownership of outcomes. No silos, no heroes, just a team shipping together.

Own the Outcome

We hold ourselves and each other to high standards, of quality, of craft, of impact. We give feedback freely and seek it actively.

Principal Software Development Engineer

Plainsight is looking to hire an excellent and accomplished Principal Software Development Engineer to develop, drive and accomplish our mission to help developers create exciting business-critical Computer Vision applications in an easier, faster way!

The Principal Software Development Engineer at Plainsight is responsible for leading the architecture, design, and development of high-impact software solutions that drive organizational success. The key focus is to drive development of a modern AI-driven platform and products that enable developers to create computer vision applications, in an easier, faster way from code to deployment. The Principal Engineer will be a major producer of quality code and bases judgment on sound design fundamentals. The Principal is a bar-raiser on what the company produces for its customers, will build the technical and engineering strengths of the team, and lift the level of production and delivery. This role involves collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, data scientists, and DevOps engineers, to deliver scalable, reliable, and high-performance systems that meet evolving business needs. The Principal Software Development Engineer also mentors senior engineers, providing guidance on best practices, code quality, and technical decision-making. This position demands not only deep technical expertise but also a strategic mindset focused on aligning development initiatives with broader business objectives.

Key Highlights

Strategic Technical Leadership: Drive technical vision and architecture decisions across multiple teams and products
High-Impact Problem Solving: Tackle the most complex technical challenges that require innovative solutions
Organizational Influence: Shape engineering culture, practices, and technical standards company-wide
Mentorship at Scale: Guide and develop senior engineers and technical leads across the organization
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with executive leadership, product, and business stakeholders on technical strategy
Innovation Champion: Research and introduce cutting-edge technologies and methodologies

Why This Role Matters

Principal Software Engineers serve as the technical backbone of engineering organizations, bridging the gap between hands-on engineering excellence and strategic business objectives. They are responsible for making architectural decisions that can impact millions of users and drive company success for years to come. In today's rapidly evolving technology landscape, Principal Engineers ensure organizations stay competitive by making informed technical choices, establishing best practices, and fostering a culture of engineering excellence.

This role is critical for companies scaling their engineering operations, launching new products, or undergoing digital transformation. Principal Engineers provide the technical depth and strategic perspective needed to navigate complex challenges while maintaining system reliability, performance, and scalability.

About the Role

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will serve as the technical leader and strategic architect for our engineering organization. You will be responsible for designing and implementing large-scale distributed systems, establishing technical standards, and guiding critical architectural decisions that shape our technology stack and engineering practices. This role requires a unique combination of deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership skills to influence both technical and business outcomes.

You will work directly with senior leadership to align technical strategy with business objectives, while collaborating with engineering teams across the organization to ensure consistent implementation of best practices. Your expertise will be instrumental in solving our most challenging technical problems and positioning our technology for future growth and innovation.

Key partnerships include working closely with the CTO and VP of Engineering on technical strategy, collaborating with Product leadership on technical feasibility and roadmap planning, and mentoring senior engineers and technical leads throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Strategy & Architecture

Define and drive technical vision and architecture strategy across multiple products and teams
Design and architect large-scale distributed systems capable of handling millions of users and transactions
Evaluate and select technologies, frameworks, and platforms that align with business objectives and technical requirements
Lead technical decision-making processes and establish architectural standards and guidelines

Engineering Leadership & Influence

Provide technical leadership and guidance to senior engineers, technical leads, and engineering managers
Drive engineering excellence through code reviews, design reviews, and technical mentorship
Establish and promote best practices for software development, testing, deployment, and monitoring
Influence engineering culture and practices across the organization

Problem Solving & Innovation

Solve the most complex technical challenges that require innovative approaches and deep expertise
Research and prototype emerging technologies to evaluate their potential impact and adoption
Lead technical investigations and root cause analysis for critical system issues
Drive technical innovation while balancing risk, maintainability, and business value

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with executive leadership on technical strategy and resource planning
Collaborate with Product Management to ensure technical feasibility and optimal implementation approaches
Work with Engineering Management to plan technical initiatives and capacity allocation
Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and executive audiences

Must-Have Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
12+ years of software engineering experience with progression to senior technical roles
Extensive experience designing and implementing large-scale distributed systems and microservices architectures
Deep expertise in multiple programming languages and technology stacks (e.g., Java, Python, Go, JavaScript, C++)
Proven track record of leading technical initiatives that resulted in significant business impact
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and modern infrastructure technologies
Strong understanding of system design patterns, data structures, algorithms, and software architecture principles
Demonstrated ability to influence and mentor senior engineers and technical teams

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree in Computer Science or related technical field
Experience in a technical leadership role at a high-growth technology company
Domain expertise in areas such as machine learning, data engineering, security, or mobile technologies
Open source contributions or technical publications in relevant areas
Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code

Nice-to-Have/Bonus Experience

Experience working with off-the-shelf computer vision AI models.
Demonstrated participation in and leadership of projects involving the building of computer vision based applications from the ground up

To apply, please send an email with your resume to careers@plainsight.ai with Principal Software Development Engineer in the subject line.

Forward Deployed Engineer

Plainsight is looking for a highly motivated and skilled Forward Deployment Engineer (FDE) to join our growing team. The FDE will play a critical role in bridging the gap between our cutting-edge computer vision AI models and real-world customer applications. This position requires a blend of technical expertise in computer vision and Python, strong problem-solving abilities, and excellent communication skills for collaborating with customers, partners, and internal development teams.

This position is primarily based in the Seattle, Washington area, with occasional travel to customer and partner sites as required.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with customers and partners to understand their unique business needs and translate them into technical requirements for computer vision applications.
Design, develop, and implement production-ready computer vision applications using our AI models and Python.
Integrate computer vision solutions into existing customer and partner systems, ensuring seamless deployment and optimal performance.
Work closely with our backend platform developers to provide feedback, identify areas for improvement, and contribute to the evolution of our core platform.
Provide technical support and guidance to customers and partners during the entire project lifecycle, from initial concept to post-deployment maintenance.
Conduct on-site deployments, testing, and troubleshooting as needed to ensure the successful implementation of solutions.
Contribute to the creation of technical documentation, best practices, and training materials.
Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in computer vision, AI, and related technologies.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
5+ years of experience in a forward deployment, solutions engineering, or similar customer-facing technical role.
Proven experience in designing and implementing computer vision AI models.
Strong proficiency in Python programming, including experience with relevant libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, OpenCV).
Experience working directly with customers and partners to gather requirements and deploy technical solutions.
Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker) is a plus.
Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to travel to customer and partner sites as required.

To apply, please send an email with your resume to careers@plainsight.ai with Forward Deployed Engineer in the subject line.

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