Principal Software Engineer
About The Position
Highnote is an embedded finance company providing card issuing, processing, program management, and related financial platform capabilities. The Principal Software Engineer will build secure and compliant platform products that address customer needs, primarily writing Java code. The role involves understanding customer problems, delivering robust and well-tested solutions, documenting work to support a rapidly scaling company, and working across company domains to strengthen the platform. The position is suited to an experienced software engineer who can build scalable, performant, and maintainable production systems and is enthusiastic about customer-focused software and AI-assisted development. Highnote describes itself as a fast-moving, hands-on, inclusive startup with a flat organization and opportunities to build from the ground up. San Francisco-based positions are hybrid, with core in-office days Monday through Thursday; flexible work options are based on distance from the downtown San Francisco office. Highnote prioritizes in-person candidates. The annual salary range is $190,000–$240,000. Compensation includes cash salary, equity, and benefits, with pay based on market research, performance, and potential.
Requirements
- 12+ years of experience building production software systems.
- A history of writing scalable, performant, and maintainable code.
- Experience with Java 11 or later, JPA ORM mapping, SQL, and unit and integration testing.
- Proficiency using AI-powered development tools, such as Claude Code, across the full software development lifecycle.
- Demonstrated passion for AI-driven development, commitment to continuously advancing AI skills, and drive to improve productivity and engineering outcomes.
- Excitement about shipping customer-centric software.
Nice To Haves
- Experience contributing to card acquiring platforms.
- Experience with cloud platforms such as GCP or AWS.
- Experience with Spring Boot, Docker, and Kubernetes.
- Experience with big data technologies such as BigQuery and Redshift.
- A background in fintech.
- Experience building AI agents for financial or payment platforms.
- Familiarity with AI agent frameworks such as LangChain, CrewAI, or AutoGen.
Responsibilities
- Build secure and compliant platform products that solve customer needs.
- Write high-quality, robustly tested code, primarily in Java.
- Understand customer problems and build appropriate solutions.
- Document work to support the rapidly scaling company.
- Work across a variety of company domains to strengthen the platform.
- Use AI-powered development tools across the software development lifecycle, including design, prototyping, development, testing, and iteration.
Benefits
- Flexible paid time off.
- 100% healthcare coverage and 75% coverage for dependents.
- 401(k) program.
- Paid parental leave: up to 16 weeks for the birth parent and up to 6 weeks for the non-birth parent.
- Equity in Highnote.
- Home office stipend and internet reimbursement.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
Education Level
No Education Listed
