Principal Software Engineer (BE)

Nerdery•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

Nerdery is a digital product consultancy that partners with clients to create thoughtfully designed digital products. The Principal Software Engineer uses extensive software engineering experience to oversee product project lifecycles and provide technical leadership. The role sets architectural direction, guides other engineers, and communicates effectively with technical and non-technical collaborators. The engineer is accountable for the product’s overall technical quality and works primarily with C#/.NET and Microsoft Azure, applying AI-assisted development practices in day-to-day engineering workflows.

Requirements

Undergraduate or graduate degree in a computer-related field, a coding bootcamp certificate, or a thorough demonstration of self-taught software development skills.
At least 8 years of software development experience.
At least 2–3 years of application software architecture experience, including familiarity with common design patterns and approaches to typical application problems in the role’s discipline.
Ability to write complex software and explain the reasoning behind code.
Strong technical communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical problems to technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong understanding of the development process and ability to maintain an iterative approach throughout the project lifecycle.
Strong proficiency in C# and .NET, including designing, building, and maintaining scalable, production-ready applications and services.
Hands-on experience developing, deploying, and maintaining cloud-based applications and services using Microsoft Azure.
Experience incorporating AI-assisted development tools into daily engineering workflows, including code generation, debugging, testing, and optimization.
Proficiency in context- and specification-driven AI development, including providing structured context, defining clear technical requirements, and validating AI-generated solutions for quality, security, and maintainability.
Legally authorized to work in the country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status.

Nice To Haves

Introductory systems architecture experience.
Experience or demonstrated ability to participate in client pitches.
Exposure to full-stack applications and coding skills outside the candidate’s specialization.
Experience developing AI-powered applications, including LLM integrations, AI agents, agentic workflows, or AI orchestration frameworks.
Experience participating in technical solutioning, including requirements discovery, solution design, technical feasibility assessments, and presenting proposed approaches to clients or stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Oversee the technical lifecycle of products, including software, language, and framework decisions, feature decomposition into technical stories, and production readiness.
Write and explain complex software using expert knowledge of code patterns, application architecture, and best practices.
Serve as the technical lead for a team of software engineers.
Own product technical quality.
Lead discussions about architectural decisions and document those decisions.
Adapt the development process to team and client needs.
Act as a technical liaison across engineering and other project disciplines, including Design, Quality, Project Management, Strategy, and Product.
Own team members’ technical reviews and provide ongoing feedback and recommendations.
Contribute to domain leadership and strategy, support domain initiatives, and maintain domain best practices.
Explain complex technical concerns to different audiences and at multiple levels of abstraction.
Assess prospective candidates’ technical skills and provide recommendations to hiring managers.
Provide ad hoc technical support to practitioners in the domain.
Support sales requests with technical recommendations and estimates for prospective clients.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Two medical plan options, including an HSA-eligible option.
Dental insurance.
Vision insurance.
Company-paid basic life and AD&D insurance.
Company-paid short-term disability coverage.
Company-paid long-term disability coverage.
Optional employee-paid voluntary life and AD&D, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance.
Pet insurance.
Legal support and identity theft protection plans.
401(k) plan with company match of up to 3.5% and immediate vesting.
Flexible time off (Flex PTO) for vacation, personal time, illness, or time off to care for dependents.
Remote-friendly work arrangement, with Minnesota office space available for employees who prefer in-office work or collaboration.
Professional development resources and funds for development, industry conferences, and certifications.