Principal Software Engineer

JOB SUMMARY We're looking for a pragmatic, hands-on Principal API & Integration Engineer who gets things done. You'll spend significant time writing code while helping elevate the technical skills of the broader team. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on designing and implementing centralized API platforms, has extensive experience with third-party integrations and Transportation Management Systems (TMS), leverages AI-assisted development tools to accelerate delivery, and excels at simplifying and automating complex integration processes. You'll balance individual contribution with strategic technical leadership, creating unified API strategies that serve multiple web and mobile applications while helping engineers grow their craft through practical guidance and code review. WHAT YOU'LL DO Build and Ship Design and implement enterprise-wide API strategy serving all internal and external applications Build scalable, reusable API platforms and integration frameworks that reduce duplication across systems Develop robust integrations with third-party systems and Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Create automated integration pipelines that simplify onboarding of new partners and systems Leverage AI-powered development tools (GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) to accelerate API and integration development Modernize legacy integration patterns and migrate to modern API architectures Build API gateways, service meshes, and integration middleware that scale globally Design self-service integration tools and SDKs that empower development teams Lead Through Example Define long-term API strategy and integration architecture across the organization Champion and integrate new API technologies and integration practices that solve real problems Mentor engineers on API design patterns, integration best practices, and microservices architecture Share best practices for AI-assisted development and cutting-edge integration tooling Establish API standards, governance, and documentation practices Guide architectural decisions that impact API consumers across web, mobile, and partner systems Foster a culture of API-first thinking and integration automation Technical Execution & Strategy Partner with product, backend, mobile, and partner teams on API design and integration requirements Create comprehensive API documentation, developer portals, and integration guides Implement API versioning, lifecycle management, and deprecation strategies Design authentication and authorization frameworks (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, SSO) Build monitoring, observability, and analytics for API performance and usage Establish rate limiting, throttling, quota management, and SLA enforcement Lead technical deep dives into integration failures, performance bottlenecks, and scalability issues Proactively identify opportunities to simplify and automate integration workflows REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience 10+ years of professional software engineering experience with focus on APIs and integrations 2+ years in a technical leadership position Extensive experience with third-party system integrations and API partnerships Strong background with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) integrations Proven track record of designing and implementing enterprise API platforms History of simplifying complex integration processes through automation Experience with AI-assisted development tools and workflows Track record of mentoring and growing technical talent Willingness to maintain hands-on technical involvement API Architecture & Design Expert-level proficiency in RESTful API design and implementation Strong experience with GraphQL, gRPC, or other modern API paradigms Deep understanding of API gateway patterns and service mesh architectures Knowledge of API versioning strategies and backward compatibility Experience with OpenAPI/Swagger specifications and API documentation tools Understanding of API security patterns (OAuth2, API keys, JWT, mTLS) Experience designing APIs for high-volume, multi-tenant environments Integration Expertise Extensive experience integrating with third-party APIs and systems Deep knowledge of Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and logistics platforms Strong background in legacy system connectivity. Experience with common integration patterns (webhooks, polling, event-driven, batch) Experience with message queuing and event streaming (Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, AWS SQS) Understanding of data transformation, mapping, and synchronization strategies Automation & Tooling Building self-service integration frameworks and SDKs Creating automated testing for APIs and integrations (contract testing, integration testing) Developing integration monitoring and alerting systems Implementing CI/CD pipelines for API deployments Experience with Infrastructure as Code for integration resources Core Technical Skills Expert-level proficiency in backend development (Java, C#/.NET, Python, or Node.js) Strong experience with microservices architecture patterns Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) Proficiency with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes) Experience with API management platforms (Apigee, AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management, Kong) Strong background in both relational and NoSQL databases Knowledge of caching strategies (Redis, CDN) for API performance TMS & Industry Knowledge Experience with major TMS platforms (Oracle TMS, SAP TM, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, or similar) Understanding of transportation and logistics workflows (dispatching, tracking, routing, ELD) Knowledge of industry standards (EDI X12, EDIFACT, HL7 for healthcare logistics) Familiarity with telematics and fleet management integrations Understanding of real-time location tracking and geo-fencing DevOps & Quality API lifecycle management and governa