Principal SaaS Software Engineer/ Architect

Direct candidates only no third parties please. Resource 1 is seeking a Principal SaaS Software Engineer/ Architect for a hybrid onsite (3 days/week) position in downtown Chicago. Our client is looking to add a permanent resource to their growing team through a 12-month contract-for-hire. This individual will spearhead the design, development, and technical direction of a next-generation SaaS platform for aviation maintenance, inventory, and MRO management. This role combines hands-on engineering, architectural decision-making, and team leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Architecture & Technical Strategy
  • Define and own the overall system architecture for the new SaaS platform.
  • Lead technology decisions around Azure, .NET, React/TypeScript, containerization, and database selection.
  • Ensure scalability, security, reliability, and modular design.

• Development Leadership

• Contribute hands-on to coding, prototyping, and validating solutions.
• Perform code reviews and provide technical mentorship.
• Troubleshoot critical production issues when necessary.

• Collaboration & Communication

• Collaborate daily with offshore vendor teams (Eastern Europe).
• Partner with Product leadership to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
• Communicate technical decisions and trade-offs to executives and business stakeholders.
• Participate in client discovery and integration discussions as the platform evolves.
• Contribute to roadmap planning and realistic technical estimates and risk assessments.

• Team Growth & Mentorship
  • Recruit and scale a strong development team over time.
  • Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous learning.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of professional software development experience, with at least 3 years in a Lead or Architect role.
• Deep expertise in the Microsoft stack: .NET Core, C#, Azure, React/TypeScript, etc.
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms (Azure), microservices, and containerization (AKS/Docker).
• Strong knowledge of relational databases (SQL Server or Postgres on Azure preferred).
• Experience collaborating with offshore development teams.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven track record designing or leading development of SaaS or large-scale B2B platforms.
• Prior experience in aviation, aerospace, or other regulated industries.
• Exposure to AI/ML technologies and modern data-driven product design.
• Background in building enterprise-grade, multi-tenant SaaS solutions.
• Ability to thrive in early-stage, high-growth product development environments.

Medical insurance and a 401(k) plan is offered to all eligible W2 employees.