Principal Backend Engineer

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Kforce has a client in Boston, MA that is seeking a Principal Backend Engineer to work onsite 4 days per week.

Summary:
The Operations Systems Technology team builds and maintains the platforms that power core operational functions across investment operations, accounting, treasury, reference data, and global books-of-record. The team also develops a modern data and platform layer that supports AI-driven use cases, helping internal teams unlock insights and automate critical workflows. As a Principal Engineer, you will be a technical leader guiding the architecture, design, and development of distributed, data-intensive systems.

Duties:
* Define and lead the technical roadmap for large-scale operations and data platforms
* Architect distributed, event-driven systems that power operational -workflows and data services
* Drive modernization initiatives using cloud-native tooling, observability frameworks, and infrastructure-as-code
* Productionize AI models and automation services
* Lead the design and development of backend components using Python and related frameworks
* Set and enforce engineering best practices to ensure high-quality, maintainable systems
* Collaborate closely with product, data, and operations teams to translate business needs into technical solutions
* Drive continuous improvement across performance, reliability, and developer experience
* Work with product and operations leaders to align technical strategy with organizational goals
* Provide architectural oversight for systems integrating financial data, AI, and platform services
* Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
* Mentor engineers to elevate technical depth and leadership skills across teams
* Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning
* Contribute to recruiting efforts and help build a world-class engineering organization

REQUIREMENTS:
* 10+ years of software engineering experience with proven technical leadership
* Expert-level Python skills, particularly in building scalable backend or data systems
* Strong hands-on AWS experience (EKS/ECS, Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, CloudFormation/Terraform)
* Deep understanding of distributed systems: microservices, messaging, caching, concurrency, and resilience
* Experience building or scaling production AI products, automation tools, or inference services
* Familiarity with AI and data platform tools (vector databases, LangChain, LiteLLM, LLM APIs)
* Experience with data modeling and modern data platforms such as Snowflake or data lake architectures
* Strong knowledge of relational databases and data integrity design
* Background in financial systems, accounting, treasury, or operational technology is highly valued
* Excellent communication skills and the ability to work across diverse stakeholders

Our tech stack includes Python, Kubernetes, and AWS-embracing modern, cloud-native design principles to support mission-critical systems with performance, reliability, and scale.

Join a high-impact technology organization that's redefining how modern operational and financial systems are built. If you're passionate about solving complex technical challenges and shaping the future of data-driven platforms, this role offers the opportunity to lead at enterprise scale.

The pay range is the lowest to highest compensation we reasonably in good faith believe we would pay at posting for this role. We may ultimately pay more or less than this range. Employee pay is based on factors like relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, location, performance, union contract and business needs. This range may be modified in the future.

We offer comprehensive benefits including medical/dental/vision insurance, HSA, FSA, 401(k), and life, disability & ADD insurance to eligible employees. Salaried personnel receive paid time off. Hourly employees are not eligible for paid time off unless required by law. Hourly employees on a Service Contract Act project are eligible for paid sick leave.

Note: Pay is not considered compensation until it is earned, vested and determinable. The amount and availability of any compensation remains in Kforce's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified in its discretion consistent with the law.

This job is not eligible for bonuses, incentives or commissions.

Kforce is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

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