Principal Software Engineer

AI overview

Lead the design and development of secure, scalable, serverless systems on AWS while integrating AI technologies into an enterprise SaaS platform with global impact.

About Us

Diligent is the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, helping more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C-Suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster. 

At Diligent, we're building the future with people who think boldly and move fast.  Whether you're designing systems that leverage large language models or part of a team reimaging workflows with AI, you'll help us unlock entirely new ways of working and thinking.  Curiosity is in our DNA, we look for individuals willing to ask the big questions and experiment fearlessly - those who embrace change not as a challenge, but as an opportunity.  The future belongs to those who keep learning, and we are building it together.  At Diligent, you’re not just building the future - you’re an agent of positive change, joining a global community on a mission to make an impact.

Learn more at diligent.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook

 

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to help define and build the next generation of our enterprise SaaS platform. This role blends deep hands-on engineering with high-impact technical leadership, offering the opportunity to influence architecture, guide platform evolution, and mentor senior engineers across the organization.

A core focus of this role is designing and building secure, scalable, serverless systems on AWS using TypeScript, Node.js, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC), while modernizing critical platform components. You will also play a pivotal role in integrating AI capabilities across the product ecosystem, ensuring responsible, transparent, and compliant use of AI technologies.

If you thrive on system-level thinking, complex technical challenges, and shaping AI-enabled, cloud-native products with company-wide impact, this role is for you.


Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Architecture

  • Define and influence long-term engineering and architectural strategy.

  • Lead platform modernization and evolution, identifying scalable and reusable solutions.

  • Review and guide architectural decisions with a strong focus on performance, security, resilience, and maintainability.

  • Act as a trusted technical advisor across multiple teams, influencing large-scale technical decisions.

AI Engineering & Governance

  • Shape AI-related architecture and design decisions across the platform.

  • Build or integrate AI-enabled systems with a focus on transparency, observability, and governance.

  • Ensure AI solutions meet regulatory, compliance, and responsible AI standards.

  • Mentor engineering teams on AI fundamentals, model behavior, prompt engineering, and safe AI adoption.

  • Serve as an internal thought leader on AI best practices and emerging trends.

Engineering Excellence

  • Architect and build secure, scalable, serverless applications on AWS using TypeScript.

  • Design and manage infrastructure using Infrastructure-as-Code tools such as Terraform, AWS CDK, or CloudFormation.

  • Build and operate distributed systems leveraging AWS services including Lambda, DynamoDB, Aurora, S3, and EventBridge.

  • Develop high-quality RESTful APIs using Node.js / TypeScript and collaborate on modern front-end frameworks (Angular or React).

  • Optimize SQL queries and improve database performance at scale.

  • Promote automation, reliability, observability, and continuous improvement across the engineering organization.

  • Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

  • Mentor engineers and foster a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous learning.


Required Experience & Skills

  • 15+ years of experience building secure, production-grade software systems.

  • Proven experience architecting and delivering cloud-native, serverless applications on AWS.

  • Strong expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, REST API design, and modern UI frameworks (Angular/React).

  • Deep understanding of distributed systems, including data stores such as Aurora, DynamoDB, and S3.

  • Strong knowledge of event-driven architectures.

  • Hands-on experience with Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, CDK, CloudFormation).

  • Experience with Docker and modern CI/CD practices.

  • Strong SQL skills with demonstrated experience in database tuning and performance optimization.

  • Solid understanding of AI concepts, including model behavior, prompt engineering, AI safety, and governance.

  • Experience building or integrating AI-powered systems with monitoring, transparency, and compliance considerations.

  • Ability to mentor teams and lead AI adoption responsibly across an organization.

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field.

  • Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

  • Proven ability to work across teams and influence large-scale technical initiatives.

What Diligent Offers You 

  • Creativity is ingrained in our culture. We are innovative collaborators by nature. We thrive in exploring how things can be differently both in our internal processes and to help our clients
  • We care about our people. Diligent offers a flexible work environment, global days of service, comprehensive health benefits, meeting free days, generous time off policy and wellness programs to name a few
  • We have teams all over the world. We may be headquartered in New York City, but we have office hubs in Washington D.C., Vancouver, London, Galway, Budapest, Munich, Bengaluru, Singapore, and Sydney.
  • Diversity is important to us. Growing, maintaining and promoting a diverse team is a top priority for us. We foster and encourage diversity through our Employee Resource Groups and provide access to resources and education to support the education of our team, facilitate dialogue, and foster understanding.

Diligent created the modern governance movement. Our world-changing idea is to empower leaders with the technology, insights and connections they need to drive greater impact and accountability – to lead with purpose. Our employees are passionate, smart, and creative people who not only want to help build the software company of the future, but who want to make the world a more sustainable, equitable and better place. 

Headquartered in New York, Diligent has offices in Washington D.C.,  London, Galway, Budapest, Vancouver, Bengaluru, Munich, Singapore and Sydney.   To foster strong collaboration and connection, this role will follow a hybrid work model. If you are within a commuting distance to one of our Diligent office locations, you will be expected to work onsite at least 50% of the time. We believe that in-person engagement helps drive innovation, teamwork, and a strong sense of community.

 

We are a drug free workplace. Diligent is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, physical disability, mental disability, age, military status, protected veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer related or HIV/AIDS related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also Diligent's EEO Policy and Know Your Rights. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected].

To all recruitment agencies: Diligent does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Diligent employees or any other organization location. Diligent is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Perks & Benefits Extracted with AI

  • Flexible Work Hours: Diligent offers a flexible work environment
  • Health Insurance: comprehensive health benefits
  • Paid Time Off: generous time off policy

Diligent develops and offers a comprehensive governance software solution that enhances board collaboration and decision-making through secure access to confidential information and tools for efficient communication and compliance management.

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