What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Engineer position at Newance?
Principal Engineer – Freight Automation SaaS Platform
Location: Remote
Type: Full-Time
Experience: 7 years in software development and leadership roles
Reports To: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
About Us
We are an early-stage startup revolutionizing the freight industry by building a SaaS platform to automate freight pickup and delivery appointments. Our mission is to streamline logistics and save time for carriers and shippers alike. As we scale, we are seeking a Principal Engineer to lead our technical efforts, shape our technology strategy, and build the foundation of our engineering team.
Role Overview
As our first engineering hire, you will play a pivotal role in defining the technical vision for our platform. Reporting directly to the CTO, you will work closely with the founding team to set the direction of the product, determine the technology stack, and create scalable, secure, and maintainable solutions. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a founding team and directly impact the company’s growth. The role may also involve occasional customer-facing responsibilities to understand user needs and ensure our solutions deliver maximum value.
Responsibilities
● Define and implement the technology stack and architecture for the SaaS platform.
● Collaborate with the CTO and founding team to translate business goals into technical deliverables.
● Design, build, and deploy robust and scalable systems to automate freight appointment scheduling.
● Establish best practices for software development, testing, and deployment.
● Hire, mentor, and manage a team of developers as the company grows.
● Lead technical discussions and be the go-to person for complex problem-solving.
● Ensure code quality, performance, and security standards are upheld.
● Occasionally engage with customers to gather feedback, troubleshoot issues, and align on product requirements.
● Work hands-on with the codebase while balancing leadership responsibilities.
Qualifications
● Proven experience as a software engineer, with at least 3 years in a leadership or architect role.
● Prior experience working in a startup environment, with a demonstrated ability to adapt and thrive in fast-paced, dynamic settings.
● Expertise in designing and building SaaS platforms, preferably in logistics or related industries.
● Proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks (e.g., JavaScript/TypeScript, .NET, Python, Ruby, Go, etc.).
● Strong knowledge of cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and CI/CD pipelines.
● Experience with database design, APIs, and microservices architecture.
● Familiarity with DevOps practices and infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform, Kubernetes).
● Passion for building scalable systems and a solid understanding of performance optimization.
● Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.
Preferred Skills
● Experience with freight logistics, supply chain, or transportation management systems.
● Knowledge of machine learning or optimization algorithms in logistics.
● Hands-on experience with event-driven architecture and messaging queues.
Why Join Us?
● Be a core member of the founding team with significant ownership of technical decisions.
● Opportunity to grow with the company and shape its culture and engineering practices.
● Competitive compensation, including salary and equity options.
● Work on a meaningful product solving real-world problems in the freight industry.
