Principal Software Engineer

About Quizlet:

Inspired by our belief that anyone can learn anything and powered by our own curiosity, we build the smartest tools we can imagine to help students learn.

Quizlet is the popular, global learning platform and app that millions of students, teachers and everyday people use to study any subject imaginable for school, work or as part of their personal interests - including two-thirds of high school students and half of all college students in the US. Combining cognitive science and machine learning, Quizlet guides students through adaptive study activities to confidently reach their learning goals. We’re on track to become the undisputed leader in user-generated learning content and engagement, at the scale of YouTube.

Valued at $1 billion, Quizlet has raised over $60 million in venture capital from investors including Icon Ventures, Union Square Ventures, General Atlantic, Costanoa Ventures, Owl Ventures, and Altos Ventures.

To serve our global community of learners, our teams tackle lofty technical challenges and design for use cases across cultures and languages. We work hard, act like owners, and collaborate every chance we get. We’re energized by the potential to power more learners through multiple approaches and various tools.

About the Team:

Quizlet provides ML- and AI-driven learning tools focused on high school and college students worldwide. With over 60M monthly active users and hundreds of millions Study Sets created, the scale of the platform and user interactions is significant. With a talented and diverse team of engineers, we are proud of our inclusive culture, deep customer focus, and technical excellence.

About the Role:

We’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help us shape the architecture of all our products and help the teams deliver systems that are high-quality, scalable and resilient. This role will include mentoring of technical teams, standardizing software engineering practices, and some hands-on contributions.

This is a hybrid role based out of our Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco office hubs.

In this role, you will:

• Report to the Director of engineering and contribute as a key member of the leadership team.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in application architecture and software engineering.
• Influence the overall target architecture of the product, aligning with leaders and stakeholders across the team.
• Mentor teams in the implementation of complex systems, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Ensure the delivery of high-quality, scalable, and resilient systems that meet business goals and customer needs.
• Drive strategic technology decisions working with engineering leaders and stakeholders across the organization.
• Participate in code reviews, architectural discussions, and troubleshooting sessions to ensure the highest standards of development.
• Proactively anticipate and identify potential challenges, risks, and scaling issues in the quarters and years ahead.

What you bring to the table:

• 10+ years of software development experience.
• Demonstrated ability in system architecture and design, understanding of design patterns, and ability to solve complex technical design challenges, with attention to scalability and performance concerns.
• Experience with relational databases.
• The desire to work across team boundaries to understand the needs of our product development teams, and partner with infrastructure teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills, and attention to the little details needed to make informed decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Plan and execute initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and complex requirements, applying strategic prioritization.
• Excitement about the impact your work could have on the lives of students and teachers every day.

Compensation, Benefits & Perks:

• Quizlet is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Salary transparency helps to mitigate unfair hiring practices when it comes to discrimination and pay gaps. Total compensation for this role is market competitive, including a starting base salary of $200,000 - $280,000, depending on location and experience, as well as company stock options.
• Collaborate with your manager and team to create a healthy work-life balance.
• 20 vacation days (and we expect you to take them!).
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee and 75% dependent PPO, HMO, VSP Choice).
• Employer-sponsored 401k plan with company match.
• Access to LinkedIn Learning and other resources to support professional growth.
• Paid Family Leave, FSA, HSA, Commuter benefits, Wellness benefits.
• 40 hours of annual paid time off to participate in volunteer programs of choice.

In Closing:

We hope you are excited about everything you read so far. We highly encourage you to apply for this position, even if you feel you do not meet all the requirements. Quizlet is always looking for amazing folks that believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in various ways - not merely candidates that fit a certain mold.

We have a bias for action, take initiative, and take pride in delivering results. We make informed decisions whenever possible but are unafraid to take calculated risks on great ideas to promote learning. We embrace challenges and see effort as the path to mastery. We’re constantly seeking opportunities to learn and we embrace curiosity. Quality matters at Quizlet, and we hold the bar high on everything we do.

We treat each other with honesty and respect, encourage vigorous debate, and seek critical feedback. We value diversity, humility, transparency, and collaboration as the best paths to our success — as individuals, as a team, and as a company.

Quizlet’s success as an online learning community depends on a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are actively working to build a team that is representative of the diverse communities we serve, and an open, inclusive work environment where all employees can thrive. As an equal opportunity employer and a tech company committed to societal change, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Come join us!