Turnitin, LLC seeks a Principal Software Engineer to join our team in a remote (USA) capacity. You will operate as a Principal Domain Architect/Engineer, driving the technical design and evolution of complex, large-scale systems. This role sits at the intersection of architecture, engineering execution, and technical leadership, requiring you to be highly hands-on while defining architectural direction.

What You'll Do

Drive the technical design and evolution of complex, large-scale systems.
Define architectural direction across a specific domain or set of platforms.
Remain highly hands-on, contributing code, prototypes, and technical frameworks.
Work closely with senior engineers, engineering managers, and product leaders to translate business needs into durable, scalable, and well-engineered solutions.

What We're Looking For

10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong emphasis on building and operating production systems.
Demonstrated experience designing and evolving large-scale, distributed, or service-oriented systems.
Proven ability to operate as a hands-on Principal-level engineer or architect, influencing direction while staying close to the code.
Strong understanding of system design fundamentals: concurrency, data modeling, APIs, messaging, and integration patterns.
Experience working across the full software lifecycle, from design through production support.
Strong proficiency in one or more mainstream programming languages such as Java, C#, C++, .NET, or similar.
Solid understanding of operating system concepts, networking fundamentals, and system internals.
Experience designing APIs, services, and shared frameworks consumed by multiple teams.
Familiarity with modern development practices: CI/CD, automated testing, version control, and code review.
Ability to influence technical direction across teams without direct authority.
Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex designs clearly.
Demonstrated experience mentoring senior and staff-level engineers.

Nice to Have

Experience with cloud-based and distributed architectures.
Background in performance optimization, scalability tuning, or reliability engineering.
Exposure to security, privacy, or compliance considerations as part of system design.
Experience modernizing legacy systems or leading large technical refactors.
Contributions to internal platforms, shared services, or developer enablement efforts.

Benefits & Compensation

Salary range: $130,350/year to $217,250/year

Work Mode

This is a remote (USA) position. Turnitin fosters a remote-first culture that empowers you to work with purpose and accountability.

Turnitin is a recognized innovator in the global education space, promoting honesty, consistency, and fairness. We are a diverse community unified by a shared desire to make a difference.