Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Ottawa, ON
On-site
Posted Oct 9, 2026
1 position

Opens LinkedIn

Employment type: Full-time
Experience level: Senior · 5+ years
Minimum education: Master’s degree
Posting language: English
Working hours: 40 hours per week
Seniority: Not Applicable

Job summary

Lead the design, development, and operation of a large-scale distributed edge compute platform, including external APIs, Kubernetes-based resource management, and high-throughput traffic routing. Establish architectural and reliability practices, address security and infrastructure risks, collaborate across engineering and business teams, and mentor engineers.

Job details

Job Description We are looking for an experienced software engineer to lead the development of our distributed edge compute platform. This role demands a deep understanding of hyperscalers like AWS, Azure, or GCP, and the ability to design and operate large-scale systems. The successful candidate will contribute to the platform's architecture, ensuring fault tolerance, consistency, and efficient traffic routing. How You Will Contribute And What You Will Learn Design and implement a massively distributed edge compute platform, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance. Develop external-facing APIs, considering design, versioning, and interactions with customers and partners. Optimize high-throughput L7 traffic routing for efficient data processing. Utilize Kubernetes internals for resource management and container deployment. Collaborate with a team of engineers to build and operate the platform, sharing knowledge and best practices. Translate distributed systems complexity into clear architectural tradeoffs Communicate infrastructure risks and mitigation strategies to executive stakeholders Manage technical requirements from customers’ needs. Collaborate effectively with AI/ML systems engineers, Hardware architects, Network engineering teams, Security and compliance teams Present scalability models and reliability metrics in measurable, defensible terms Mentor engineering teams on distributed systems best practices Anticipate internal and external business challenges and / or regulatory issues and drive process, product or service improvements that create competitive advantage. Stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in distributed systems and edge computing. Establish design reviews and architectural governance standards Ensure the platform's security and data privacy, adhering to industry standards and regulations. Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to maintain code quality. Key Skills And Experience Extensive experience (5+ years) with hyperscaler technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP) and managed services. Have worked at or intimately with AWS, Azure, GCP, or similar-scale platforms - built internal cloud, compute, or infrastructure services Proven track record in designing and operating large-scale distributed systems. Strong fundamentals in distributed systems, including consistency models and fault tolerance. Proficiency in API design and development, with an understanding of versioning and SDK foundations. Experience with Kubernetes and containerization technologies for resource management. Solid understanding of high-throughput traffic routing and network protocols. Ability to work independently and manage complex technical tasks. Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a willingness to share knowledge. Familiarity with security best practices and data privacy regulations. Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. PhD preferred. About Us Advancing connectivity to secure a brighter world. Nokia is a global leader in connectivity for the AI era. With expertise across fixed, mobile and transport networks, powered by the innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we’re advancing connectivity to secure a brighter world. Learn more about life at Nokia . Our recruitment process We act inclusively and respect the uniqueness of people. Our employment decisions are made regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. We are committed to a culture of inclusion built upon our core value of respect. If you’re interested in this role but don’t meet every listed requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences enrich our teams, and you may be just the right candidate for this or another opportunity. The length of the recruitment process may vary depending on the specific role's requirements. We strive to ensure a smooth and inclusive experience for all candidates. Discover more about the recruitment process at Nokia . About The Team Some of our benefits in US : Corporate Retirement Savings Plan Health and dental benefits Short-term disability, and long-term disability Life insurance, and AD&D – Company paid 2x base pay Optional or Supplemental life and AD&D insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child) Paid time off for holidays and Vacation Employee Stock Purchase Plan Tuition Assistance Plan Adoption assistance Employee Assistance Program/Work Life Resource Program The above benefits exclude students. Disclaimer for US/Canada Nokia Maintains broad annual base salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience and market conditions, and with consideration to internal peer equity. Check the salary ranges in the job info section for this role. All North America job posts will post for a minimum of 7 calendar days and up to 180 days or until candidate/s identified.

What you’ll do

Requirements

Requires at least five years of experience with hyperscaler technologies and managed services, along with a proven record designing and operating large-scale distributed systems. Candidates should have strong knowledge of APIs, Kubernetes, traffic routing, security, and data privacy; a master's degree in a related field is required, with a PhD preferred.