Principal Software Development Engineer - Backend

Expedia Group brands power global travel for everyone, everywhere. We design cutting-edge tech to make travel smoother and more memorable, and we create groundbreaking solutions for our partners. Our diverse, vibrant, and welcoming community is essential in driving our success. Why Join Us? To shape the future of travel, people must come first. Guided by our Values and Leadership Agreements, we foster an open culture where everyone belongs, differences are celebrated and know that when one of us wins, we all win. We provide a full benefits package, including exciting travel perks, generous time-off, parental leave, a flexible work model (with some pretty cool offices), and career development resources, all to fuel our employees' passion for travel and ensure a rewarding career journey. We’re building a more open world. Join us. Introduction to the team The Air Connectivity Organization at Expedia Group is seeking an experienced backend Principal Software Development Engineer who is a seasoned technologist with a passion for building robust, scalable, and high-performance applications that help millions of people plan their travels and create lifelong memories. Join us as we revolutionize the travel industry! The Air Connectivity Organization at Expedia Group is at the forefront of innovation in the travel industry. We leverage our cutting-edge , in-house platform to seamlessly integrate with airlines worldwide, delivering exceptional travel experiences to millions of users annually. Through APIs that adhere to NDC standards, we enable travelers to access top-tier content, enjoy an immersive ticket shopping experience, and add convenient ancillaries to their journeys with ease. We are part of the partner connectivity platform that serves as the backbone of Expedia’s business, powering an efficient two-way marketplace that bridges supply and demand. Leveraging diverse integration methods—ranging from direct connections to NDC and GDS sourcing—our platform processes over 50 Tier-1 services and generates more than 8TB of data each month. Built with modern technologies like Java, Kotlin, Spring, MSSQL, DynamoDB, and Redis, our ecosystem supports millions of travelers in finding the best travel products tailored to their needs. What Sets Us Apart Global Scale : We operate a platform that impacts millions of users worldwide, making air travel more accessible, seamless, and personalized. Innovation-Driven : We thrive on solving complex challenges, continuously improving our technology stack, and staying ahead in the fast-paced travel industry. Collaborative Culture : Our geographically distributed team is empowered to drive high-priority initiatives independently while fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and shared success. If you’re passionate about creating transformative solutions, tackling large-scale engineering challenges, and shaping the future of air travel, we’d love to have you on our team. Join us, and let’s redefine the way the world travels together! In this role, you will : Lead end-to-end delivery of enterprise applications (design, development, deployment) to solve complex business problems Decompose large problems into manageable milestones, provide estimates, and break work into actionable tasks Architect scalable, modular solutions and select appropriate technologies ; produce high-level and detailed designs Address architectural and technical challenges to enable informed team decisions Maintain, monitor , and optimize systems; enhance observability, reliability, performance, and operational excellence Advocate and implement engineering best practices (unit testing, resiliency, scalability, code quality) Mentor and coach peers and junior developers; provide technical guidance and foster professional growth Collaborate with business and technology leaders to align technical choices with business goals Lead or participate in communities of practice; document designs, solutions, and best practices Communicate project status and milestones to leadership and ensure thorough documentation Minimum qualifications : Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical field or equivalent related professional experience 12 years of software development experience with a Bachelor's degree, or 10 years with a Master's degree Experience creating systems that interact across a business unit and understanding cross-domain capabilities Proficient in backend technologies (Java, Kotlin, GraphQL / RESTful APIs) and experience building scalable systems on cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred) using CI / CD tools Deep understanding of software design principles, algorithms, and data structures, with strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills ​ Preferred Qualifications : Experience mentoring other engineers and participating in peer performance reviews by providing technical feedback Proven ability to define software engineering and architecture best practices at a department or organizational level Experience establishing standards for operational excellence and code quality at a multi-project level Skilled in presenting new technology choices and architectural decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences Experience guiding technical principles and practices to design software that is easily testable and observable Hands-on experience working in decentralized teams and mentoring individuals Advanced skills in unit, integration, and end-to-end testing with tools such as JUnit, Mockito, Jest, or Cypress The total cash range for this position in Seattle is $224,000.00 to $313,500.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $358,500.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role. Starting pay for this role will vary based on multiple factors, including location, available budget, and an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future. Expedia Group is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to support employees and their families, including medical / dental / vision, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program. To fuel each employee’s passion for travel, we offer a wellness & travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and an International Airlines Travel Agent ( IATAN ) membership. View our full list of benefits . Accommodation requests If you need assistance with any part of the application or recruiting process due to a disability, or other physical or mental health conditions, please reach out to our Recruiting Accommodations Team through the Accommodation Request . We are proud to be named as a Best Place to Work on Glassdoor in 2024 and be recognized for award-winning culture by organizations like Forbes, TIME, Disability : IN, and others. Expedia Group's family of brands includes : Brand Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, trivago®, Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert®, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™. © 2024 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST : 2029030-50 Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never provide sensitive, personal information to someone unless you’re confident who the recipient is. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or any other messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official website to find and apply for job openings at Expedia Group is careers.expediagroup.com / jobs . Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.