Principal Software Engineer

SafeLease is an insurance technology company that specializes in commercial real estate.

We focus on insurance products for the self-storage industry but are rapidly expanding our suite of services. We believe traditional commercial insurance can be distributed faster and cheaper. To do that, we’ve brought the entire insurance value chain—distribution, underwriting, and reinsurance—under one roof to drive innovation in an industry that’s ripe for change.

SafeLease is looking for a Principal Full Stack Engineer to drive engineering excellence and shape the future of our technology. In this role, you'll work across the entire stack and partner closely with leadership to architect high-leverage solutions, mentor teammates, and lead strategic initiatives. You’ll play a critical role in setting the technical vision for a platform that's redefining a $300B+ industry.

About The Role

Joining SafeLease at this level means taking on a high degree of ownership over both technical direction and product execution. You’ll set the bar for engineering quality, act as a multiplier across the team, and help us scale thoughtfully as we grow.

To drive our mission forward, this role will :

Architect and deliver systems at scale — Design, build, and ship resilient systems and features that power key parts of the business

Set the standard for technical excellence — Establish and enforce best practices across architecture, testing, observability, and performance

Lead cross-functional initiatives — Collaborate with Product, Design, and GTM teams to align business strategy with engineering execution

Solve high-impact, ambiguous problems — Bring clarity and structure to complex technical challenges that don’t have obvious answers

Mentor and develop engineers — Uplevel the team by sharing deep technical expertise, providing guidance, and fostering a culture of continuous learning

Be a voice for the platform — Represent engineering in leadership forums and advocate for the long-term health and scalability of our technology

About You

You're a strategic, systems-oriented thinker with deep technical expertise and a passion for building exceptional products. You have a proven track record of technical leadership and thrive in high-ownership environments where the challenges are big and the impact is even bigger.

Your experience :

8+ years in software engineering with a track record of designing and delivering complex, high-stakes systems

Demonstrated experience in a Staff, Principal, or Lead role with influence across multiple teams or domains

Mastery of full-stack development with significant experience in Frontend (TypeScript, React), Backend (Node.js, Express, REST APIs), and Infrastructure (relational databases, Git, AWS)

Strong product intuition and a customer-centric mindset—you balance technical rigor with delivering business value

Experience mentoring and developing engineers at varying levels of seniority

Familiarity with modern tools and workflows (Linear, Cursor, AI-assisted development) and excitement about using them to drive leverage

Comfortable navigating ambiguity, creating clarity, and executing in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

Based in Austin or willing to relocate; this is a hybrid role based in our beautiful downtown office

Why SafeLease?

The tech : Our prospects convert fast because we’re solving real problems and delivering serious value to commercial real estate owners.

The team : We’re a team of seasoned pros and sharp operators who know how to move fast and build smart. High standards, low ego.

The stability : We’re well-funded, growing fast, and we make sure our team shares in that success with competitive pay and equity.

The employee experience : We also offer unlimited PTO, full health benefits, flexible work setups, and the kind of culture where people want to show up to do their best work.

If you don't have all the qualifications listed, don't worry! We understand everyone's career path is unique and still encourage you to apply if you feel this role is aligned with your career trajectory.

Employment at SafeLease is contingent upon a satisfactory verification of a general and criminal background check.