Principal Software Engineer

About the role

Forward Financing is hiring a Principal Software Engineer to help own the architectural vision and technical execution of its core fintech platform. The engineering organization uses data from many third-party providers to support analytics and AI/ML initiatives, and this role is positioned as a senior technical leader for the company’s next stage of growth.

Key responsibilities

• Architect and lead development of the core platform with an emphasis on scalability, reliability and efficiency.
• Set technical direction and raise engineering standards from design through deployment.
• Lead complex cross-team initiatives that require alignment across engineering teams and business domains.
• Promote architectural integrity, modern design patterns and strong engineering practices.
• Improve resiliency, observability and operational quality while addressing technical debt, bugs and incidents.
• Mentor and sponsor engineers and help build a culture of technical ownership and continuous learning.
• Stay engaged across multiple teams and serve as an accessible technical leader.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in technical leadership, mentorship and sponsorship.
• Deep experience designing complex distributed backend systems and scalable architectures.
• Ruby on Rails expertise is required.
• Strong written and verbal communication and the ability to influence technical direction.
• Several years of Agile software-development experience.
• Front-end architecture or broader full-stack perspective, including understanding how backend services affect end-user experience.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent additional relevant experience.

Location and compensation

• Remote position in Ontario, Canada.
• Full-time, Technology department.
• Target base salary: $200,000–$250,000 CAD.
• Annual target bonus: 15%.

Forward describes a flexible work environment and a broader rewards package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible time off, paid parental leave, RRSP matching for Canadian employees, wellness reimbursement, volunteer days, professional-development support and charitable donation matching.

Public referral note

This role is currently listed on Forward Financing’s External Referral Program board. The referral payment is $2,500 USD after an eligible hire completes 90 consecutive days of employment. The person receiving the reward must meet Forward’s published U.S.-resident referrer requirements.