Principal Software Engineer

Who you are

You have over 10 years of full-stack engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a technical leadership role. Your background includes incubating and scaling new technologies or products within larger organizations, demonstrating your ability to drive innovation and change. You possess a strong understanding of distributed systems design and data-intensive applications, which allows you to tackle complex engineering challenges effectively. Familiarity with modern AI/ML technologies, developer platforms, or productivity tools is a plus, as you will be exploring new product spaces and integrating cutting-edge technologies into Dropbox's offerings.

You thrive in collaborative environments and are passionate about fostering a strong engineering culture focused on excellence, velocity, and innovation. Your strategic thinking enables you to define the architecture and integration strategy for new initiatives, ensuring that both internally developed and acquired products align with Dropbox's vision. You are adept at conducting technical due diligence on potential M&A targets, assessing their scalability, quality, and strategic fit within the organization.

Desirable

Experience with rapid prototyping of new product ideas and validating emerging opportunities is highly desirable. You have a track record of partnering cross-functionally with product, design, and strategy teams to translate vision into technical execution. Your ability to maintain a high technical bar and guide teams through complex architectural decisions sets you apart as a leader in the field.

What you'll do

In this role, you will shape the future of Dropbox by defining the vision and architecture for our most forward-looking products. You will blend hands-on engineering with strategic thinking, exploring new product spaces and prototyping ideas that do not yet have a home. Your contributions will help guide how we integrate new technologies, whether we build them in-house or acquire them from external sources.

You will be responsible for building and fostering a strong engineering culture that emphasizes collaboration and innovation. This includes defining the architecture and integration strategy for new initiatives, conducting technical due diligence on potential M&A targets, and rapidly prototyping new product ideas. You will partner closely with product, design, and strategy teams to translate high-potential ideas into real impact, ensuring that Dropbox remains at the forefront of innovation in the tech industry.

Your role will also involve maintaining a high technical bar and guiding your team through complex architectural decisions. You will contribute to shaping Dropbox's long-term innovation roadmap through technical insight and experimentation, ensuring that we are always looking ahead and preparing for the future.

What we offer

At Dropbox, we offer a competitive compensation package, including a salary range of $256,300—$346,700 USD depending on your location within the US. We believe in the importance of work-life balance and provide flexible working arrangements to support our employees. You will have the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment where your ideas are valued and can make a significant impact on the company's direction.

Join us at Dropbox, where you will be part of a team that is dedicated to innovation and excellence. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't match every requirement — your unique perspective and skills could be just what we need to drive our mission forward.