[Hiring] Principal Software Engineer @ServiceNow

Role Description

As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll take on hard architecture problems across our workflow and automation stack, including how we evolve it toward agentic, AI-driven execution at scale.

• Lead architecture and technical direction for problem areas across the portfolio, working with product and engineering leads to identify blockers and opportunities.
• Get hands-on by building prototypes and reference implementations to validate architectural ideas.
• Test ideas with real experiments and data to shape direction.
• Help move existing workflow capabilities toward AI-native patterns, including agentic execution and more autonomous flows.
• Analyze cases where agentic features exist but aren't delivering value; identify issues related to architecture, data, UX, or cost model and drive fixes.
• Document patterns and tradeoffs to prevent rediscovery by other teams.
• Participate in design reviews and critical decisions, using data to assess risks and balance shipping speed with long-term durability.
• Collaborate across engineering teams to share successful patterns and accelerate their adoption.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of engineering experience, or equivalent.
• Experience building and running large-scale distributed systems: workflow engines, integration platforms, data-heavy products, or cloud infrastructure.
• Solid grasp of system design for scale, reliability, observability, and production readiness, including database architecture at high transaction volume.
• Strong depth in Java, Python, or a comparable language.
• Track record of setting technical direction and influencing architecture across teams.
• Comfortable leading through credibility and collaboration rather than title.
• Good judgment on when to invest in long-term architecture versus when to ship.
• Experience mentoring senior engineers and building reusable patterns.
• Experience with AI-powered products, agentic systems, or workflow automation platforms is a strong plus.
• Ability to reason about AI-assisted workflows: data quality, correctness, evaluation, safety, and human involvement.
• Bonus if you've worked on large-scale enterprise customers or led complex platform migrations.

Requirements

• 15+ years of related engineering experience, or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong experience building and operating large-scale distributed systems, workflow engines, integration frameworks, or cloud-scale infrastructure handling high transaction volume.
• Deep understanding of system design for scale, reliability, observability, fault tolerance, data quality, security, and production readiness.
• Strong technical depth in Java, Python, or similar programming languages.
• Proven ability to define technical direction and influence architecture across teams.
• Ability to operate as a Principal IC by leading through technical credibility, collaboration, and influence.
• Strong judgment in balancing long-term architecture with pragmatic execution.
• Experience mentoring senior engineers and building reusable patterns.
• Experience with AI-powered products, automation platforms, AI-assisted workflows, or agentic systems is strongly preferred.
• Ability to reason about AI-assisted enterprise workflows, including data quality and workflow correctness.
• Experience with workflow automation, business process management, low-code/no-code platforms, or process/task orchestration at scale is a strong plus.
• Experience working with large-scale enterprise customers, production systems, and complex migration or modernization efforts is a plus.

Benefits

• Base pay of $221,200 - $387,100, plus equity (when applicable) and variable/incentive compensation.
• Health plans, including flexible spending accounts.
• 401(k) Plan with company match.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and matching donations.
• Flexible time away plan and family leave programs.