Join athenahealth as a Principal Software Engineer. You will lead the design, architecture, and development of advanced microservices and distributed systems. You will play a critical role in driving technical excellence and innovation across engineering teams.

Team Summary

In this role, you will lead the design, architecture, and development of microservices and distributed systems using established design principles and architecture patterns such as event-driven and hexagonal architectures. You will produce clear, detailed technical design specifications and guide cross-functional teams—including engineers, Product Owners, and Experience Designers—through agile development cycles. Ensuring system stability and operational excellence is a key focus, with proactive support for operations, incident response to maintain SLAs, and building services designed for minimal maintenance. You will mentor and collaborate with team members to enhance productivity and share technical and business insights across the engineering and product organizations. Taking ownership of team deliverables, you will drive efficient development aligned with business goals and compliance standards. Additionally, you will participate in architectural reviews, continuous improvement initiatives, and strategic planning for platform evolution, while supporting knowledge sharing, documentation, and communication with stakeholders across geographies and teams.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Lead the design and architecture of scalable microservices and distributed systems using sound design principles and patterns.
Produce detailed and accurate technical design specifications to guide development efforts.
Guide and mentor engineering teams, Product Owners, and Experience Designers through development cycles.
Ensure system stability by supporting operations, responding to incidents, and building maintainable services.
Drive ownership of team deliverables, ensuring alignment with business objectives and compliance requirements.
Participate in architectural reviews and contribute to continuous improvement and strategic platform planning.
Facilitate knowledge sharing, documentation, and effective communication across teams and stakeholders.

Additional Job Responsibilities

Contribute to AI and innovative applications on the platform, leveraging AI fundamentals including large language models (LLMs).
Mentor team members on the appropriate use of AI to accelerate development outcomes.
Review and validate AI-generated code to maintain high-quality standards.
Explore and integrate workflow orchestration frameworks such as Camunda, Temporal, or Cadence.
Support infrastructure automation using tools like Terraform and Harness.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate technical risks.
Stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends to inform platform evolution.

Expected Education & Experience

8 to 15 years of experience in software engineering with a focus on system design and architecture.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Proficiency in Java, SpringBoot, RESTful APIs, Docker, AWS, EKS, and infrastructure as code tools such as Terraform and Harness.
Knowledge of microservices and distributed system architecture patterns (e.g., event-driven, hexagonal).
Familiarity with workflow orchestration frameworks like Camunda, Temporal, or Cadence is beneficial.
Experience with Perl and GraphQL is a plus.
Understanding of AI fundamentals, including large language models (LLMs) and AI development.
Proven ability to lead technical teams and collaborate effectively across functions.

Expected Compensation

$164,000 - $280,000

The base salary range shown reflects the full range for this role from minimum to maximum. At athenahealth, base pay depends on multiple factors, including job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, how your qualifications compare to others in similar roles, and geographical market rates. Base pay is only one part of our competitive Total Rewards package - depending on role eligibility, we offer both short and long-term incentives by way of an annual discretionary bonus plan, variable compensation plan, and equity plans.

About athenahealth

Our vision: In an industry that becomes more complex by the day, we stand for simplicity. We offer IT solutions and expert services that eliminate the daily hurdles preventing healthcare providers from focusing entirely on their patients — powered by our vision to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.

Our company culture: Our talented employees — or athenistas, as we call ourselves — spark the innovation and passion needed to accomplish our vision. We are a diverse group of dreamers and do-ers with unique knowledge, expertise, backgrounds, and perspectives. We unite as mission-driven problem-solvers with a deep desire to achieve our vision and make our time here count. Our award-winning culture is built around shared values of inclusiveness, accountability, and support.

Our DEI commitment: Our vision of accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all requires addressing the inequities that stand in the way. That's one reason we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our business, from attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce to maintaining an inclusive environment for athenistas, our partners, customers and the communities where we work and serve.

What we can do for you:

Along with health and financial benefits, athenistas enjoy perks specific to each location, including commuter support, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, employee resource groups, and collaborative workspaces — some offices even welcome dogs.

We also encourage a better work-life balance for athenistas with our flexibility. While we know in-office collaboration is critical to our vision, we recognize that not all work needs to be done within an office environment, full-time. With consistent communication and digital collaboration tools, athenahealth enables employees to find a balance that feels fulfilling and productive for each individual situation.

In addition to our traditional benefits and perks, we sponsor events throughout the year, including book clubs, external speakers, and hackathons. We provide athenistas with a company culture based on learning, the support of an engaged team, and an inclusive environment where all employees are valued.