Edtech.com's Summary

Ascend Learning is hiring a Principal Software Engineer to set technical direction across several development teams and shape the architecture of platforms used by learners, educators, and healthcare professionals. The engineer stays hands-on in design and code while owning the technical vision and long-term evolution of their domain. The role supports services and applications that serve multiple Ascend Learning businesses, with a hybrid schedule from the Leawood, Kansas office or remote work within the United States.

Highlights

Design, build, and evolve scalable cloud-native applications and platforms using .NET, Angular, Azure, Kafka, Docker, Kubernetes, and SQL Server.
Own the technical vision and architecture for a domain, establishing engineering standards, guiding platform modernization, and reducing technical debt.
Lead cross-functional initiatives from concept through production, partnering with engineering, product, and business stakeholders.
Mentor and coach engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and software design principles.
Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies and AI-enabled development practices that improve product quality and team effectiveness.
Ensure operational excellence through production troubleshooting, deployments across environments, incident resolution, and on-call rotations as needed.
Eight or more years of web application development experience, including at least three in a technical leadership or architecture role, with modern .NET and C#, ASP.NET Core, SQL Server, and Angular with TypeScript.
Deep experience designing distributed systems with microservices, event-driven architectures, and API design, plus hands-on use of Azure, Kafka, Docker, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform or Bicep.
Hands-on experience applying AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot and Claude Code across the software lifecycle, and integrating LLMs or retrieval-augmented generation into products.
Base pay hiring range of $134,600 to $192,500, with eligibility for an incentive bonus or sales plan.

Principal Software Engineer Full Description

What You’ll Do

We are seeking highly skilled Principal Software Engineer to join our team to lead and contribute to the development of software applications using multiple technologies. Our Software Engineering teams support a wide range of services, platforms and products that span across healthcare. The development team is responsible for both maintenance and development of multiple services/applications that serve several Ascend Learning businesses. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will set technical direction across multiple development teams and shape the architecture of platforms used by learners, educators, and healthcare professionals, while remaining hands-on in design and code.

Where You’ll Work

This position will work a hybrid schedule from our Leawood, KS office location. Remote work within the United States will also be considered.

How You’ll Spend Your Time

Design, build, and evolve scalable cloud-native applications and platforms using modern technologies including .NET, Angular, Azure, Kafka, Docker, Kubernetes, and SQL Server.
Own the technical vision, architecture, and long-term evolution of your domain, establishing engineering standards, guiding platform modernization, reducing technical debt, and ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with business objectives.
Lead cross-functional initiatives from concept through production, partnering with engineering, product, and business stakeholders to deliver high-impact solutions.
Mentor and coach engineers through technical guidance, code reviews, engineering best practices, and software design principles, while providing feedback that supports team members' growth and development.
Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies, AI-enabled development practices, and innovative approaches that improve product quality, team effectiveness, and customer outcomes.
Ensure operational excellence through production troubleshooting, deployments across environments, incident resolution, and participation in on-call rotations as needed.
Communicate technical strategy, architectural decisions, and key initiatives to engineering leadership and broader communities of practice.
Participate in and present key initiatives to our senior leaders and software engineering community

What You’ll Need

High school diploma or GED required. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience preferred.
8+ years of relevant experience in software development for web-based applications, including 3+ years in a technical leadership or architecture role
Experience establishing engineering standards, patterns and best practices with organizational and teamwork and collaboration skills, and strong attention to detail.
Hands-on experience applying AI-assisted and agentic development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude Code) across the SDLC, including establishing guidelines for responsible use with measurable outcome, as well as integrating AI capabilities such as LLMs or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) into products
Experience in modern .NET (8+), C#, SQL Server, and ASP.NET Core (MVC/Web API)
Experience in modern Angular (v17+), TypeScript, HTML5, CSS
Experience with Kafka, Docker, and Kubernetes
Experience building and operating applications on Microsoft Azure
Experience with Git-based platforms (e.g. GitLab), including branching strategies, merge requests and CI/CD integration
Deep experience designing distributed systems, including microservices, event-driven architectures, and API design, with a focus on scalability, performance, and resilience
Knowledge of secure software development practices (e.g., OWASP Top 10) and of the privacy, security, and accessibility (e.g., WCAG) requirements that apply to education and healthcare products
Experience with observability and production operations, including monitoring, alerting, service-level objectives (SLOs), and leading incident response and post-incident reviews
Experience defining automated testing strategies (unit, integration, and end-to-end) and quality gates within CI/CD pipelines
Experience with infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform or Bicep) and an awareness of cloud cost management

Hiring Range

The current full-time, annualized base pay hiring range for this role is $134,600.00-$192,500.00. In accordance with applicable state laws, we are providing the expected pay range for this position. Individual compensation will be determined by various factors, including relevant experience, qualifications, current business needs and local market factors. Most regular, full-time employees are eligible to participate in an Ascend incentive bonus or sales plan.

Benefits

Health, dental, and vision insurance
Company paid life Insurance
401(k) with company match
Paid time off and parental leave
Employee assistance program
Other wellness programs such as Headspace and Airvet
Charitable matching program

Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S.-based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

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Principal Software Engineer

Edtech.com's Summary

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