This range is provided by Unstructured. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more. Base pay range $190,000.00/yr - $300,000.00/yr Ready to shape the future of AI infrastructure and build systems that power the most advanced unstructured data pipelines in the world?

At Unstructured, we’re building the backbone of generative AI—enabling companies to transform PDFs, HTML, Word docs, images, and more into high-performance data pipelines that scale. Our tools are already used by half of the Fortune 500, and our open-source package has been downloaded 36+ million times. Now we’re entering our next chapter—and we’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to help lead the charge.

If you're energized by hard problems, want to build products that matter, and are ready to work alongside serious builders, this is your moment. We're looking for a deeply experienced technical leader to own org-wide architecture, guide strategic projects, and mentor our engineers while driving high-impact software development.

This role is hybrid in San Francisco—join us in-office 3x a week for deep collaboration, whiteboard sessions, and hands-on impact.

What You’ll Own & Drive

Architect Our Future

Lead the architecture and design of core product systems, ensuring alignment with our long-term vision and business needs

Define and evolve technical direction across teams, setting the standard for scale, performance, and quality

Drive Strategic Projects

Own cross-functional, high-impact initiatives that shape the future of our products

Provide technical direction across teams and projects while delivering production-ready, strategic code

Solve Hard Problems

Tackle complex, persistent software challenges that span systems and teams

Set new standards for engineering excellence through scalable, elegant solutions

Mentor & Multiply

Mentor engineers and foster a culture of technical excellence and collaboration

Act as a force multiplier—raising the bar on architecture, design, and implementation across the org

Align the Org

Ensure product and engineering teams are aligned on coherent design patterns and long-term decisions

Resolve escalations, identify risks, and guide us through critical “one-way door” decisions

Make Lasting Impact

Shape how we build software now and in the future

Influence key architectural decisions that impact our software offerings, developer experience, and go-to-market velocity

What You Bring

10+ years of software engineering experience with a strong record of building and shipping complex systems Expertise in software architecture, design patterns, and system-level thinking Expertise in Python and experience with modern programming frameworks Proven leadership driving multi-team initiatives, mentoring engineers, and influencing senior stakeholders Exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to simplify complexity Excellent communication—you bring clarity and confidence to technical discussions across audiences Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and builds structure where none exists

Bonus Points

Experience in generative AI, ML infrastructure, or unstructured data processing

Background in cloud-native architectures (AWS/GCP), large-scale systems, or developer platform tooling

History of growing engineering orgs or mentoring early-career engineers

Why You’ll Love It Here

Real Impact : Shape core software that powers AI innovation across the Fortune 500

Big Challenges : Build elegant systems that tackle messy, meaningful problems

Elite Team : Collaborate with sharp, humble engineers who prioritize execution and clarity

In-Person Energy : Be part of our SF office culture—ideas flow faster on whiteboards than Zoom

Fast Growth : We’re scaling fast. Help us lay the foundation for what’s next

This role's salary is benchmarked against San Francisco market rates to remain competitive with top-tier talent in high-cost-of-living regions. Final compensation may vary based on experience, skill set, and location. Seniority level Seniority level Not Applicable Employment type Employment type Full-time Job function Job function Engineering and Information Technology Industries Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain and Storage Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Unstructured by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “Principal Software Engineer” roles. San Francisco, CA $160,000.00-$180,000.00 2 weeks ago San Francisco, CA $130,000.00-$238,000.00 2 weeks ago San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$250,000.00 2 weeks ago Full-Stack Software Engineer (Jr/Mid level) San Francisco, CA $120,000.00-$180,000.00 1 month ago San Francisco, CA $57.00-$61.00 3 days ago San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$230,000.00 3 months ago San Francisco, CA $57.00-$61.00 3 days ago San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$283,000.00 2 weeks ago Software Engineer, AI Intern (Winter 2026) San Francisco, CA $57.00-$61.00 3 days ago Software Development Engineer I - Frontend & Mobile San Francisco, CA $99,500.00-$200,000.00 2 weeks ago Software Engineer, AI Intern (Summer 2026) San Francisco, CA $57.00-$61.00 3 days ago San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$176,000.00 3 months ago San Francisco, CA $120,000.00-$190,000.00 9 months ago Graduate Software Engineer (Redwood City, CA) San Francisco, CA $125,000.00-$175,000.00 2 months ago San Francisco, CA $163,200.00-$223,200.00 2 weeks ago Software Engineer, Frontend (All Levels) San Francisco, CA $150,000.00-$180,000.00 6 days ago San Francisco, CA $165,000.00-$165,000.00 2 years ago San Francisco, CA $120,000.00-$200,000.00 2 years ago San Francisco, CA $140,000.00-$280,000.00 8 months ago We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.

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