Full-Time

Principal Software Engineer

Posted on 9/8/2026

Stable Kernel

Stable Kernel

51-200 employees

Develops custom software, data platforms, AI

Compensation Overview

$95/hr

No H1B Sponsorship

Atlanta, GA, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid work model with minimal travel.

Bachelor's

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Datadog
Kubernetes
Distributed Systems
Git
OpenTelemetry
AWS
Terraform

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Requirements
  • 10+ years of backend development experience.
  • Deep expertise in one or more backend programming languages, with demonstrated experience architecting and delivering scalable, resilient, production-grade distributed systems.
  • Working knowledge of agentic development practices, Claude Code, OpenCode, spec-driven development, and agent orchestration.
  • Experience architecting and evolving scalable delivery platforms using GitHub, Amazon Web Services, Argo, and Kubernetes.
  • Experience designing and managing cloud infrastructure through code using Amazon Web Services Cloud Development Kit, Terraform, or equivalent tooling.
  • Experience establishing observability practices using Datadog, OpenTelemetry, Langfuse, or similar tools.
  • A proven track record of delivering and evolving production systems across diverse technical stacks, platforms, and architectures.
  • Expert guidance to stakeholders and cross-functional teams on backend architecture, service design, delivery, integration, and technical tradeoffs.
  • A degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience building and leading complex software systems.
Responsibilities
  • Design and implement scalable, cost-effective solutions by making trade-offs between opportunity and complexity.
  • Set standards for codebase health and promote best practices throughout the organization.
  • Clarify strategic outcomes and influence roadmaps and projects.
  • Identify, suggest, and drive improvements in customers' end-to-end experience.
  • Assist in estimating work for new business with significant unknowns and coach others in estimation best practices.
  • Coordinate across the entire company and advise teams across the organization.
  • Influence organization-wide changes to support the work.
  • Design long-term roadmaps with limited direction.
  • Translate customer and business needs and strategic direction into projects, simplifying high-complexity situations.
  • Plan, communicate, and execute solutions to challenging problems.
  • Ensure alignment with long-term objectives and foster informed decision-making and innovation.
  • Decompose strategic direction into projects.
  • Anticipate risks and drive simplification to mitigate them proactively.
  • Escalate issues while solving them in parallel and keeping others informed.
  • Identify and nurture potential in others.
  • Provide strategic guidance and help develop career paths for team members.
  • Set strategic direction for projects or areas of technology, lead multiple project teams, and influence decision-making at higher organizational levels.
  • Manage stakeholders, negotiate, and solve problems in complex scenarios.
  • Mentor and develop other leaders within the team and foster a culture of innovation.
  • Propose organization-level processes to improve team throughput, employee happiness, or product engagement.
  • Drive best practices across the organization.
  • Lead projects.
  • Architect and deliver scalable, resilient, production-grade distributed systems.
  • Use agentic development practices to accelerate engineering workflows, improve developer productivity, and enhance the software development lifecycle while maintaining engineering standards.
  • Architect and evolve scalable delivery platforms using GitHub, Amazon Web Services, Argo, and Kubernetes.
  • Design and manage cloud infrastructure through code using Amazon Web Services Cloud Development Kit, Terraform, or equivalent tooling.
  • Establish comprehensive observability and telemetry practices for application, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence system performance.
Desired Qualifications
  • Curiosity and initiative in evaluating emerging agentic development patterns and identifying where they can improve engineering quality, speed, and effectiveness.

Stable Kernel is a technology and research partner for large, complex organizations. It designs and builds custom software, data platforms, and AI solutions for sectors like foodservice, retail, and financial services, and it runs its own market research practice to inform product decisions. Their engineering team follows a learn-before-build approach, using research methods such as ethnography, segmentation, pricing studies, AAUs, and UX testing to find meaningful customer problems and validate ideas before development. They differentiate themselves by serving big, multi-location clients with bespoke solutions, offering in-house research to align product development with real customer needs, and applying projects across both for-profit and nonprofit work. Their goal is to help brands make better product development and positioning decisions while delivering tailored software and data capabilities that address the complexities of large organizations.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$2.6M

Headquarters

Atlanta, Georgia

Founded

2013

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Greenhouse listings on July 30, 2026 signal hiring momentum and active delivery demand.
  • April 22, 2026 custom CDP push strengthens real-time personalization and unified data offerings.
  • Revenue traction looks real: Latka estimated $13.7 million ARR and 89 employees.

What critics are saying

  • $2.6 million total funding limits acquisitions, research, and sustained sales expansion.
  • Services revenue depends on consulting projects; a few lost enterprise accounts hit 2026 results.
  • Platform vendors like Salesforce and ServiceNow compress custom integration work into 2027.

What makes Stable Kernel unique

  • Stable Kernel blends product strategy, engineering, cloud architecture, UX, and conversational AI.
  • July 13, 2026 readiness assessment targets governance, integrations, and change management before pilots.
  • August 4, 2026 QuantRadius named it best digital transformation partner for enterprise foodservice.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Flexible Work Hours

Remote Work Options

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Leave

Paid Holidays

Hybrid Work Options

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Stock Options

Company Equity

Wellness Program

Mental Health Support

Gym Membership

Phone/Internet Stipend

Home Office Stipend

Professional Development Budget

Conference Attendance Budget

Tuition Reimbursement

Professional Certification Support

Mentorship Program

EAP and Health Advocacy program

Family Planning Benefits

Fertility Treatment Support

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

30%

1 year growth

30%

2 year growth

31%
Decatur Daily Democrat
Jul 13th, 2026
Stable Kernel launches Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment for enterprises.

Stable Kernel launches Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment for enterprises. Stable Kernel, a leading enterprise conversational AI agency and digital transformation partner, announced the release of its Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment, a new educational resource designed to help organizations evaluate whether they are prepared to successfully launch, manage, and scale enterprise conversational AI initiatives. ATLANTA, Ga. - July 13, 2026 - Stable Kernel, a leading enterprise conversational AI agency and digital transformation partner, announced the release of its Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment, a new educational resource designed to help organizations evaluate whether they are prepared to successfully launch, manage, and scale enterprise conversational AI initiatives. The assessment, available here: Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment, provides business and technology leaders with a structured framework for identifying operational, technical, and organizational readiness before investing in conversational AI pilots. As enterprise adoption of conversational AI continues to accelerate, organizations are increasingly discovering that successful implementations require more than selecting the right large language model or AI platform. Many pilot programs struggle because critical areas such as governance, data quality, systems integration, executive alignment, and operational ownership are not fully established before implementation begins. Stable Kernel developed the Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment to help organizations evaluate these foundational capabilities before committing significant time and resources to an AI initiative. "Enterprise conversational AI is no longer a technology experiment, it is a business transformation initiative," said Mary Elzey, Chief Strategy Officer for Stable Kernel. "Organizations that invest in readiness before implementation are far more likely to build AI solutions that deliver measurable business value. Our assessment helps leadership teams identify potential gaps early so they can reduce implementation risk and improve the likelihood of long-term success." Full Scope Assessment Evaluates AI Readiness and Adoption The assessment is intended for CIOs, CTOs, Chief Digital Officers, innovation leaders, customer experience executives, and digital transformation teams evaluating conversational AI for customer service, contact centers, employee support, knowledge management, voice AI, and enterprise automation. Rather than focusing solely on technology selection, the assessment examines the broader organizational factors that influence successful AI adoption, including: * Executive sponsorship and organizational alignment * Business objectives and measurable success criteria * Data readiness and information quality * Enterprise system integrations * Security, governance, and compliance * Customer experience design * Operational ownership and support models * Performance measurement and continuous improvement * Scalability planning * Change management and organizational adoption According to Stable Kernel, organizations often underestimate the complexity of moving from a successful proof of concept to a production-ready conversational AI solution. While many pilots demonstrate technical feasibility, fewer successfully address the operational processes, governance structures, and business workflows required for enterprise deployment. The Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment encourages organizations to evaluate these areas before implementation begins, helping stakeholders identify risks, prioritize investments, and establish realistic deployment expectations. The resource also supports executive decision-making by providing a practical framework for determining whether an organization is prepared to expand a pilot into a larger enterprise initiative. A Focus on Designing and Building AI-powered Experiences for Enterprise Applications Stable Kernel has worked with enterprise organizations across multiple industries to design, build, and modernize digital products and AI-powered experiences. Its consulting approach combines product strategy, enterprise software engineering, cloud architecture, systems integration, user experience design, and conversational AI implementation to help organizations accelerate digital transformation while reducing project risk. As conversational AI becomes an increasingly important component of enterprise customer engagement and operational efficiency strategies, Stable Kernel expects organizations to place greater emphasis on implementation readiness rather than simply evaluating AI models or vendors. The company believes that organizations capable of aligning business strategy, governance, operational ownership, and technical architecture before launching a pilot will be better positioned to achieve measurable returns on their AI investments. The complete Conversational AI Pilot Readiness Assessment is available free of charge here. About Stable Kernel Stable Kernel is an enterprise digital product development and conversational AI agency that helps organizations design, build, and scale intelligent software solutions. The company partners with enterprise clients to develop conversational AI platforms, enterprise applications, AI implementation strategies, cloud solutions, and digital transformation initiatives that improve operational efficiency and customer experience. Stable Kernel combines strategic consulting with enterprise engineering expertise to help organizations successfully deploy emerging technologies that deliver measurable business outcomes. Media Contact Company Name: Stable Kernel Contact Person: Mary Elzey Phone: (844) 673-7225 Address:746 Willoughby Way NE STE 200 City: Atlanta State: Georgia Country: United States

PR Newswire
Feb 5th, 2025
Stable Kernel Unveils Comprehensive Technology Solutions To Transform The Foodservice Industry

ATLANTA, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stable Kernel, a leading custom software development and insights company, is revolutionizing the Foodservice Industry with a suite of cutting-edge solutions designed to enhance guest engagement, quality and consistency, off-premise offerings, and data engineering to improve operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making. Leveraging years of expertise and a deep understanding of industry needs, Stable Kernel's offerings address the unique challenges faced by food service retailers in a rapidly evolving marketplace."Stable Kernel's solutions are designed to address the unique challenges of foodservice companies, from full-service dining to in-store pickup at convenience stores," said Jay Gyuricza, VP of Business Development. "By focusing on guest-centric design and innovative technology, we help businesses adapt to changing consumer demands, streamline operations, and achieve long-term growth."Enabling Revenue Growth and Operational ExcellenceStable Kernel's suite of solutions helps foodservice leaders unlock new revenue opportunities and improve operational efficiency:Maximizing Revenue Streams : From optimizing retail media networks to AI-driven personalization and Agentic AI, Stable Kernel helps businesses capitalize on data insights to boost traffic and guest loyalty.: From optimizing retail media networks to AI-driven personalization and Agentic AI, Stable Kernel helps businesses capitalize on data insights to boost traffic and guest loyalty. Optimizing Operations : Streamlined POS systems, efficient kitchen display systems, and intelligent inventory management ensure seamless operations and quality experiences.: Streamlined POS systems, efficient kitchen display systems, and intelligent inventory management ensure seamless operations and quality experiences. Enhancing Curbside, Delivery, and Catering : Intuitive online ordering platforms, last-mile delivery solutions, and integrations with third-party delivery services create a frictionless guest journey, driving repeat business.: Intuitive online ordering platforms, last-mile delivery solutions, and integrations with third-party delivery services create a frictionless guest journey, driving repeat business

Intelligence360 News
Dec 9th, 2024
Stable Kernel secures $2.58M funding

Stable Kernel, LLC, based in Atlanta, GA, has secured $2.6 million in new commercial capital for expansion opportunities.

Stable Kernel
Jun 10th, 2024
Stable Kernel Earns 2024 Great Place To Work Certification(TM)

Stable Kernel earns 2024 Great Place To Work Certification(TM).

Metro Atlanta CEO
Sep 16th, 2022
Stable Kernel Inc. hired Jason Russell as CEO on Sep 16th 22'.

Stable Kernel, a leading builder of scalable enterprise software solutions, today announced Jason Russell as its new CEO.