Principal Software Engineer - Platform Runtime

Employment Type: Full-time Location Type: Remote Salary: $217,500 - $380,700 (plus equity, variable/incentive compensation, and benefits)

Company Description

ServiceNow, founded in San Diego, California in 2004 by Fred Luddy, is a global market leader transforming how work is done. We provide innovative AI-enhanced technology to over 8,100 customers, including 85% of the Fortune 500®. Our intelligent cloud-based platform connects people, systems, and processes, enabling organizations to work smarter, faster, and better. Join us as we pursue our purpose to make the world work better for everyone.

Position Overview

As a Principal Software Engineer on our Platform Runtime team, you will drive the evolution of our high-performance JVM runtime. This role offers the opportunity to push boundaries with profile-guided optimizations, ensure a rock-solid and reliable platform, and own critical initiatives. You will collaborate with Platform Architects and Product Management to define the future of our scalable platform, making a global impact on one of the company's most important projects. This is a fast-paced environment where you will shape innovation and partner with cross-functional teams to deliver cutting-edge platform features.

Responsibilities

• Participate in all technical aspects of team deliverables, including quality, performance, maintainability, and scalability.
• Communicate technical decisions (architecture and design) to business and engineering stakeholders.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role, you should have:

• Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI's potential impact on the function or industry.
• Proficiency in using AI Productivity tools such as Windsurf, Cursor, etc.
• A passion for software development, problem-solving, coaching, and mentoring other software engineers.
• Expert-level understanding of Java, object-oriented design, and best practices for modular software.
• Deep experience with web technologies, scalable backend application development, and protocols.
• Proven track record of successfully completing complex projects on time.
• Skilled in troubleshooting difficult production issues across the stack (concurrency, memory leaks, network problems).
• Significant contributions to OpenJDK are highly valued.
• High energy and an aptitude for learning new technologies.
• 10+ years of experience in designing & implementing user experience and server-side application frameworks.
• Exceptional Java and JavaScript skills.
• Deep knowledge and experience with declarative meta-data driven frameworks for enterprise applications.
• Deep knowledge of AJAX, JSON, HTML, XML, CSS, REST, and associated technologies.
• Knowledge of web user interface unit testing, profiling, and code tuning.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills.
• Self-starter with a quick learning curve.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Compensation and Benefits

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $217,500 - $380,700, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan, and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remo...