Position Purpose:
The Principal Software Engineer will lead the design, development, and integration of advanced warehouse automation and execution systems critical to our supply chain operations. Leveraging substantial experience in conveyor design software, PLC communication, and robotics, they will architect robust solutions connecting hardware-including sensors, actuators, and industrial robots-with cutting-edge cloud-native platforms and enterprise-grade warehouse management software. This role requires navigating the limitations and complexities of industrial protocols and orchestrating seamless interoperability between edge devices and cloud services.As a technical expert and collaborative leader, the Principal Software Engineer will produce scalable, reusable code and maintain high technical standards across the product lifecycle. They will facilitate cross-disciplinary teamwork with software, electrical, and mechanical teams, translating intricate technical requirements for both technical and non-technical stakeholders, and documenting system risks, integration constraints, and operational objectives.This position also oversees system configuration, performance optimization, resilience testing, and production monitoring, upholding rigorous expectations for system availability, security, and disaster recovery. Through mentorship and active engagement, the Principal Software Engineer will foster skill development among junior team members and drive adoption of best practices in microservices, modern development frameworks, and continuous integration/deployment toolchains to ensure the reliability and scalability of our automated warehouse solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
70% Delivery & Execution
Collaborates and pairs with other product team members (UX, engineering, and product management) to create secure, reliable, scalable software solutions
Documents, reviews, and ensures that all quality and change control standards are met
Writes custom code or scripts to automate infrastructure, monitoring services, and test cases
Writes custom code or scripts to do "destructive testing" to ensure adequate resiliency in production
Creates meaningful dashboards, logging, alerting, and responses to ensure that issues are captured and addressed proactively
Contributes to enterprise-wide tools to drive destructive testing, automation, or engineering empowerment
Identifies product enhancements (client-facing or technical) to create a better experience for the end users
Identifies unsecured code areas and implements fixes as they are discovered with or without tooling
Identifies, implements, and shares technical solutions that can be used across the organization
Creates and architects foundational code elements that can be reused many times by a product
Creates meaningful architecture diagrams and other documentation needed for security reviews or other interested parties
Defines Service Level Objectives for the product to constantly measure their reliability in production and help prioritize backlog work
20% Support & Enablement:
Field questions from other product teams or support teams
Monitors tools and participates in conversations to encourage collaboration across product teams
Provides application support for software running in production
Proactively monitors production Service Level Objectives for products
Works with vendors and the open-source community to help identify and implement feature enhancements in software products
Works with other product teams to create API specifications and contracts for shared data
Proactively reviews the performance and capacity of all aspects of production: code, infrastructure, data, and message processing
Triages high-priority issues and outages as they arise
10% Learning:
Participates in and leads learning activities around modern software design and development core practices (communities of practice)
Learns, through reading, tutorials, and videos, new technologies and best practices being used within other technology organizations
Attends conferences and learns how to apply new technologies where appropriate
Direct Manager/Direct Reports:
Typically reports to the Software Engineer Manager or Sr. Manager, Technology Director or Sr. Director.
Travel Requirements:
Typically requires overnight travel less than 10% of the time.
Physical Requirements:
Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position, and there is frequent opportunity to move about. On rare occasions, there may be a need to move or lift light articles.
Working Conditions:
Located in a comfortable indoor area. Any unpleasant conditions would be infrequent and not objectionable.
Minimum Qualifications:
Must be eighteen years of age or older.
Must be legally permitted to work in the United States.
Mastery of an object-oriented programming language (preferably Java)
Must be legally permitted to work in the United States
Preferred Qualifications:
6-8 years of hands-on experience designing and developing large-scale, distributed warehouse automation and execution systems
Proven expertise with conveyor design software, including a deep understanding of control logic, systems integration, and real-time material handling requirements
Strong proficiency in PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) communication, including knowledge of industrial protocols (such as Modbus, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP) and practical limitations of PLC hardware and software in automated environments
Hands-on experience with robotics and electronic control systems, including architecting solutions involving sensors, actuators, industrial robots, and vision systems within warehouse environments
Advanced skills in software architecture and designing enterprise-grade supply chain or warehouse management solutions
Advanced proficiency in Java and cloud-native development, particularly on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or similar scalable cloud infrastructures
Deep understanding of integration patterns between cloud services and edge devices (such as PLCs, conveyors, robots)
Mastery of a modern web application framework such as Ruby on Rails, Spring MVC, or Node.js
Strong skills in both relational (SQL) and NoSQL databases for modeling warehouse operational and transactional data
Solid experience with version control systems (preferably Git)
Proficient in designing scalable RESTful APIs and microservice architectures for high-throughput warehouse environments
Experience with front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AngularJS, ReactJS, and JQuery for user interfaces tied to warehouse control and monitoring systems
Proficient in Linux/Unix environments supporting CI/CD toolchains for rapid, reliable warehouse software deployment
Familiarity with destructive testing methodologies, performance testing, and building resilient systems for critical supply chain operations
Knowledge of defensive coding practices for high-availability, security, and disaster recovery in mission-critical warehouse applications
Expertise in test-driven development, efficient unit test creation, and automation for control logic and warehouse orchestration software
Experience applying the 12-factor methodology and demonstrating its benefits to cross-functional and junior team members
Proven ability to effectively communicate complex technical requirements, especially integrating software with hardware (PLCs, conveyor controllers, robotics), to both engineering teams and non-technical stakeholders
Demonstrated leadership in architecting software systems for automated warehouses, including clear documentation and communication of system limitations, integration risks, and platform constraints
Collaborative approach to resolving cross-disciplinary challenges among software, electrical, and mechanical teams
Minimum Education:
The knowledge, skills, and abilitiesare typically acquired through the completion of a bachelor's degree program or equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.
Preferred Education:
No additional education
Minimum Years of Work Experience:
6
Preferred Years of Work Experience:
No additional years of experience
Minimum Leadership Experience:
None
Preferred Leadership Experience:
None
Certifications:
None
Competencies:
Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy and enthusiasm
Business Insight: Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals
Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
Cultivates Innovation: Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful
Drives Results: Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances
Global Perspective: Taking a broad view when approaching issues; using a global lens
Interpersonal Savvy: Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people
Manages Ambiguity: Operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear
Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems
Nimble Learning: Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder
Optimizes Work Processes: Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement
Self-Development: Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels
Situational Adaptability: Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations
Benefits offered include health care benefits, 401K, ESPP, paid time off, and success sharing bonus. For a full list of the various benefits The Home Depot offers, visit https://careers.homedepot.com/our-benefits.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. - $160,000.00 - $240,000.00
