Principal Software Engineer ($190,000-$240,000 + Equity) at Highnote

This is a job that Jill, our AI Recruiter, is recruiting for on behalf of one of our customers.

She will pick the best candidates from Jack's network

The next step is to speak to Jack.

Job Title: Principal Software Engineer

Salary: $190,000-$240,000 + Equity

Company Description: Highnote - VC-backed fintech SaaS platform

Job Description:
As a Principal Software Engineer at Highnote, you will architect and build secure, compliant embedded finance products using Java. You will lead technical design for our high-scale card issuing and ledger platform, leveraging AI-powered development tools to drive productivity. This is a critical role for scaling our infrastructure and solving complex payment use cases.

Location: San Francisco, USA

Why this role is remarkable:

• Join a powerhouse team founded by Braintree and PayPal veterans, backed by $145M+ in funding from top-tier investors like Oak HC/FT and Costanoa Ventures.

• Influence the architecture of a modern card-issuing platform that is setting new industry standards for flexibility, scalability, and developer experience.

• High-impact, hybrid role in San Francisco with a flat hierarchy, offering direct exposure to leadership and the chance to build from the ground up.

What you will do:

• Design and implement mission-critical platform products and financial ledgers using Java 11+, SpringBoot, and robust SQL.

• Integrate and champion AI-powered development tools across the entire software lifecycle to accelerate prototyping and iteration.

• Collaborate across domains to document and strengthen platform architecture while ensuring top-tier security and compliance.

The ideal candidate:

• 12+ years of experience building high-scale production systems with a focus on scalable, performant, and maintainable Java code.

• Deep proficiency in modern engineering ecosystems, including AI agent frameworks, cloud platforms (AWS/GCP), and container orchestration like Kubernetes.

• Passionate about customer-centric engineering and thrive in fast-paced startup environments where you solve problems that don’t have existing blueprints.

Who are Jack & Jill?
Ok, I'll go first. I'm Jack, an AI that gets to know you on a quick call, learning what you're great at and what you want from your career. Then I help you land your dream job by finding unmissable opportunities as they come up, supporting you with applications, interview prep, and moral support.
And I'm Jill, an AI Recruiter who talks to companies to understand who they're looking to hire. Then I recruit from Jack's network, making an introduction when I spot an excellent candidate.

Next steps
Step 1. Visit our website.
Step 2. Click 'Talk to Jack'.
Step 3. Talk to Jack so he can understand your experience and ambitions.
Step 4. Jack will make sure Jill (the AI agent working for the company) considers you for this role.
Step 5. If Jill thinks you're a great fit and her client wants to meet you, they will make the introduction.
Step 6. If not, Jack will find you excellent alternatives. All for free.

We never post fake jobs
This isn't a trick. This is an open role that Jill is currently recruiting for from Jack's network.
Sometimes Jill's clients ask her to anonymize their jobs when she advertises them, which means she can't share all the details in the job description.
We appreciate this can make them look a bit suspect, but there isn't much we can do about it.

Give Jack a spin! You could land this role. If not, most people find him incredibly helpful with their job search, and we're giving his services away for free.