Principal Engineer Jobs in California
Principal Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in technology, aerospace, semiconductors, and defense systems, with openings at every level from mid-career through distinguished staff engineer. The largest hiring markets are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where employers like Qualcomm, Lockheed Martin, and Apple maintain deep engineering organizations. Demand is strongest in hardware systems design, software infrastructure, and embedded systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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SUMMARY/JOB PURPOSE
The Associate Principal Engineer – Cloud Platform will support the design and creation of cloud-based products and services to meet the technology needs of Exelixis. This position will help define and design our cloud platform, which includes cloud automation tools and standards, CI/CD pipelines, DevOps tooling and AWS account provisioning automation. This position will also work with application support teams to re-define the interface between our cloud platform products and application installation and configuration processes.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Product Strategy & Product Road Map:
- Supports the translation of overall direction and strategy and communicates across organizational levels and functions.
- Works toward long-range goals and objectives.
- Assignments are primarily self-initiated.
- Understands key business processes and business areas.
- Acts as resource and provides direction to others.
Product Development & Delivery:
- Guides the successful completion of major initiatives or programs and leads large complex projects.
- Refine end-to-end development processes, from ideation through CI/CD, security scanning, and production monitoring.
- Determine and pursue courses of action necessary to obtain desired results.
- Work on unusually complex technical problems and provide solutions which are highly innovative and ingenious.
- Develops and applies complex and often long-term strategies on specific projects.
- Act as the technical expert to be sought for guidance on new technology direction.
Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Translates overall direction and strategy and communicates across organizational levels, to influence executives when needed.
- Leads strategic initiatives and ensure successful executions.
- Act as organization spokesperson on advanced projects and/or programs.
- Acts as advisor to management and customers on advanced technical research studies and applications.
- Interacts with senior external personnel on significant technical matters often requiring coordination between organizations.
Operational Excellence, Quality & Compliance:
- Own the oversight of documentation of infrastructure and work instructions for systems and applications.
- Develop approaches and implement solutions to mitigate future incidents.
- Ensure that completed work delivers long-term value and enhances platform performance to maintain maximum functionality.
- Make decisions regarding access, permissions, and security controls across systems.
Subject Matter Expertise:
- Serve as the SME for general engineering issues and platform strategy.
- Mentor and coach engineers across the team, fostering technical excellence.
- Keep abreast of industry trends and evaluate platform needs for future growth.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
No supervisory responsibilities.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:
Education:
- Master's degree in a relevant field and 9 years of experience; or
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 11 years of related experience; or
- Equivalent combination of education or years of experience
- Technical certification may be required
Experience:
- At least 10 years of experience in cloud infrastructure in a highly available and production environment.
- Experience working in a SOX and FDA regulated environment is a plus.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Advanced level knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS), especially with services related to hosting: EC2, RDS, Systems Manager, IAM, etc.
- Advanced level knowledge with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, especially Terraform.
- Intermediate level knowledge with cloud and infrastructure automation.
- Intermediate level knowledge of modern development and deployment practices of continuous integration and continuous deployment.
- Experience working in pharma/biotech environments with GxP and regulated systems.
- Strong product ownership skills (backlog prioritization, stakeholder alignment, release planning).
- Understanding of platform governance, access controls, and audit/compliance requirements.
- Ability to manage cross-functional stakeholders (business, data, engineering).
- Experience working with vendors and managed services partners.
- Experience in analytics platforms (Posit, Tableau, Spotfire).
- Solid expertise in Posit (Workbench, Connect, Package Manager).
Work Environment/Physical Demands:
Our office is a modern, open-plan space that fosters collaboration and creativity. Teams work closely together, sharing ideas and solutions in a supportive atmosphere. We provide all necessary equipment, including dual monitors and ergonomic chairs, to ensure a comfortable workspace.
This position will require minimal travel.
Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. The base pay range for this position is $182,000 - $259,000 annually. The base pay range may take into account the candidate’s geographic region, which will adjust the pay depending on the specific work location. The base pay offered will take into account the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, experience and internal equity, among other factors.
In addition to the base salary, as part of our Total Rewards program, Exelixis offers comprehensive employee benefits package, including a 401k plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus program, or if field sales staff, a sales-based incentive plan. Exelixis also offers employees the opportunity to purchase company stock, and receive long-term incentives, 15 accrued vacation days in their first year, 17 paid holidays including a company-wide winter shutdown in December, and up to 10 sick days throughout the calendar year.
If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the application and/or recruitment process, please email us at: recruiting@exelixis.com.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Our office is a modern space that fosters collaboration and creativity. Teams work closely together, sharing ideas and solutions in a supportive atmosphere. We provide all necessary equipment, including dual monitors and ergonomic chairs, to ensure a comfortable workspace.
DISCLAIMER:
The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.
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.
See All 1,050+ Principal Engineer Jobs in California
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Find Principal Engineer JobsPrincipal Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Palo Alto Networks100

- Roblox48

- NVIDIA36

- Astera Labs35

- Walmart23

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software528
- Electronics & Hardware266
- Consulting & Professional Services97
- Agriculture & Farming71
- Manufacturing52
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical field
- 10 or more years of progressive engineering experience including technical leadership responsibilities
- Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and drive architecture decisions across large systems
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and mentoring senior and staff engineers
- Deep expertise in at least one domain such as hardware design, distributed systems, or embedded software
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for executive audiences and cross-organizational alignment
Principal Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal engineer in California?
Becoming a principal engineer in California typically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or computer science, followed by a sustained record of technical leadership at the senior engineer level. California employers generally promote into principal roles based on demonstrated scope of impact, system ownership, and influence across teams rather than a state-issued license. Civil and structural principal engineers may hold a California Professional Engineer license issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.
Which companies hire principal engineers in California?
Employers hiring principal engineers in California right now include Palo Alto Networks, Roblox, and NVIDIA, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's concentration of major technology headquarters, aerospace primes, and semiconductor companies means demand for principal-level engineers is distributed across both large public companies and well-funded growth-stage firms throughout the Bay Area and Southern California.
Which California cities have the most principal engineer jobs?
Santa Clara, San Jose, and San Francisco account for the largest share of principal engineer openings in California. The Bay Area's concentration of major technology and semiconductor headquarters drives the volume there, while Los Angeles and San Diego attract principal engineers through aerospace, defense, and hardware companies including those clustered in corridors like the South Bay and Sorrento Valley.
Are there remote principal engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most engineering roles, because principal engineers focus heavily on architecture, design review, and cross-team technical guidance rather than hands-on lab or manufacturing work. About 22% of principal engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the desk-and-collaboration nature of the role. Systems design, software infrastructure, and platform architecture positions see the highest proportion of fully remote arrangements.
How can I get hired as a principal engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path for someone earlier in their career is to target senior engineer roles at California technology or aerospace employers and build toward principal through demonstrated scope expansion. Companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and Northrop Grumman hire new graduates and associate engineers into structured programs and promote from within. Strengthening a portfolio with open-source contributions, patents, or published system designs and earning a Professional Engineer license through the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists can meaningfully differentiate a candidate moving toward principal-level consideration.
Where can I find and apply to principal engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to principal engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across technology, aerospace, semiconductors, and other industries. Search the listings for roles that match your specialization and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 1,050+ Principal Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Engineer Jobs