Principal Engineer Jobs in Oregon
Principal Engineer jobs in Oregon are concentrated in the Portland metro area and along the Silicon Forest corridor, with strong and consistent demand in semiconductor manufacturing, clean technology, and enterprise software. Major employers with lasting Oregon roots include Intel, Nike, and NVIDIA, which maintain large engineering campuses in the region and hire at the senior and staff principal levels across hardware, systems, and software disciplines. The Hillsboro and Beaverton submarkets generate a disproportionate share of openings, while Eugene and Corvallis draw additional demand from university-affiliated research and advanced manufacturing. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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DESCRIPTION
At Amazon, we're working to be the most customer-centric company on Earth. To get there, we need exceptionally talented, bright, and driven people.
Amazon’s AWS Data Centers are a major component of worldwide cloud-computing infrastructure and are industry leading examples of mission critical facilities. The pace, scale, and growth of Amazon’s data center platform will challenge you. Our uncompromisingly high standards as we continually seek to innovate on behalf of our customers will push you to new levels of creativity.
The Infrastructure Operations organization is looking for an extraordinary individual with proven and tested technical acumen and leadership skills to lead our Data Center Engineering Operations (DCEO) for AMER. The position will help ensure overall availability and reliability to meet or exceed defined service levels of data center operations.
A DCEO Principal Engineer is one of our most senior leadership roles in the data center environment. As engineers at Amazon we are responsible for achieving a world class uptime for our customers. In this role you will be responsible for leading the overall infrastructure management (e.g. electrical, mechanical, and HVAC systems) and be accountable for delivering operational excellence in the areas of safety, security, availability of an expanding portfolio of AWS data centers. The role requires a highly driven, self-managed individual who demonstrates initiative and proactively seeks innovative solutions to highly complex technical problems. This role reports directly to the Director of AMER Operations.
The DCEO Principal Engineer is a leader and evangelist, working with and leading cross-functional teams which include: technical program management, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, control engineering, supply chain management, operations, end users as well as safety and security teams.
The ideal candidate should be able to operate comfortably at an strategic and tactical level. It requires the individual to be able to see the big picture, guide, direct, educate, and develop members of the team while at times shifting to being hands-on on electrical and mechanical equipment troubleshooting. They will maintain, operate, and troubleshoot mission-critical data center facility equipment including electrical support equipment such as stand-by diesel generators and related fuel systems, 3 phase electrical systems that include but not limited to switchgear, transfer controllers, UPS units, PDUs, battery technologies and associated systems. Mechanical equipment includes CRAC units, centrifugal chillers, EVAP, cooling towers/water chemical system, air handlers and associated systems, pumps, and motors. Additional support equipment includes fire suppression systems, building automation systems, and general facilities equipment.
Effective May 15, 2017, logical access to the AWS GovCloud region will be restricted to Amazon employees who are U.S. Citizens. (GovCloud may NOT be accessed from outside of the United States)
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of electrical and mechanical facilities maintenance, or 10+ years of data center or mission critical facilities (example: hospital, military facility, public safety facility, etc.) experience
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or a related field
- Professional Engineering registration, or 5+ years of managing, analyzing and communicating results to senior leadership experience
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience motivating others to meet the daily challenges of an extremely deadline-driven environment
- Experience that includes strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities, or experience working with customers with a passion for delivering exceptional service
- Experience with large-scale technical operations or large-scale compute farms
- Experience performing complex business case analysis to justify technical decisions and presenting the justification to management in a high-level review
- Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and controls systems for critical infrastructures
- Knowledge of IT system hardware and network concepts
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, OR, Hermiston - 165,700.00 - 260,000.00 USD annually
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Find Principal Engineer JobsPrincipal Engineer Jobs by City in Oregon
Where Oregon roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Engineer Job Market in Oregon
A snapshot from current Oregon openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware
What Oregon Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal engineer jobs across Oregon.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or a closely related field
- Ten or more years of progressive engineering experience including technical leadership of large projects
- Demonstrated ability to define system architecture and drive cross-functional design decisions
- Deep expertise in at least one Oregon-prominent domain such as semiconductor process, embedded systems, or cloud infrastructure
- Experience mentoring senior engineers and setting engineering standards across a product or platform
- Strong written communication skills for authoring design documents, roadmaps, and executive-facing technical reviews
Principal Engineer Jobs in Oregon: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal engineer in Oregon?
Most Oregon employers define principal engineer as an internal career level rather than a state-licensed title, so there is no Oregon licensing board or state exam required for the role in software or hardware engineering. The typical path is a bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science, followed by progressive seniority at the senior and staff levels until you are setting technical direction independently. Oregon's semiconductor and clean-tech clusters favor engineers who can document architecture decisions and lead cross-team technical initiatives.
Which companies hire principal engineers in Oregon?
Companies currently hiring principal engineers in Oregon include Ampere Computing, FormFactor, and NIKE, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Oregon's Silicon Forest concentration of semiconductor fabs, enterprise software firms, and athletic-technology headquarters makes it one of the more active states for this seniority level outside of California.
Which Oregon cities have the most principal engineer jobs?
Portland, Beaverton, and Hillsboro account for the largest share of principal engineer openings in Oregon. Portland and its western suburbs, particularly Hillsboro and Beaverton, dominate because Intel's large campus complex, Nike's world headquarters, and a cluster of enterprise software companies are all concentrated there, while smaller cities like Corvallis benefit from Oregon State University's research partnerships and affiliated technology spinoffs.
Are there remote principal engineer jobs in Oregon?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 100% of principal engineer openings tied to Oregon are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting the fact that much of the work involves architecture reviews, design documentation, and cross-functional collaboration that can be done asynchronously. Roles tied to semiconductor fabrication or lab-based hardware validation are the exception and almost always require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a principal engineer in Oregon with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry point is a new-graduate or associate engineer role at one of Oregon's large engineering employers, then building toward principal over time rather than applying directly. Intel Hillsboro runs structured new-college-hire programs in process engineering and hardware design, and Oregon-based software companies regularly bring in junior engineers who grow into senior and staff levels internally. Earning a professional engineer registration through the Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying strengthens a candidate's profile in any hardware or systems discipline.
Where can I find and apply to principal engineer jobs in Oregon?
You can find and apply to principal engineer jobs in Oregon on Migrate Mate, which lists current Oregon openings updated regularly. Search the listings for roles that match your discipline and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit your background.
See All 27 Principal Engineer Jobs in Oregon
Find roles in Oregon that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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