Senior Level Principal Engineering Manager Jobs
Senior level principal engineering manager jobs place experienced leaders in charge of engineering direction, cross-functional execution, and the technical teams that deliver at scale. With 39% of openings remote or hybrid, roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Consulting & Professional Services, and Electronics & Hardware, with employers like Civil & Environmental Consultants, HDR, and ASM hiring at this level now.
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Description
The Solution Architect is a hybrid technical delivery and client-facing role that spans the full life of an engagement, from the first conversation to successful delivery. When a Client Executive identifies an opportunity, the Solution Architect is the technical expert they bring in to understand the client's real problem, design the right solution, and scope the engagement. Once the deal is signed and depending on the scope of the engagement, the Solution Architect converts to a billable technical lead. The Solution Architect will work with the Delivery Manager to build a team to deliver on their engagement and will provide technical leadership & account management through project completion. Additionally, the Solution Architect should have a “Forward Deployed Engineer” mindset, always looking for new problems we can solve for our clients, ways we can expand our team or scope to deliver an even better solution, and advising our clients on technical strategies that lead to improved business outcomes.
This role is for a builder and an advisor in equal measure. Clients often know what they want but not always what they need, and sometimes what they ask for is not in their best interest. The Solution Architect guides them to the right outcome with credibility, candor, and deep technical judgment, becoming the trusted advisor the client relies on well beyond the initial sale. This role spans the entire project lifecycle and requires the tenacity to not only design and start a project, but to see it through to its successful end.
What you will do
- Partner with Client Executives and Solution Executives to qualify opportunities, lead technical discovery, and uncover the business problem behind the request.
- Facilitate envisioning sessions and workshops that help clients define outcomes, priorities, and a realistic roadmap.
- Design end-to-end solutions and translate them into clear scope, estimates, staffing plans, business outcomes, and risk assessments.
- Architect and co-author high-level designs (HLDs), level-of-effort (LOE) estimates, proposals, statements of work (SOWs), RFP responses, business cases, and client presentations, and serve as a core member of the team that closes the sale.
- Own the commercial soundness of solutions by structuring the engagement staffing mix and delivery approach, including AI-accelerated delivery, to achieve target margin while providing strong client outcomes.
- Identify where AI can create meaningful value for the client, and where it cannot, and shape solutions accordingly.
- Present and defend the solution to client stakeholders and maintain continuity from pursuit through delivery.
- Convert to billable delivery once an engagement is signed, when it makes sense in the project context, serving as technical lead and primary architecture authority for the project.
- Build, onboard, and lead delivery teams, including large teams on multi-million, multi-year engagements; set engineering standards, architecture guardrails, and AI-enabled development practices.
- Assume hands-on design or development responsibilities when needed, particularly during team ramp-up.
- Manage technical risk, scope, and change in partnership with project management and the client, protecting delivery quality and the client relationship.
- Serve as a primary client contact alongside Project and Delivery Managers, transition steady-state leadership appropriately, and continue advising prior engagements as needed.
- Use AI tools, including agentic development workflows, as a core part of how software is designed, built, and delivered.
- Lead teams that build client solutions incorporating AI, from LLM-powered features to agent-based systems, with appropriate attention to quality, security, and responsible use.
- Coach engineers and clients on effective, practical AI adoption and contribute reusable patterns and accelerators to the practice.
- Build external thought leadership through white papers, case studies, conference talks, webinars, and partner events on agentic software development, AI-accelerated delivery, and practical AI adoption.
- undefined
What we expect of you
- Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of software engineering and architecture experience, including hands-on development in at least one of Java, .NET (C#), Python, or JavaScript/TypeScript OR 14+ years of software engineering and architecture experience, including hands-on development in at least one of Java, .NET (C#), Python, or JavaScript/TypeScript
- 1+ year experience in AI & Agentic Engineering: LLM application design (RAG, tool use, agents, orchestration); model selection and evaluation; responsible AI and guardrails; daily use of AI coding assistants and agentic development tools. Agent harness engineering (e.g., Claude Agent SDK, LangGraph, Microsoft Agent Framework), including tool and MCP integration, context and memory management, sandboxing, permissions, and human-in-the-loop controls; evaluation harnesses for testing and regression-checking model and agent behavior.
- 5+ years of experience in a solution architect, technical lead, or similar role designing solutions that span applications, integration, data, and cloud infrastructure.
- 3+ years of experience in a client-facing consulting or professional services role, including direct participation in pre-sales discovery, solution design, estimation, proposal development, and closing.
- Demonstrated experience developing software using AI tools, ideally including agentic development workflows.
- Experience leading teams that designed and delivered client solutions incorporating AI capabilities.
- Proven ability to lead delivery teams through ambiguity, including ramping teams up and personally filling gaps.
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage executive stakeholders and engineers and respectfully challenge client assumptions.
- Hands-on depth in at least one and working fluency in another: Cloud Platforms: Microsoft Azure, AWS, and/or Google Cloud; landing zones, compute, networking, identity, cost, and security design.
- Languages & Frameworks: Java, .NET (C#), Python, JavaScript/TypeScript; front-end with React, React Native, and Angular.
- Architecture & Platforms: Microservices, event-driven, and serverless architectures; domain-driven design; modernization and migration patterns; non-functional requirements (scale, resilience, security, cost).
- Integration & APIs: REST and GraphQL API design; API gateways and management; messaging and streaming (e.g., Kafka, Service Bus, SQS/SNS); iPaaS/integration platforms; identity and auth (OAuth 2.0, OIDC).
- Applications: Custom web and mobile applications, enterprise and line-of-business systems, SaaS/platform extensions, and legacy modernization.
- DevOps & Tooling: CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, GitLab) including mobile CI/CD (Fastlane); Infrastructure as Code and configuration management (Terraform, Bicep, CloudFormation, Ansible); containers and Kubernetes, including Red Hat OpenShift; observability; DevSecOps practices.
- Data-Centric Solutions: Relational and NoSQL data modeling; data pipelines and ETL/ELT; modern data platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, Fabric); vector databases; data governance as it relates to AI readiness.
- Testing & QA: Test-driven development with a minimum of 90% unit test coverage on all code; unit, integration, end-to-end, and contract testing; test automation frameworks across the stack (e.g., JUnit, xUnit/NUnit, pytest, Jest, Playwright, Cypress, Detox for React Native); coverage and quality gates enforced in CI/CD (e.g., SonarQube); performance and security testing; validation of AI-generated code and AI-powered features.
- Willingness to travel 25%
- Professional or specialty cloud certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Google Professional Cloud Architect), a plus.
- Professional certifications in AI-enabled development (e.g., Claude Certified Architect, Microsoft Azure AI App and Agent Developer, Microsoft Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - Professional, Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer), a plus.
- Experience building production agentic or LLM-based systems, including evaluation, observability, and guardrails, a plus.
- Background in both greenfield builds and legacy modernization or migration efforts, a plus.
- Experience working within a quota-carrying or sales-incentivized structure, a plus.
- Familiarity with Agile delivery methods and consulting engagement models (fixed fee, time and materials, managed capacity), a plus.
Pay range: $156,000 - $240,800 depending on experience and skill set
Annual bonus target of 10% subject to terms and conditions of plan
Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/
Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner’s mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances—not replaces—human creativity and decision-making. You don’t need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that’s curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what’s possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
About Us
CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what’s possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn’t just what we do—it’s how we do it. At CDW we act as one—building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win—focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward—staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That’s why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees—working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities.
As a full‑stack, full‑lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what’s next.
Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do. Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
Description
The Solution Architect is a hybrid technical delivery and client-facing role that spans the full life of an engagement, from the first conversation to successful delivery. When a Client Executive identifies an opportunity, the Solution Architect is the technical expert they bring in to understand the client's real problem, design the right solution, and scope the engagement. Once the deal is signed and depending on the scope of the engagement, the Solution Architect converts to a billable technical lead. The Solution Architect will work with the Delivery Manager to build a team to deliver on their engagement and will provide technical leadership & account management through project completion. Additionally, the Solution Architect should have a “Forward Deployed Engineer” mindset, always looking for new problems we can solve for our clients, ways we can expand our team or scope to deliver an even better solution, and advising our clients on technical strategies that lead to improved business outcomes.
This role is for a builder and an advisor in equal measure. Clients often know what they want but not always what they need, and sometimes what they ask for is not in their best interest. The Solution Architect guides them to the right outcome with credibility, candor, and deep technical judgment, becoming the trusted advisor the client relies on well beyond the initial sale. This role spans the entire project lifecycle and requires the tenacity to not only design and start a project, but to see it through to its successful end.
What you will do
- Partner with Client Executives and Solution Executives to qualify opportunities, lead technical discovery, and uncover the business problem behind the request.
- Facilitate envisioning sessions and workshops that help clients define outcomes, priorities, and a realistic roadmap.
- Design end-to-end solutions and translate them into clear scope, estimates, staffing plans, business outcomes, and risk assessments.
- Architect and co-author high-level designs (HLDs), level-of-effort (LOE) estimates, proposals, statements of work (SOWs), RFP responses, business cases, and client presentations, and serve as a core member of the team that closes the sale.
- Own the commercial soundness of solutions by structuring the engagement staffing mix and delivery approach, including AI-accelerated delivery, to achieve target margin while providing strong client outcomes.
- Identify where AI can create meaningful value for the client, and where it cannot, and shape solutions accordingly.
- Present and defend the solution to client stakeholders and maintain continuity from pursuit through delivery.
- Convert to billable delivery once an engagement is signed, when it makes sense in the project context, serving as technical lead and primary architecture authority for the project.
- Build, onboard, and lead delivery teams, including large teams on multi-million, multi-year engagements; set engineering standards, architecture guardrails, and AI-enabled development practices.
- Assume hands-on design or development responsibilities when needed, particularly during team ramp-up.
- Manage technical risk, scope, and change in partnership with project management and the client, protecting delivery quality and the client relationship.
- Serve as a primary client contact alongside Project and Delivery Managers, transition steady-state leadership appropriately, and continue advising prior engagements as needed.
- Use AI tools, including agentic development workflows, as a core part of how software is designed, built, and delivered.
- Lead teams that build client solutions incorporating AI, from LLM-powered features to agent-based systems, with appropriate attention to quality, security, and responsible use.
- Coach engineers and clients on effective, practical AI adoption and contribute reusable patterns and accelerators to the practice.
- Build external thought leadership through white papers, case studies, conference talks, webinars, and partner events on agentic software development, AI-accelerated delivery, and practical AI adoption.
- undefined
What we expect of you
- Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of software engineering and architecture experience, including hands-on development in at least one of Java, .NET (C#), Python, or JavaScript/TypeScript OR 14+ years of software engineering and architecture experience, including hands-on development in at least one of Java, .NET (C#), Python, or JavaScript/TypeScript
- 1+ year experience in AI & Agentic Engineering: LLM application design (RAG, tool use, agents, orchestration); model selection and evaluation; responsible AI and guardrails; daily use of AI coding assistants and agentic development tools. Agent harness engineering (e.g., Claude Agent SDK, LangGraph, Microsoft Agent Framework), including tool and MCP integration, context and memory management, sandboxing, permissions, and human-in-the-loop controls; evaluation harnesses for testing and regression-checking model and agent behavior.
- 5+ years of experience in a solution architect, technical lead, or similar role designing solutions that span applications, integration, data, and cloud infrastructure.
- 3+ years of experience in a client-facing consulting or professional services role, including direct participation in pre-sales discovery, solution design, estimation, proposal development, and closing.
- Demonstrated experience developing software using AI tools, ideally including agentic development workflows.
- Experience leading teams that designed and delivered client solutions incorporating AI capabilities.
- Proven ability to lead delivery teams through ambiguity, including ramping teams up and personally filling gaps.
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage executive stakeholders and engineers and respectfully challenge client assumptions.
- Hands-on depth in at least one and working fluency in another: Cloud Platforms: Microsoft Azure, AWS, and/or Google Cloud; landing zones, compute, networking, identity, cost, and security design.
- Languages & Frameworks: Java, .NET (C#), Python, JavaScript/TypeScript; front-end with React, React Native, and Angular.
- Architecture & Platforms: Microservices, event-driven, and serverless architectures; domain-driven design; modernization and migration patterns; non-functional requirements (scale, resilience, security, cost).
- Integration & APIs: REST and GraphQL API design; API gateways and management; messaging and streaming (e.g., Kafka, Service Bus, SQS/SNS); iPaaS/integration platforms; identity and auth (OAuth 2.0, OIDC).
- Applications: Custom web and mobile applications, enterprise and line-of-business systems, SaaS/platform extensions, and legacy modernization.
- DevOps & Tooling: CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, GitLab) including mobile CI/CD (Fastlane); Infrastructure as Code and configuration management (Terraform, Bicep, CloudFormation, Ansible); containers and Kubernetes, including Red Hat OpenShift; observability; DevSecOps practices.
- Data-Centric Solutions: Relational and NoSQL data modeling; data pipelines and ETL/ELT; modern data platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake, Fabric); vector databases; data governance as it relates to AI readiness.
- Testing & QA: Test-driven development with a minimum of 90% unit test coverage on all code; unit, integration, end-to-end, and contract testing; test automation frameworks across the stack (e.g., JUnit, xUnit/NUnit, pytest, Jest, Playwright, Cypress, Detox for React Native); coverage and quality gates enforced in CI/CD (e.g., SonarQube); performance and security testing; validation of AI-generated code and AI-powered features.
- Willingness to travel 25%
- Professional or specialty cloud certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Solutions Architect Professional, Google Professional Cloud Architect), a plus.
- Professional certifications in AI-enabled development (e.g., Claude Certified Architect, Microsoft Azure AI App and Agent Developer, Microsoft Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert, AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - Professional, Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer), a plus.
- Experience building production agentic or LLM-based systems, including evaluation, observability, and guardrails, a plus.
- Background in both greenfield builds and legacy modernization or migration efforts, a plus.
- Experience working within a quota-carrying or sales-incentivized structure, a plus.
- Familiarity with Agile delivery methods and consulting engagement models (fixed fee, time and materials, managed capacity), a plus.
Pay range: $156,000 - $240,800 depending on experience and skill set
Annual bonus target of 10% subject to terms and conditions of plan
Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/
Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner’s mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances—not replaces—human creativity and decision-making. You don’t need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that’s curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what’s possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
About Us
CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what’s possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn’t just what we do—it’s how we do it. At CDW we act as one—building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win—focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward—staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That’s why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees—working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities.
As a full‑stack, full‑lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what’s next.
Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do. Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
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Find JobsSenior Level Principal Engineering Manager Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software14
- Consulting & Professional Services8
- Electronics & Hardware7
- Manufacturing2
- Telecommunications2
Senior Level Principal Engineering Manager Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior level principal engineering manager job?
Employers at this level look for candidates who have already owned end-to-end delivery on complex engineering initiatives, not just contributed to them. Demonstrating that you've defined technical strategy, resolved cross-team dependencies, and grown engineers beneath you will give you the strongest edge. A portfolio of shipped systems and direct examples of organizational impact matter far more than tenure alone.
Which companies hire senior level principal engineering managers?
Companies hiring senior level principal engineering managers right now include Civil & Environmental Consultants, HDR, and ASM, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Hiring at this level tends to come from large technology firms, enterprise software companies, and industry leaders in sectors with complex, high-stakes engineering organizations.
Are there remote senior level principal engineering manager jobs?
Yes, though fully remote roles at this level are more selective than at mid level. About 39% of senior level principal engineering manager openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting employer preference for some in-person presence on roles that carry significant organizational leadership weight.
What makes a principal engineering manager role senior level?
Senior level principal engineering manager roles are defined by scope and ownership. Where mid-level roles execute within a defined team, senior roles set the technical direction across multiple teams or a major product area, own outcomes rather than tasks, mentor staff and principal engineers, and are expected to influence company-wide engineering standards and hiring decisions.
Which industries hire the most senior level principal engineering managers?
Senior Level principal engineering manager roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Consulting & Professional Services, and Electronics & Hardware, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors drive hiring at this level because they operate large, distributed engineering organizations where senior technical leadership directly determines product velocity and system reliability.