Principal Jobs in Rhode Island
Principal jobs in Rhode Island are concentrated in K-12 public school districts, charter schools, and independent preparatory schools, with demand running from assistant principal openings to district leadership roles at established systems. Most hiring activity is centered in Providence, Cranston, and Woonsocket, where Providence Public Schools, the Blackstone Valley Prep Collaborative, and Roger Williams University are among the enduring institutional employers. The most consistent openings are in urban school turnaround leadership, special education administration, and elementary building leadership. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 61+ Principal jobs
Description
Principal Software Engineer
Job Summary
The Principal Software Engineer is responsible for leading the design, development, and evolution of scalable, resilient, reliable, and intelligent software systems. This role combines deep technical leadership with hands-on engineering expertise and requires a customer-centric, forward-looking mindset to integrate AI-driven development practices and agent-based architectures into modern software delivery.
The Principal Software Engineer serves as a technical authority and innovation leader, shaping architecture, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence. Expertise in cloud-native architectures, modern development frameworks, and software engineering best practices is essential for delivering high-quality, secure, and scalable solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Software Engineering & Delivery
- Design and develop full-stack applications while ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
- Participate in Agile software development practices and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Design, modify, develop, and implement modern application components, tools, and services that support strategic business objectives.
- Build scalable, maintainable, resilient, and highly available distributed systems.
- software security best practices throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
- Identify, prevent, and remediate security vulnerabilities to protect systems and sensitive data.
- Serve as a technical leader and mentor, promoting innovation, accountability, and engineering excellence.
- Contribute to architectural decisions and technology strategy.
AI-Driven Development & Agentic Engineering
- Leverage AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot and similar technologies) to improve engineering productivity and code quality.
- Design and implement agentic workflows throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Utilize AI technologies for:
- Code generation
- Code refactoring
- Code optimization
- Automated code review
- Quality analysis
- Intelligent test generation
- Defect detection
- Develop and integrate AI-powered applications and services.
- Build customer-facing solutions utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs).
- Implement AI-driven automation for engineering and operational processes.
- Develop multi-agent workflows for orchestration and automated decision-making.
- advanced AI solution patterns including:
- Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Prompt engineering
- Context management
- Agent orchestration
- Tool integration
- Ensure secure, compliant, and responsible use of AI technologies, particularly when handling regulated financial data.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline.
- 7+ years of hands-on software development experience delivering and supporting commercial software applications.
- Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing engineering talent.
- Strong experience developing applications using Node.js and modern Node.js frameworks.
- Hands-on experience with Java, Spring, and Spring Boot.
- Experience with modern front-end frameworks such as Angular, React, or similar technologies.
- Strong understanding of authentication and security protocols including OAuth and SAML.
- Experience implementing security controls and protecting enterprise systems and data.
- Experience building and supporting containerized applications using Docker, Kubernetes, and/or OpenShift.
- Cloud platform experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- Experience developing and deploying solutions that manage sensitive or regulated data.
- Strong knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tooling, including:
- Jenkins
- Harness
- Git
- Bitbucket
- Nexus
- Experience with relational databases including:
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- Experience with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB.
- Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms.
- Experience utilizing code quality and code coverage tools.
- Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Hands-on experience using AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot or equivalent.
- Familiarity with Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI application development concepts.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing applications with Go and/or Python.
- Experience working with streaming and event-driven platforms including:
- Kafka
- Amazon Kinesis
- Amazon SQS
- Apache Storm
- 3+ years of experience within financial services, consumer banking, wealth management, or trading environments.
- Understanding of banking systems, operations, and financial services processes.
- Experience with Domain-Driven Design (DDD).
- Experience implementing Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS).
- Cloud certifications such as:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- AWS Certified Developer
- Equivalent Azure or GCP certifications
Technical Skills
Programming Languages
- Node JS
- Java
- Python
- GO
Front-End Technologies
- Angular
- React
Frameworks
- Spring
- Spring Boot
- Node.js Frameworks
Cloud Platforms
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
Containerization & Orchestration
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- OpenShift
Databases
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- MongoDB
DevOps & CI/CD
- Jenkins
- Harness
- Git
- Bitbucket
- Nexus
Security
- OAuth
- SAML
- Secure SDLC Practices
AI & Emerging Technology
- GitHub Copilot
- Large Language Models (LLMs)
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Prompt Engineering
- Agentic AI Workflows
- Agent Orchestration
- AI Automation
What Sets This Role Apart
- Lead digital-first banking transformation initiatives.
- Drive adoption of AI-powered and agentic software engineering practices.
- Influence enterprise architecture and next-generation development methodologies.
- Partner with engineering leaders to shape the future of software delivery and innovation.
Hours & Work Schedule
- Hours per Week: 40
- Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.
Background Check
Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the candidate successfully passing a background check, which may include initial credit, motor vehicle record, public record, prior employment verification, and criminal background checks. Results of the background check are individually reviewed based upon legal requirements imposed by our regulators and with consideration of the nature and gravity of the background history and the job offered. Any offer of employment will include further information.
Benefits
We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more.
Awards We've Received
Glassdoor Best Place to Work in Consulting, Finance & Insurance
Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 100 Award
Newsweek America's Most Charitable Company
The Banker's
US Bank of the Year
Dave Thomas Foundation’s Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace
Disability:IN Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion
Description
Principal Software Engineer
Job Summary
The Principal Software Engineer is responsible for leading the design, development, and evolution of scalable, resilient, reliable, and intelligent software systems. This role combines deep technical leadership with hands-on engineering expertise and requires a customer-centric, forward-looking mindset to integrate AI-driven development practices and agent-based architectures into modern software delivery.
The Principal Software Engineer serves as a technical authority and innovation leader, shaping architecture, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence. Expertise in cloud-native architectures, modern development frameworks, and software engineering best practices is essential for delivering high-quality, secure, and scalable solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Software Engineering & Delivery
- Design and develop full-stack applications while ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
- Participate in Agile software development practices and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Design, modify, develop, and implement modern application components, tools, and services that support strategic business objectives.
- Build scalable, maintainable, resilient, and highly available distributed systems.
- software security best practices throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
- Identify, prevent, and remediate security vulnerabilities to protect systems and sensitive data.
- Serve as a technical leader and mentor, promoting innovation, accountability, and engineering excellence.
- Contribute to architectural decisions and technology strategy.
AI-Driven Development & Agentic Engineering
- Leverage AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot and similar technologies) to improve engineering productivity and code quality.
- Design and implement agentic workflows throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Utilize AI technologies for:
- Code generation
- Code refactoring
- Code optimization
- Automated code review
- Quality analysis
- Intelligent test generation
- Defect detection
- Develop and integrate AI-powered applications and services.
- Build customer-facing solutions utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs).
- Implement AI-driven automation for engineering and operational processes.
- Develop multi-agent workflows for orchestration and automated decision-making.
- advanced AI solution patterns including:
- Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Prompt engineering
- Context management
- Agent orchestration
- Tool integration
- Ensure secure, compliant, and responsible use of AI technologies, particularly when handling regulated financial data.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical discipline.
- 7+ years of hands-on software development experience delivering and supporting commercial software applications.
- Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing engineering talent.
- Strong experience developing applications using Node.js and modern Node.js frameworks.
- Hands-on experience with Java, Spring, and Spring Boot.
- Experience with modern front-end frameworks such as Angular, React, or similar technologies.
- Strong understanding of authentication and security protocols including OAuth and SAML.
- Experience implementing security controls and protecting enterprise systems and data.
- Experience building and supporting containerized applications using Docker, Kubernetes, and/or OpenShift.
- Cloud platform experience with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
- Experience developing and deploying solutions that manage sensitive or regulated data.
- Strong knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps tooling, including:
- Jenkins
- Harness
- Git
- Bitbucket
- Nexus
- Experience with relational databases including:
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- Experience with NoSQL databases such as MongoDB.
- Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms.
- Experience utilizing code quality and code coverage tools.
- Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Hands-on experience using AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot or equivalent.
- Familiarity with Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI application development concepts.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing applications with Go and/or Python.
- Experience working with streaming and event-driven platforms including:
- Kafka
- Amazon Kinesis
- Amazon SQS
- Apache Storm
- 3+ years of experience within financial services, consumer banking, wealth management, or trading environments.
- Understanding of banking systems, operations, and financial services processes.
- Experience with Domain-Driven Design (DDD).
- Experience implementing Command Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS).
- Cloud certifications such as:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- AWS Certified Developer
- Equivalent Azure or GCP certifications
Technical Skills
Programming Languages
- Node JS
- Java
- Python
- GO
Front-End Technologies
- Angular
- React
Frameworks
- Spring
- Spring Boot
- Node.js Frameworks
Cloud Platforms
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
Containerization & Orchestration
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- OpenShift
Databases
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- MongoDB
DevOps & CI/CD
- Jenkins
- Harness
- Git
- Bitbucket
- Nexus
Security
- OAuth
- SAML
- Secure SDLC Practices
AI & Emerging Technology
- GitHub Copilot
- Large Language Models (LLMs)
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
- Prompt Engineering
- Agentic AI Workflows
- Agent Orchestration
- AI Automation
What Sets This Role Apart
- Lead digital-first banking transformation initiatives.
- Drive adoption of AI-powered and agentic software engineering practices.
- Influence enterprise architecture and next-generation development methodologies.
- Partner with engineering leaders to shape the future of software delivery and innovation.
Hours & Work Schedule
- Hours per Week: 40
- Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.
Background Check
Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the candidate successfully passing a background check, which may include initial credit, motor vehicle record, public record, prior employment verification, and criminal background checks. Results of the background check are individually reviewed based upon legal requirements imposed by our regulators and with consideration of the nature and gravity of the background history and the job offered. Any offer of employment will include further information.
Benefits
We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more.
Awards We've Received
Glassdoor Best Place to Work in Consulting, Finance & Insurance
Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 100 Award
Newsweek America's Most Charitable Company
The Banker's
US Bank of the Year
Dave Thomas Foundation’s Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace
Disability:IN Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion
See All 61 Principal Jobs in Rhode Island
Find roles in Rhode Island that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal JobsPrincipal Jobs by City in Rhode Island
Where Rhode Island roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Job Market in Rhode Island
A snapshot from current Rhode Island openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Raytheon10
- CVS Health9
- Citizens7
- Fidelity Investments7
- Providence School District4
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services7
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals6
- Investment & Asset Management5
- Consulting & Professional Services2
- Energy1
What Rhode Island Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal jobs across Rhode Island.
- Active Rhode Island principal certification issued by the Rhode Island Department of Education
- Master's degree in educational leadership, school administration, or a closely related field
- Minimum of five years of certified classroom teaching experience in an accredited school
- Demonstrated experience leading curriculum development, instructional coaching, or school improvement initiatives
- Proficiency with student data systems and experience using assessment data to drive school-wide decisions
- Strong record of community engagement, family outreach, and collaborative staff leadership
Principal Jobs in Rhode Island: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal in Rhode Island?
To become a principal in Rhode Island, you must hold a valid Rhode Island Administrator Certificate issued through the Rhode Island Department of Education. That requires completing an approved educational leadership preparation program at the graduate level, accumulating verified years of certified teaching experience, and passing the School Leaders Licensure Assessment. Applications are submitted through the Rhode Island Educator Certification System, and certification must be renewed on a regular cycle through approved professional development.
Which companies hire principals in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island principal roles are posted by Raytheon, CVS Health, and Citizens and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Providence-area public school districts and Rhode Island's growing network of charter and independent schools account for the largest share of ongoing openings across the state.
Which Rhode Island cities have the most principal jobs?
Providence, Johnston, and Rhode Island are the Rhode Island cities with the most principal openings. Providence anchors the market as the state's largest school district and home to several charter networks, while Cranston and Woonsocket generate consistent demand from mid-size suburban and urban districts that regularly recruit for building leadership, assistant principal, and department head positions.
Are there remote principal jobs in Rhode Island?
Yes, but they're rare. Building-level principals are expected to be physically present to lead staff, support students, and manage daily school operations, making fully remote arrangements unusual for most roles. About 48% of principal openings tied to Rhode Island are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, and those tend to be in curriculum consulting, district-level administrative coordination, or ed-tech leadership rather than traditional building principal posts.
How can I get hired as a principal in Rhode Island with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is securing an assistant principal or dean of students role while completing a Rhode Island-approved educational leadership graduate program. Providence Public Schools and Blackstone Valley Prep Collaborative regularly hire instructional coaches and department heads who then transition into administrative pipelines. Candidates who hold or are close to completing their Rhode Island Administrator Certificate and can show measurable classroom leadership results, such as leading a professional learning community or piloting a curriculum initiative, have a clear competitive advantage at the entry level.
Where can I find and apply to principal jobs in Rhode Island?
You can find and apply to principal jobs in Rhode Island on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from districts and schools across the state. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your certification level and experience, and apply directly to whichever positions fit your background.
See All 61 Principal Jobs in Rhode Island
Find roles in Rhode Island that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Jobs