Principal Jobs in Washington
Principal jobs in Washington are in strong demand, concentrated in K-12 public school districts, charter networks, and private independent schools, with openings from assistant principal through executive principal and district leadership roles. The heaviest hiring activity is in Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, where anchor employers such as Seattle Public Schools, Spokane Public Schools, and Tacoma Public Schools maintain consistent year-round pipelines. Instructional leadership, multi-tiered support systems, and special education administration are among the most sought-after specialties in Washington listings. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Principal JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 176+ Principal jobs
Working at Atlassian
Atlassians can choose where they work – whether in an office, from home, or a combination of the two. That way, Atlassians have more control over supporting their family, personal goals, and other priorities. We can hire people in any country where we have a legal entity.
Responsibilities:We are seeking a Senior Principal Engineering Manager / Head of Engineering (M70) to lead the Atlassian Guard engineering organization. Atlassian Guard is our enterprise-grade security product that helps organizations protect their critical data across the Atlassian cloud ecosystem — delivering capabilities such as data loss prevention, threat detection, identity & access management, audit logging, and security policy enforcement.
In this role, you will own the engineering strategy, team health, and delivery excellence for Atlassian Guard. You will lead multiple engineering teams, partner closely with Product, Design, and Go-to-Market stakeholders, and be accountable for building a world-class security product that scales to serve hundreds of thousands of enterprise customers.
Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & People Management
Lead and scale a multi-team engineering organization (managers of managers), including hiring, retention, performance management, and organizational design.
Build a high-performance culture rooted in psychological safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Develop engineering leaders — coach and mentor engineering managers and senior ICs to grow in their careers and impact.
Champion engineering excellence across the organization through best practices in architecture, reliability, security, and operational readiness.
Strategy & Vision
Define and own the engineering vision and technical strategy for Atlassian Guard, ensuring alignment with Atlassian's broader platform and security strategy.
Partner with Product Management and Design to shape the multi-year product roadmap, making informed trade-offs between customer value, technical investment, and operational sustainability.
Drive innovation in cloud security — staying ahead of evolving threat landscapes, compliance requirements (SOC2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, etc.), and industry trends.
Execution & Delivery
Be accountable for delivery of complex, multi-quarter programs across multiple teams, ensuring predictability, quality, and customer impact.
Establish and track key engineering metrics (velocity, reliability, quality, team health) to drive data-informed decisions.
Own operational excellence — ensure Atlassian Guard meets the highest standards of availability, performance, and incident response.
Cross-Functional & Organizational Influence
Collaborate across Atlassian with peer engineering leaders, platform teams, security teams, and executive stakeholders to drive alignment and remove blockers.
Represent Atlassian Guard in senior leadership forums, contributing to company-wide engineering strategy and investment decisions.
Partner with Go-to-Market teams (Sales, Customer Success, Solutions Engineering) to ensure the product meets enterprise customer needs and supports business growth.
Qualifications
15+ years of experience in software engineering, with 7+ years in engineering management, including experience as a manager of managers leading multi-team organizations.
Proven track record of building, scaling, and leading high-performing engineering teams (50+ engineers preferred) in a fast-paced SaaS/cloud environment.
Deep understanding of cloud security domains — identity & access management, data protection, threat detection, compliance, or related areas.
Strong technical acumen — ability to engage meaningfully in architectural decisions, system design, and technical trade-offs even as a senior leader.
Experience delivering enterprise-grade products with high reliability and scale requirements.
Exceptional communication and influence skills — comfortable presenting to executives, partnering with cross-functional leaders, and inspiring large teams.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically while maintaining a strong bias for action and execution.
Experience operating in agile/lean environments and driving continuous improvement in engineering processes.
At Atlassian, we strive to design equitable, explainable, and competitive compensation programs. We follow consistent hiring practices and account for each candidate's skills, knowledge, and experience when setting base pay within the range.
Please visit go.atlassian.com/payzones for more information on which locations are included in each of our geographic pay zones. However, please confirm the zone for your specific location with your recruiter.
This role may also be eligible for benefits, bonuses, commissions, and equity.
Pay Ranges:In The United States, we have three geographic pay zones. For this role, our current base pay ranges for new hires in each zone are:
Zone A: $243,900 - $318,425
Zone B: $219,510 - $286,583
Zone C: $202,437 - $264,293
Qualifications:Benefits & Perks
Atlassian offers a wide range of perks and benefits designed to support you, your family and to help you engage with your local community. Our offerings include health and wellbeing resources, paid volunteer days, and so much more. To learn more, visit go.atlassian.com/perksandbenefits.
About Atlassian
At Atlassian, we're motivated by a common goal: to unleash the potential of every team. Our software products help teams all over the planet and our solutions are designed for all types of work. Team collaboration through our tools makes what may be impossible alone, possible together.
We believe that the unique contributions of all Atlassians create our success. To ensure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone's perspectives and experience, we never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
To provide you the best experience, we can support with accommodations or adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Simply inform our Recruitment team during your conversation with them.
To learn more about our culture and hiring process, visit go.atlassian.com/crh.
In line with local law, identity verification (which may include use of biometric data) is a condition of employment with Atlassian for employment fraud purposes.
Working at Atlassian
Atlassians can choose where they work – whether in an office, from home, or a combination of the two. That way, Atlassians have more control over supporting their family, personal goals, and other priorities. We can hire people in any country where we have a legal entity.
Responsibilities:We are seeking a Senior Principal Engineering Manager / Head of Engineering (M70) to lead the Atlassian Guard engineering organization. Atlassian Guard is our enterprise-grade security product that helps organizations protect their critical data across the Atlassian cloud ecosystem — delivering capabilities such as data loss prevention, threat detection, identity & access management, audit logging, and security policy enforcement.
In this role, you will own the engineering strategy, team health, and delivery excellence for Atlassian Guard. You will lead multiple engineering teams, partner closely with Product, Design, and Go-to-Market stakeholders, and be accountable for building a world-class security product that scales to serve hundreds of thousands of enterprise customers.
Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & People Management
Lead and scale a multi-team engineering organization (managers of managers), including hiring, retention, performance management, and organizational design.
Build a high-performance culture rooted in psychological safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Develop engineering leaders — coach and mentor engineering managers and senior ICs to grow in their careers and impact.
Champion engineering excellence across the organization through best practices in architecture, reliability, security, and operational readiness.
Strategy & Vision
Define and own the engineering vision and technical strategy for Atlassian Guard, ensuring alignment with Atlassian's broader platform and security strategy.
Partner with Product Management and Design to shape the multi-year product roadmap, making informed trade-offs between customer value, technical investment, and operational sustainability.
Drive innovation in cloud security — staying ahead of evolving threat landscapes, compliance requirements (SOC2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, etc.), and industry trends.
Execution & Delivery
Be accountable for delivery of complex, multi-quarter programs across multiple teams, ensuring predictability, quality, and customer impact.
Establish and track key engineering metrics (velocity, reliability, quality, team health) to drive data-informed decisions.
Own operational excellence — ensure Atlassian Guard meets the highest standards of availability, performance, and incident response.
Cross-Functional & Organizational Influence
Collaborate across Atlassian with peer engineering leaders, platform teams, security teams, and executive stakeholders to drive alignment and remove blockers.
Represent Atlassian Guard in senior leadership forums, contributing to company-wide engineering strategy and investment decisions.
Partner with Go-to-Market teams (Sales, Customer Success, Solutions Engineering) to ensure the product meets enterprise customer needs and supports business growth.
Qualifications
15+ years of experience in software engineering, with 7+ years in engineering management, including experience as a manager of managers leading multi-team organizations.
Proven track record of building, scaling, and leading high-performing engineering teams (50+ engineers preferred) in a fast-paced SaaS/cloud environment.
Deep understanding of cloud security domains — identity & access management, data protection, threat detection, compliance, or related areas.
Strong technical acumen — ability to engage meaningfully in architectural decisions, system design, and technical trade-offs even as a senior leader.
Experience delivering enterprise-grade products with high reliability and scale requirements.
Exceptional communication and influence skills — comfortable presenting to executives, partnering with cross-functional leaders, and inspiring large teams.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically while maintaining a strong bias for action and execution.
Experience operating in agile/lean environments and driving continuous improvement in engineering processes.
At Atlassian, we strive to design equitable, explainable, and competitive compensation programs. We follow consistent hiring practices and account for each candidate's skills, knowledge, and experience when setting base pay within the range.
Please visit go.atlassian.com/payzones for more information on which locations are included in each of our geographic pay zones. However, please confirm the zone for your specific location with your recruiter.
This role may also be eligible for benefits, bonuses, commissions, and equity.
Pay Ranges:In The United States, we have three geographic pay zones. For this role, our current base pay ranges for new hires in each zone are:
Zone A: $243,900 - $318,425
Zone B: $219,510 - $286,583
Zone C: $202,437 - $264,293
Qualifications:Benefits & Perks
Atlassian offers a wide range of perks and benefits designed to support you, your family and to help you engage with your local community. Our offerings include health and wellbeing resources, paid volunteer days, and so much more. To learn more, visit go.atlassian.com/perksandbenefits.
About Atlassian
At Atlassian, we're motivated by a common goal: to unleash the potential of every team. Our software products help teams all over the planet and our solutions are designed for all types of work. Team collaboration through our tools makes what may be impossible alone, possible together.
We believe that the unique contributions of all Atlassians create our success. To ensure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone's perspectives and experience, we never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
To provide you the best experience, we can support with accommodations or adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Simply inform our Recruitment team during your conversation with them.
To learn more about our culture and hiring process, visit go.atlassian.com/crh.
In line with local law, identity verification (which may include use of biometric data) is a condition of employment with Atlassian for employment fraud purposes.
See All 176+ Principal Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal JobsPrincipal Jobs by City in Washington
Where Washington roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Job Market in Washington
A snapshot from current Washington openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Microsoft44
- Amazon34
- Blue Origin10
- Oracle8
- Amazon Web Services7
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Manufacturing
What Washington Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal jobs across Washington.
- Valid Washington State principal or program administrator certificate required
- Master's degree in educational leadership, administration, or a closely related field
- Minimum of three years of certified classroom teaching experience
- Experience leading instructional coaching, curriculum development, or school improvement planning
- Strong background in Washington state education law, OSPI policies, and MTSS frameworks
- Demonstrated ability to manage staff evaluations under Washington's TPEP evaluation system
Principal Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal in Washington?
To become a principal in Washington, you must hold a Washington State Principal or Program Administrator Certificate issued by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Earning that certificate requires a master's degree in educational or school leadership, a minimum of three years of teaching experience under a valid certificate, and completion of an approved administrator preparation program. Candidates then apply through OSPI's certification portal.
Which companies hire principals in Washington?
Employers hiring principals in Washington right now include Microsoft, Amazon, and Blue Origin, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Washington's large urban and suburban school districts drive most of the volume, though private schools, charter organizations, and educational nonprofits across the state also post consistently.
Which Washington cities have the most principal jobs?
Seattle, Redmond, and Bellevue have the most principal openings in Washington. Seattle leads because of its large, well-funded urban district and the density of charter and independent schools nearby, while Spokane and Tacoma anchor eastern Washington and the South Sound region respectively, each home to district headquarters and multiple school campuses with ongoing administrative needs.
Are there remote principal jobs in Washington?
Yes, but they're rare. The principal role is fundamentally on-site, requiring daily presence for student supervision, staff observation, and family engagement. About 87% of principal openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those positions tend to involve curriculum coordination, district-level administration, or virtual school leadership rather than building-level management.
How can I get hired as a principal in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is an assistant principal role, which most Washington districts use as the primary pipeline into building leadership. Seattle Public Schools, Spokane Public Schools, and Tacoma Public Schools regularly post assistant principal and dean of students openings that accept candidates without prior administrative experience. Completing an OSPI-approved administrator preparation program, obtaining your Washington Principal Certificate, and moving into an instructional coach or department head role first gives candidates a clear competitive edge.
Where can I find and apply to principal jobs in Washington?
You can find and apply to principal jobs in Washington on Migrate Mate, which lists current Washington openings updated regularly. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level, preferred district, and specialty area, then apply directly to the positions that fit.
See All 176+ Principal Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Jobs