The Principal Engineer will architect and build scalable payments applications, mentor engineers, and collaborate on technology solutions while ensuring code quality and best practices.
VGS is the world's leader in payment tokenization. Large banks, aspiring fintechs, and growing merchants embed our universal token vault into their technology stack to manage the complexities of payment data tokenization across processors and networks, open banking, card issuance, omnichannel loyalty, PCI compliance, payment orchestration, and more. We empower our clients and partners by tokenizing sensitive payment data, limiting compliance scope, and consolidating payments to unlock revenue and business opportunities.
VGS provides processor-agnostic tokenization solutions via secure universal token vaults, iframes, mobile SDKs, tokenization proxies, APIs, and data orchestration tooling to support payment acceptance, card issuance, PII and bank account tokenization, and other payments value-added services. Some of the use cases we enable include multi-processor Network Tokenization, Account Updater, payment orchestration, secure settlement file processing, 3DS, and Risk provider connectivity.
We are looking for a well-versed, passionate Principal Engineer, who wants to play a key role in architecting and building highly available, reliable and scalable payments applications. This position will directly report to the Sr. Director of Engineering.
We’re seeking individuals with an equal flair for creative problem solving, enthusiasm for new technologies, and desire to contribute to our product. You will likely be successful in this role if you identify with the following traits: attention to detail, problem solver, customer oriented, versatile, resilient and confident. If all of this sounds interesting to you, we’d love to hear from you.
What you will be doing at VGS…
- Collaborate and communicate with Payments Engineering teams to design, develop, and champion best-practices, patterns and standards for all payments applications.
- Work closely with our CTO and other architects to create holistic technology solutions for our customers. This requires an equal part collaboration with the product management and engineering management.
- Be part of the Tech Leads group, driving measurable outcomes and iterative delivery strategy, removing roadblocks, empowering others, and mentoring high-potential engineers.
- Produce clear, detailed and actionable design documents, architecture blueprints, architectural decisions with context, decision and tradeoffs.
- Be involved in hands-on development of proof-of-concepts, prototypes, and real production-ready code.
- Mentor engineers on architecture best practices and standards.
- Engage in all phases of the software lifecycle- design, implement, test, deploy, and support services in production.
- Maintain a culture of code quality through rigorous testing, automation, and code reviews.
- Be proactive and innovative- we rely on your feedback to build a world-class product.
- Be a part of a team that believes in the core values of transparency, collaboration, grit, and humility; in going above and beyond what is required in order to do the right thing for our customers and the company; and in having fun while doing all this!
What we are looking for from you (Requirements)...
- 12+ years experience in software architecture, design and development in a Cloud SaaS environment.
- Extensive experience in building highly available, reliable and scalable SaaS applications/platforms.
- Strong experience in building backend API specs, mocks, and service implementations.
- Solid understanding of cloud-native architecture, microservices, CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Argo), GitOps, Authentication and Authorization, APIs and API Gateway, Docker, Kubernetes (EKS), Kafka (MSK), Java, Spring Framework, Python, and AWS services.
- Strong experience in Observability solutions using Grafana and Open Telemetry.
- Hands-on experience in DevOps, SRE, Configuration Management, and Release Management.
- Experience with payments technologies and ecosystem (card networks, PSP integration) is highly preferred
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
What you get from us...
• Flexible work hours and flexible PTO
• Competitive health benefits
• VGS stock options
• 401k plan, with employer matching 4% and immediate vesting (available only for US employees)
• Life & disability insurance
• Pre-tax flexible spending accounts, dependent and healthcare FSA (available only for US employees)
• Global parental leave program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Home Internet reimbursement
• New hire home office set-up allowance
• Professional learning reimbursement
At VGS, we have a remote-first philosophy because we believe flexibility leads to great work and a healthy work-life balance. That said, if you live within 30 miles of one of our office locations, you’ll be on a hybrid schedule with some in-person time—because we know there’s real value in coming together.
We’re not about being in the office every day—but we are about connection, collaboration, and the energy that comes from a great brainstorm, a team lunch, or celebrating a big win in person.
We consider applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, marital status, physical or mental disability, or other protected classes under all local, state, and federal laws and ordinances (AA/EOE/W/M/Vet/Disabled).
Qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for the position in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.
Visa Sponsorship. The Company does not provide visa sponsorship for this role. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout their employment. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1 (including those with OPT or CPT), H-1, H-2, L-1, B, J, or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible.
Please note we are currently only hiring in the following states...
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington
Top Skills
APIs
Argo
AWS
Ci/Cd
Cloud Saas
Docker
Github Actions
Grafana
Java
Kafka
Kubernetes
Microservices
Open Telemetry
Python
Spring Framework
Similar Jobs
Cloud • Fintech • Information Technology • Machine Learning • Software
Lead architectural evolution for Xero's global platform, ensuring resilience and scalability while collaborating with executive stakeholders and mentoring talent.
Top Skills:
Cloud-Based Distributed Systems
Artificial Intelligence • Hardware • Healthtech • Software
Lead the design and execution of radar sensing platforms and wireless communication subsystems. Collaborate cross-functionally, innovate with the latest technologies, mentor team members, ensure quality and reliability in RF designs, and troubleshoot complex issues.
Top Skills:
Ansys HfssCadence AllegroKeysight AdsMmwavePythonRf DesignWireless Communication
Security • Software • Cybersecurity
As a Principal Developer, you will guide technical direction and architectural strategy, mentor engineers, and elevate engineering practices in the Exposure Management product area, focusing on cybersecurity solutions.
Top Skills:
AWSGCPGoPythonRust
What you need to know about the Boston Tech Scene
Boston is a powerhouse for technology innovation thanks to world-class research universities like MIT and Harvard and a robust pipeline of venture capital investment. Host to the first telephone call and one of the first general-purpose computers ever put into use, Boston is now a hub for biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence — though it’s also home to several B2B software giants. So it’s no surprise that the city consistently ranks among the greatest startup ecosystems in the world.
Key Facts About Boston Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 269,000; 9.4% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Toast, Klaviyo, HubSpot, DraftKings
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics, software, aerospace
- Funding Landscape: $15.7 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Summit Partners, Volition Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, MassVentures, Highland Capital Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: MIT, Harvard University, Boston College, Tufts University, Boston University, Northeastern University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, National Bureau of Economic Research, Broad Institute, Lowell Center for Space Science & Technology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories



