JOB SUMMARY:

The Principal Software Engineer - Web Solutions Engineering & Operations is a key technical leader responsible for leading engineering, close partnership with architecture on solutions, developing, and optimizing enterprise web platforms and applications across Universal Destinations & Experiences. This role provides strategic technical direction, mentorship, and hands-on expertise across frontend, backend, and full-stack web technologies, ensuring high-performing, secure, accessible, and engaging web experiences that advance business objectives. The Principal Software Engineer collaborates closely with Product, Quality Engineering (QE), DevOps, and Architecture to drive technical excellence, modern delivery practices, and innovation across our digital ecosystem.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy & Planning

• Define and lead the long-term engineering, solutioning, and strategy for enterprise web platforms, including standards for frontend, backend, and full-stack engineering.
• Provide deep web expertise and technical direction to delivery teams, DevOps engineers, and architects.
• Research and evaluate emerging web technologies (e.g., WebAssembly, micro-frontends, edge rendering) to improve cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and speed of delivery.
• Establish and maintain formalized web engineering methodologies, coding standards, and governance.
• Build and curate repositories for engineering deliverables, design systems, and component library assets.

Design & Development

• Engineer, solution design, and oversee implementation of scalable web applications and services.
• Serve as a domain expert across React, Angular, Vue, Svelte, Web Components, JavaScript/TypeScript, and Node.js.
• Guide adoption of server-side rendering (SSR) and modern frameworks (e.g., Next.js, Remix, Nuxt, Astro) to improve performance and SEO.
• Ensure designs meet accessibility (WCAG), security (OWASP, CSP), and performance objectives; implement observability, caching, and CDN strategies.
• Partner with PMs, vendors, and stakeholders to estimate complex delivery, plan integration of REST/GraphQL and real-time APIs, and drive platform reliability.

Technical Collaboration

• Collaborate with Product, QE, DevOps, and Architecture on web architecture decisions, trade-offs, and implementation plans.
• Mentor engineers in modern web patterns, component-driven development, design systems, AI coding, and secure coding practices.
• Coordinate tasks with internal and external technical resources to ensure alignment with platform standards and delivery goals.

Administrative

• Manage appropriate departmental budgets and review/approve expenditures with an 'act as an owner' mentality.
• Supervise and guide vendor engagements to maintain proper technical direction and focus aligned to web platform goals.
• Understands and actively participates in Environmental, Health & Safety responsibilities by following established UO policy, procedures, training and team member involvement activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related subject required.

EXPERIENCE:

• 9+ years of IT experience with large integrated projects; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience using AI for CodeGen, Testing, and Code Review.
• Extensive hands-on experience with business requirements gathering/analysis.
• Proven experience designing and developing enterprise-scale web applications.Experience with front-ejnd reusability, components development, modern software engineering practices.
• Experience with Akamai or similar CDNs and Tridion or similar CMSs.
• Experience mentoring a team of other engineers.
• Experience with pull requests and performing code reviews.
• Experience with RESTful APIs using JSON.
• Experience with designing application architecture and with frontend considerations.
• Experience creating frameworks and integrating external SDK’s.
• Experience working on a development team that practices Agile/scrum methodologies.
• Strong experience with reverse proxies, web servers, API gateways, service-oriented architectures, web services (REST), microservice patterns, service buses and integration patterns, security practices, database technologies.
• Proven experience with databases and data storage including NoSQL and SQL databases, along with in memory key value stores;
• or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Your talent, skills and experience will be rewarded with a competitive compensation package.

Universal is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Universal Orlando via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from Universal Orlando HR/Recruitment will be deemed the sole property of Universal Orlando. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Universal Orlando as a result of the referral or through other means.

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