Principal Software Engineer

Job Title: Principal Software Engineer

Reports To: Senior Director, Contact Center Technology
Department: Traveler Relations Center (TRC) / Technology
Location: Boston, MA (Hybrid, 3x/week onsite)
Salary Range: $165 - $175k

Position Summary

Grand Circle Corporation is expanding our Traveler Relations Center (TRC) digital teams to support our growing contact center operations. We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer who will play a critical role in leading the strategy, architecture, and execution of full-stack development supporting our most important customer touchpoint: our call center. This role ensures we continue delivering the exceptional traveler experience we're known for in the travel space.

The ideal candidate has deep experience designing and delivering scalable technical solutions, leading complex integrations, and championing engineering excellence in fast-paced environments. If you thrive on driving change, collaborating across teams, and building solutions that create real impact, this is your chance to help shape the future of travel experiences.

Who We Are

Grand Circle Corporation is the leader in international travel, adventure, and discovery for Americans aged 50+. Headquartered in Boston, MA, we are a $600M+ global enterprise with 30 regional offices and over 2,000 associates. Since our founding, more than two million Americans have traveled with our award-winning travel brands: Grand Circle Travel, Overseas Adventure Travel, and Grand Circle Cruise Lines. Want to go places? Grand Circle Corporation is the place for you.

With trips in nearly 100 countries, you'll never run out of new places, people, and cultures to feed your wanderlust. From the Maasai warriors of Kenya to the tranquil temples of Japan, your work will touch a wide range of experiences—"bored" is not in our lexicon.

What You'll Do
Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Provide technical leadership and hands-on accountability for end-to-end delivery of integrations and web solutions—from technical design through development, automated testing, deployment, and ongoing operations.

• Architect scalable, secure, and high-performing solutions for internal and customer-facing applications, with a focus on integration and extensibility.

• Review and refine requirements, solution designs, and source code; lead team code reviews and technical sizing sessions.

• Shape the long-term technical roadmap for contact center platforms, driving continuous improvement and innovation.

• Continuously challenge assumptions and push the status quo to advance engineering excellence.

Development & Execution

• Own full SDLC responsibilities, including requirements consultation, technical design, development, integration, automated testing, deployment, and maintenance.

• Build and maintain integrations that support customer self-service, streamline agent workflows, and establish groundwork for AI-driven enhancements.

• Implement and promote CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices within Azure.

Coaching, Collaboration & Process

• Mentor and coach developers across web and API technologies including C#, .NET Core, Docker, Redis, and CCaaS platforms.

• Collaborate with contact center operations, customer experience teams, and external vendors to develop impactful, business-aligned solutions.

• Partner with process leaders to strengthen agile delivery and engineering best practices.

• Communicate effectively with internal customers and cross-functional technical teams.

• Balance risk, tradeoffs, and long-term impact to prioritize sustainable delivery of high-quality engineering solutions.

• Work with colleagues locally and globally.

Qualifications
Required:

• 7–10 years of professional software development experience designing and developing internal or customer-facing applications and integrations (SaaS or public web) in C# or Java.

• Strong architectural capability to design scalable, performant, secure, and reusable solutions.

• Experience mentoring and coaching developers, providing constructive feedback and guidance.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence decisions across IT and business teams and translate complex concepts for non-technical stakeholders.

• Engaged collaborator who can influence peers and partners at multiple levels.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related discipline (or equivalent experience).

• Agile software development experience (Scrum or Kanban).

• Experience working in Azure or another cloud platform.

• Strong understanding of Domain Driven Design, SOLID principles, and design patterns.

• High adaptability to learn new technologies and thrive in a dynamic environment.

• Proven success in fast-paced organizations of varying sizes.

Preferred:

• Experience working in IT within the contact center domain, including understanding of operations, technologies, and workflows.

• Experience architecting or integrating CCaaS platforms (NICE, Genesys Cloud, Five9, AWS Connect, etc.).

• Experience leading or contributing to large-scale cloud migration projects.

• Cloud certifications in Azure, AWS, or GCP.

Why You'll Love This Role

• Drive Real Change: Lead major cloud transformations that directly improve customer and agent experiences.

• Build for the Future: Develop solutions that enable AI-powered automation and optimized customer interactions.

• Own Your Impact: See your work come to life across architecture, implementation, and long-term strategy.

• Collaborate & Grow: Work across diverse teams, mentor developers, and expand your skills in a fast-moving environment.

• Innovate with Modern Tech: Leverage the latest cloud, integration, and automation tools to push boundaries and continuously improve.

Total Rewards

The base salary range for this role is $165,000 – $175,000 annually for employees based in Boston, MA. Final compensation may vary based on relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and geographic location. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for an annual incentive bonus and first-class benefits, which include:

Health & Wellness: Comprehensive and heavily subsidized medical, dental, and vision plans, plus on-site gym access, holistic wellness sessions, and group fitness classes.

Time for You: Substantial PTO, 11 paid holidays (including Juneteenth, Memorial Day, and Labor Day), and Summer Fridays. Extensive parental leave with 12–16 weeks paid at 100% base salary.

Travel More, Spend Less: 50% off our trips for you and a companion, 25% for immediate family members, and exclusive quarterly associate travel deals.

Your Future, Secured: 401(k) with company match, life insurance, and disability coverage.

Continuous Growth: Tuition assistance for professional and personal development, opportunities for overseas travel, and access to Pinnacle Leadership & Team Development.

Extra Perks: Commuter benefits, FSA options, pet insurance, home & auto discounts, and paid volunteer time off.

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