Principal Software Engineer

About The Team

• Service Operations brings together IT Service Management (ITSM), IT Operations Management (ITOM)
• CMDB capabilities on the ServiceNow Platform to help customers deliver resilient, intelligent
• efficient enterprise services. The organization connects incident, request, fulfillment, infrastructure visibility, service mapping, configuration data
• AIOps into a unified operating model. By combining service delivery with operational intelligence and trusted configuration data, Service Operations enables proactive, AI-assisted
• increasingly self-healing operations at enterprise scale. Together, these capabilities help customers modernize operations, improve service reliability, reduce manual effort
• drive measurable productivity outcomes on a single ServiceNow platform. What you get to do in this role: As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a key role in shaping the future of Service Operations as ServiceNow evolves toward AI-native products for the agentic era. This role is about helping define and execute a long-term technical vision for how enterprises deliver, operate, automate
• continuously improve services across increasingly complex digital environments. You will help build the foundational platforms, frameworks
• product capabilities that connect service delivery, operations intelligence, trusted configuration data, automation
• AI-powered workflows into a unified Service Operations experience. The work will span large-scale distributed systems, intelligent data collection and processing, microservices, platform architecture, operational intelligence
• AI-assisted user and enterprise workflows. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong architectural judgment
• the ability to translate long-term product vision into durable engineering execution. You will influence architecture across teams, raise engineering standards, mentor senior engineers
• help deliver industry-leading Service Operations capabilities that can scale and evolve over the next decade. Responsibilities include: Define and drive the technical vision for AI-native Service Operations capabilities that support modern, proactive
• increasingly autonomous enterprise operations. Architect scalable, reliable
• extensible systems that power service delivery, operational intelligence, automation, data processing
• AI-assisted workflows. Lead the design of core frameworks and platform capabilities that enable teams to build consistent, intelligent
• highly reliable Service Operations products. Partner with product, design, platform
• engineering leaders to translate Service Operations strategy into executable technical roadmaps. Drive large-scale technical initiatives from concept through delivery, balancing innovation, customer value, scalability, reliability, security
• long-term maintainability. Establish architecture patterns, engineering standards
• best practices for distributed systems, microservices, observability, performance, data quality
• production readiness. Build and evolve systems that support proactive, predictive, AI-assisted
• agentic workflows across enterprise environments. Help shape how AI agents, automation
• human workflows come together to improve service reliability, reduce manual effort
• increase productivity. Ensure Service Operations capabilities remain industry-leading by continuously evaluating technology trends, customer needs, scalability demands
• platform evolution. Design and develop reusable software components and frameworks that improve engineering velocity and product consistency across teams. Guide teams through complex technical decisions, design reviews, code reviews, architecture tradeoffs
• execution planning. Mentor senior engineers and technical leaders, helping raise the bar for engineering craftsmanship, system thinking
• operational excellence. Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, quality
• accountability across the engineering organization. Help teams adopt AI-powered tools and automation to improve engineering productivity, product reliability
• the speed of innovation.
• To be successful in this role, you have: Typically, 15+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree
• 12+ years with a Master’s degree
• 8+ years with a PhD
• or equivalent practical experience. Strong experience building and operating large-scale distributed systems, platform services, enterprise applications, microservices, or cloud-native infrastructure. Proven ability to define technical vision, influence architecture across teams, and translate long-term product strategy into durable engineering execution. Experience designing systems for scale, reliability, observability, fault tolerance, data quality, security, and production readiness. Strong technical depth in Java, Python, or similar object-oriented programming languages. Strong knowledge of data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, design patterns, API design, and performance optimization. Experience with AI-powered products, AI-assisted workflows, automation platforms, or agentic systems is strongly preferred. Ability to think critically about how AI can be integrated into enterprise workflows, decision-making, operations, and user experiences. Experience validating AI-assisted systems, including data quality, model outputs, workflow correctness, inference consistency, evaluation patterns, or human-in-the-loop controls. Experience with enterprise service management, IT operations, observability, CMDB, discovery, service mapping, AIOps, endpoint management, or operational intelligence is a strong plus. Ability to troubleshoot complex systems and optimize performance across application, service, data, and infrastructure layers. Familiarity with automated testing frameworks and experience integrating functional, regression, integration, scalability, and performance tests into CI/CD pipelines. Experience with modern engineering tools such as IDEs, debuggers, profilers, source control systems, observability platforms, and Unix-based environments. Ability to mentor senior engineers, raise engineering standards, and lead through technical credibility, collaboration, and influence. Experience with modern front-end frameworks such as Angular, React, or Vue is a plus, especially for roles involving user-facing workflows or platform experiences. Why Join Us Build industry-leading Service Operations capabilities that help enterprises discover, understand, and operate complex technology environments. Shape the long-term technical direction for ITOM Discovery, CMDB accuracy, service mapping, and AI-assisted operations on the ServiceNow Platform. Work on large-scale platform capabilities across endpoint agents, microservices, data collection, intelligent operations, and enterprise service delivery. Collaborate with teams that value craftsmanship, quality, innovation, and shared ownership. Use AI and automation tools to improve engineering excellence, product reliability, and developer productivity. Be part of a culture that encourages continuous learning, technical leadership, and meaningful customer impact. For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $221,200 - $387,100 , plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.
• Work Personas We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote
• required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here . To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service. Equal Opportunity Employer ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, veteran status
• any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements. Accommodations We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process
• are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact globaltalentss@servicenow.com for assistance. Export Control Regulations For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities. From Fortune. ©2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.