Principal Engineer
This is the employer's own posting, not a copy on a job board.
What we know
Is it still open?
Confirmed still open
Last checked 2d ago — checked against the employer's own applicant tracking system, which is the company answering directly.
We re-read the employer's own applicant tracking system and the posting was still there. That is the company answering directly.
How old is it?
Posted 134d ago
The date the source published, not the day we noticed it (2026-05-29). Last seen at its source 1h ago.
We have tracked this listing since 5 Oct 2026 (5 days). The employer's own board has carried it every time we have read it, most recently 1 hour ago.
Is it remote?
Marked remote on the employer's board
Their board carries a remote setting on this posting — a field they filled in, not wording we read. The location field names somewhere specific, which is usually where the team or the entity sits.
Who may apply?
United States
The description states no restriction of its own. This is the source's own tag.
Pay not stated
Similar roles pay $167.5k–231.5k/yr
Middle 50% of 2264 listings that do state pay — Engineering · Senior · United States · USD/year. This employer has published no salary; this is what comparable listings we hold disclose, never converted between currencies or periods. How this is calculated.
Skills named in the ad
Recognised terms only, from a fixed vocabulary — this is what CV matching compares against.
Carried by 1 source
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Ashby employer's own board first seen 5d ago · last seen 1h ago
The listing
About Valid
Valid is one of the fastest-growing AI-native marketing companies. We’re building the company that replaces the traditional marketing agency.
We help brands grow across Meta, TikTok, Google, and TV by combining software, AI agents, creative production, and media buying into a single system. Every day, we launch, measure, and iterate on advertising campaigns at a speed that traditional agencies can’t match.
Our team operates at the intersection of AI video, filmmaking, performance marketing, and engineering. We believe the future of marketing isn’t people or AI, it’s people working alongside AI systems to produce better work, faster.
The model is already working. Valid manages more than $40M in annualized advertising spend and partners with some of the fastest-growing consumer and technology companies, including Replit, Rover, Tolan, and others. Since launching, we’ve consistently won head-to-head against incumbent agencies by delivering better performance and moving faster.
Backed by Canaan, Neo, Steve Huffman, Scott Banister, and other leading investors and operators, we’re building the next generation of marketing.
This Role Is for You If You're:
Seasoned in architecting and implementing high scale and throughput systems
Accomplished in leading engineering teams in delivering game-changing products
Skilled at partnering with product and business counterparts in roadmap and decisioning
Relentless in managing resources and allocation towards yielding optimal outcomes
Principal Engineer in a Nutshell
You are the top day-to-day engineer at Valid. You reside at the confluence of all technical decisions, partnering with the CTO to determine engineering direction on both macro and micro scales. You thoughtfully operate at the cusp between hands-on software development, high-level design, and technical leadership. You lead and mentor our engineering team in executing and delivering against our aggressive roadmap, and as Valid's prospects and mandate grow, so too do your role and responsibilities. In short, your execution and dedication as Principal Engineer will be a key factor in Valid's success.
Key Qualifications
Experience: 6+ years software engineering experience with a strong focus on system architecture of large-scale, performant distributed systems
Technical Leadership: 3+ years leading technical teams, setting engineering standards, and driving architectural decisions in an agile environment
Engineering Excellence: Mastery in Python (our day-to-day operating language) and a second-nature commitment to engineering best practices (e.g., CI/CD, testing, fault-tolerance)
Cloud and Infrastructure: Hands-on experience managing and deploying cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) and orchestration tools (e.g., k8s, Docker)
Familiarity with AI/ML: Proficient knowledge of AI and machine learning platforms/APIs, frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch), and algorithms
Cross-functional Collaboration: Track record of optimizing technical outcomes that account for engineering, product, and business partners and requirements
Nice to Have
2+ years in adtech or martech engineering in a senior capacity
2+ years in early-stage (pre-Series B) startups
2+ years as an engineering people manager
What We Offer
Salary: We strive to make offers in the 90th-plus percentile of similar stage/trajectory companies for the level offered
Equity: Generous grants commensurate with experience and company stage
Benefits: 401k, healthcare, FSA, meals (when in-person)
Workplace: Remote-possible with a preference for IRL in our San Francisco headquarters
Impact: A foundational opportunity to revolutionize the landscape of digital advertising, forever
Growth: Active support in growing your career, skills, and outcomes in tandem with the growth of our business
Culture: A mission-driven organization where contributions are honored, diversity in experience and background is recognized, and disruption is core to everything we pursue
You're Probably a Good Fit If:
Applying the latest tech in novel ways to delight customers excites you, and your goal is to maximize ownership
You want to join something early-stage and can thrive in an environment of organized chaos:
Organized: Build with purpose, work efficiently, communicate clearly, especially in writing.
Chaos: We think the best place to learn is in market and will do what it takes to ship as quickly as possible.
This Role Might Not Be a Fit If:
You don't enjoy wearing multiple hats
You don't enjoy mentoring others
You dislike navigating ambiguity