Principal Software Engineer

Role DescriptionWe’re looking for a Principal Software Engineer to shape the future of Dropbox through bold new ideas and technical leadership. You’ll help define the vision, architecture, and execution for our most forward-looking products — building the foundation for what comes next at Dropbox. This role sits at the heart of innovation, blending hands-on engineering with strategic thinking. You’ll explore new product spaces, prototype ideas that don’t yet have a home, and guide how we integrate new technologies — whether we build them or bring them in. Along the way, you’ll help foster a strong, collaborative engineering culture and partner closely with product, design, and strategy to turn high-potential ideas into real impact. Responsibilities Build and foster a strong engineering culture focused on excellence, velocity, and innovationDefine the architecture and integration strategy for new initiatives, including both internally developed and acquired productsConduct technical due diligence on potential M&A targets to assess scalability, quality, and strategic fitRapidly prototype new product ideas and validate emerging opportunities that fall outside existing teamsPartner cross-functionally with product, design, and strategy teams to translate vision into technical executionMaintain a high technical bar and guide the team through complex architectural decisionsContribute to shaping Dropbox’s long-term innovation roadmap through technical insight and experimentation Requirements 10+ years of full-stack engineering experience, including 3+ years in a technical leadership roleProven success operating at both startup and enterprise scale—building early MVPs and scaling to millions of usersDeep understanding of product architecture evolution and trade-offs between speed and scalabilityExperience with technical diligence and evaluating software systems for integration or acquisitionSome experience in engineering management preferredStrong bias toward experimentation and comfort navigating high-ambiguity problem spaces Preferred Qualifications Experience leading 0→1 product development or founding early-stage startup teamsDemonstrated success incubating and scaling new technologies or products within a larger organizationStrong background in distributed systems design, data-intensive applications, or cloud infrastructureFamiliarity with modern AI/ML technologies, developer platforms, or productivity tools CompensationUS Zone 1 This role is not available in Zone 1US Zone 2$248,600—$336,400 USDUS Zone 3$221,000—$299,000 USD The range(s) listed above is the expected annual salary/OTE (On-Target Earnings) for this role, subject to change. Please note, OTE are for sales roles only. Salary/OTE is just one component of Dropbox’s total rewards package. All regular employees are also eligible for the corporate bonus program or a sales incentive (target included in OTE) as well as stock in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). Dropbox takes a number of factors into account when determining individual starting pay, including job and level they are hired into, location/metropolitan area, skillset, and peer compensation. We target most new hire offers between the minimum up to the middle of the range. Dropbox uses the zip code of an employee’s remote work location to determine which metropolitan pay range we use. Current US Zone locations are as follows: • US Zone 1: San Francisco metro, New York City metro, or Seattle metro • US Zone 2: California (outside SF metro), Colorado, Connecticut (outside NYC metro), Delaware, Illinois (Chicago metro), Indiana (Chicago metro), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (Chicago metro), New Hampshire, New Jersey (outside NYC metro), New York (outside NYC metro), Oregon, Pennsylvania (D.C. metro), Pennsylvania (outside NYC or DC metro), Texas (Austin metro) Virginia (DC metro), Washington (outside Seattle metro), Washington DC metro, West Virginia (DC metro), Wisconsin (Chicago metro) • US Zone 3: All other US locations Company Description Dropbox isn’t just a workplace—it’s a living lab for more enlightened ways of working. We're a global community of bold visionaries and resourceful doers who are shaping the future of Dropbox—and with it the future of work. Our Virtual First model combines the autonomy of a distributed workplace with the power of human connection, making space for both meaningful work and meaningful relationships. With our start-up mindset and enterprise-level opportunities, you can be who you are and grow into who you’re meant to be. Here, you can own your impact to make work more intuitive, joyful, and human—for you as a Dropboxer and for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. If you're ready to push boundaries—and yourself— Dropbox is ready for you. Team Description The Dropbox Engineering Team builds the technology that creates more enlightened ways of working for hundreds of millions of people. Every day, our platforms—including Dropbox Dash, Dropbox Sign, and our core sync engine—handle over a billion files for users worldwide, creating engineering challenges as great as the opportunity for impact. Our software engineering team uses a range of technologies to solve interesting problems, including Python, React, Node.js, JavaScript, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and Android development. We think like a startup but build for an enterprise, exploring new possibilities that transform how people work. If you're excited about turning complex technical challenges into intuitive solutions at scale, join our Engineering team. Areas of work include Machine Learning Engineers, Infrastructure Engineer, Product SWE Frontend and Backend, Mobile Software Engineers (iOS and Android), Engineering Manager, Data Engineer, Software Development Engineer in Test, Security Engineering, Site Reliability Engineer, Technical Program Managers, Network Engineer, Datacenter Engineer, Technical Supply Chain Manager and more. Benefits Dropbox is committed to investing in the holistic health and wellbeing of all Dropboxers and their families. Our benefits and perks programs include, but are not limited to: Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage 401(k) plan with a generous company match and immediate vesting Flexible PTO/Paid Time Off, paid holidays, Volunteer Time Off, and more, allowing you time to unplug, unwind, and refresh Income Protection Plans: Life and disability insurance Business Travel Protection: Travel medical and accident insurance Perks Allowance to be used on what matters most to you, whether that’s wellness, learning and development, food and groceries, and much more Parental benefits including: Parental Leave, Child and Adult Care, Day Care FSA, Fertility Benefits, Adoption and Surrogacy Support, and Lactation Support Access to over 10,000 global co-working spaces through Gable.to, making it easy to book flexible workspaces for collaboration or individual work Quarterly Cell phone and internet allowance Mental health and wellness benefits Disability and neurodivergence support benefits Additional benefit details are available upon request. Dropbox supports responsible use of AI for preparation, but misrepresentation of skills or experience is not permitted. See our AI philosophy. Dropbox is an equal opportunity employer. We are a welcoming place for everyone, and we do our best to make sure all people feel supported and connected at work. A big part of that effort is our support for members and allies of internal groups like Asians at Dropbox, BlackDropboxers, enABLE, TODOS (Latinx), Pridebox (LGBTQ), Vets at Dropbox, and Women at Dropbox.

Created: 2025-11-07