Staff + Principal Software Engineer - San Francisco

Ready to shape the future of AI infrastructure and build systems that power the most advanced unstructured data pipelines in the world? At Unstructured, we’re building the backbone of generative AI—enabling companies to transform PDFs, HTML, Word docs, images, and more into high-performance data pipelines that scale.

Our tools are already used by half of the Fortune 500, and our open-source package has been downloaded 26+ million times. Now we’re entering our next chapter—and we’re hiring a Principal Software Engineer to help lead the charge.

If you're energized by hard problems, want to build products that matter, and are ready to work alongside serious builders, this is your moment.

🏢 This role is hybrid in San Francisco—join us in-office 3x a week for deep collaboration, whiteboard sessions, and hands-on impact.

🔧 What You’ll Own & Drive:

🧠 Architect the Future

-Own the technical vision for some of the most complex and high-impact systems we build.

-Drive long-term architectural strategy that enables scale, performance, and simplicity.

🦾 Be a Builder and a Multiplier

-Write production-ready code and lead projects that move the needle—while mentoring engineers across the org.

-Set the standard for clean design, thoughtful abstractions, and scalable patterns.

🔥 Tackle High-Stakes Problems

Solve deep technical challenges that others shy away from—think orchestration at scale, data flow optimization, and AI-first infrastructure.

🤝 Lead Cross-Org Initiatives

-Align engineering, product, and go-to-market teams around a shared technical roadmap.

-Unblock teams, resolve architectural escalations, and help guide us through “one-way door” decisions.

🧬 What You Bring

-7 to 10+ years of experience shipping production systems in high-growth, high-scale environments.

-Deep technical chops in Python, cloud-native systems (AWS/GCP/Azure), and distributed architectures.

-Proven track record of leading major technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and shaping team culture.

-Passion for performance, reliability, and elegant design.

-Strong communication and leadership presence—you make others better.

💎 Bonus Points

-Experience in AI/ML systems, unstructured data, or real-time pipelines.

-Expertise in Kubernetes, IaC, or scaling SaaS infrastructure.

-Startup DNA—you thrive in fast-moving environments and love turning ambiguity into action.

🌟 Why You’ll Love It Here

-Real Impact: You’ll be at the center of some of the most exciting work happening in AI today.

-Big Challenges: You won’t be bored. Our technical problems are meaty, meaningful and novel

-Elite Team: Join a crew of sharp, low-ego builders obsessed with quality and execution.

-In-Person Energy: Be part of our Sacramento office culture—where great ideas come to life on whiteboards, not Zoom calls.

-Fast Growth: We’re scaling fast. This is your chance to build foundational tech and shape a company’s future.