Principal Software Engineer

Posted 4 Days Ago
Hiring Remotely in Herndon, VA, USA
In-Office or Remote
139K-185K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Travel
The Role
Lead the design and development of a high-performance, fault-tolerant pricing engine for global airline retailing, addressing technical challenges in distributed systems and scalability.
Summary Generated by Built In
Company Description

ATPCO is the world's primary source for air fare content, holding over 200 million fares across 160 countries. Every day, the travel industry relies on ATPCO's technology and data solutions to help millions of travelers reach their destinations efficiently. Join us and contribute to the development of innovative applications that power global travel. ATPCO is everywhere people buy flights.

We’re not just shaping the future of air travel– we’re redefining how and where great work happens. At ATPCO, we believe in flexibility, trust, and a culture where your wellbeing comes first

Why Join Us?​

✅ Remote-First Culture – Flexibility to work from home in your country of hire​

✅ Inclusive, Collaborative Culture– Be seen, heard, and valued​

✅ 401(k) with Generous Employer Match– Invest in your future​

✅ Comprehensive Benefits– Medical, Dental and Vision

Our Culture:​

We’ve built a remote-first culture rooted in trust, transparency, and belonging. With open-door leadership, weekly 1:1s, and real-time recognition, we keep our people connected and valued—no matter where they work.​

Our cultural pillars of Collaboration, Empowerment, Innovation, Learning, Transparency, and Trust guide how we show up for one another and grow together.

Job Description

Looking to redefine how the airline industry prices and sells products at a global scale? This is not just another engineering role—this is your opportunity to architect and build a next-generation pricing engine that will power airline retailing across the world.

At ATPCO, you’ll join a newly formed Pricing Platform Team (est. 2024) with a bold mission: to create a highly scalable, cost-efficient, and intelligent pricing platform capable of managing 200M+ fares across 160+ countries. This platform will shape how airlines distribute and optimize their products in real time.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you won’t just contribute—you’ll lead from the front, solving some of the hardest technical challenges in distributed systems, performance engineering, and large-scale data processing.

Roles and Responsibilities : 

  • Design and build a high-performance, fault-tolerant pricing engine from the ground up
  • Solve complex challenges in distributed systems, scalability, and reliability
  • Work across the stack—from low-level system interactions to distributed algorithms and APIs
  • Optimize for extreme performance using advanced techniques like:
    • Zero-copy data paths
    • Lock-free data structures
    • Sophisticated fault tolerance and replication strategies
  • Partner with engineers and stakeholders to shape the future of airline retailing technology
  • Spend the majority of your time hands-on, tackling the hardest technical problems

Ideal Candidate :

  • Expert-level programming skills in C/C++, Rust, Go, or Python, with strong fundamentals in algorithms, data structures, and systems design
  • Deep understanding of Linux systems, performance, and resource management
  • Proven experience building and operating fault-tolerant distributed systems at scale
  • Strong problem-solver who thrives in complex, ambiguous environments and takes a data-driven, scientific approach
  • Comfortable working across the stack—from low-level systems to distributed architecture and APIs
  • Highly self-driven and autonomous, with the ability to proactively identify and solve problems
  • Excellent written communication and collaboration skills in a remote, async environment
  • Thoughtful user of AI-assisted development tools to enhance productivity while maintaining high standards of quality.

Bonus Points

  • Experience in airline pricing, distribution, or ATPCO data
  • Background in building high-throughput, low-latency data platforms

The Impact You’ll Have

Your work will directly influence how airlines worldwide price, distribute, and optimize their offerings—unlocking new capabilities in airline retailing and shaping the future of the industry.

Salary Range: $139,244 - $185,000

*The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for applicable geographic differential associated with the location*

Additional Information

At ATPCO, we are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our supportive policies promote work-life balance through flexible work arrangements, and we cultivate a workplace where every employee feels valued, respected, and a true sense of belonging.

We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, protected military/veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, or any other legally protected factor

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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The Company
HQ: Dulles, VA
561 Employees
Year Founded: 1965

What We Do

The foundation of flight shopping. Trusted leader in airline pricing and retailing content working with 440+ airlines and 200+ channels.

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