Principal Engineer – DevX, AI

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Canada.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the technical architecture for the agent-friendly Shop Builder platform, determining which APIs to expose, their format, and the delivery methods (REST, SDK, MCP, CLI).

• Establish the interface contracts for LLMs and developers, including React component APIs, custom block schemas, theme tokens, and data binding formats, ensuring they are maintained with the same rigor as a public API.

• Design and oversee the development of the MCP server that enables AI agents (like Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) to construct, deploy, and manage Shop Builder storefronts autonomously, without editor involvement.

• Architect the CLI and local development environment, defining how developers can scaffold projects, iterate locally, preview modifications, and deploy to production.

• Determine the deployment, versioning, and rollback strategies for developer-published content, including custom blocks, themes, and layouts.

• Create the sandbox and preview environment systems, allowing agents and developers to iterate without impacting live partner sites.

• Establish documentation standards, ensuring materials are written for both LLMs and humans as primary users, maintained from a single authoritative source, and published across all platforms (CLI help, development documentation, MCP tool descriptions, AI context).

• Lead the architecture for the evaluation harness, determining how the team assesses the correctness of LLM-generated blocks, themes, or layouts prior to deployment.

• Collaborate with Principal/Staff Engineers across various domains including payments, authentication, live operations, and catalog management to integrate inbound capabilities into cohesive developer-facing surfaces.

• Act as the technical standard-bearer for the team by defining coding standards, reviewing critical implementation choices, and mentoring the Tech Lead and other engineers.

• Participate in the hiring process and help shape the technical culture of the team from the outset.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of professional engineering experience, with a proven history as a Staff or Principal engineer who has influenced platforms, APIs, or developer tools utilized by external builders.

• Extensive expertise in the design and delivery of public APIs and SDKs, including strategies for versioning, backward compatibility, and developer ergonomics — possessing strong views on what constitutes a delightful versus a frustrating API.

• Advanced proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and React, which serve as the primary interface languages for LLMs and developers on this platform.

• Practical experience in developing CLI tools and local developer workflows (including scaffolding, hot reloading, file-based configurations, and deployment commands).

• Strong understanding of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) or similar agentic tool-use interfaces, along with practical experience in creating tools that AI agents can dependably utilize.

• Experience in building systems at a global scale on cloud infrastructure (AWS or GCP), with in-depth knowledge of containerization, CI/CD processes, and infrastructure-as-code.

• Capability to write and analyze LLM-friendly documentation and API surfaces, recognizing that token efficiency, predictability, and schema clarity are equally important as human readability.

• Outstanding technical communication skills, including the ability to produce clear RFCs and ADRs, facilitate productive architecture reviews, and explain second-order consequences to both engineering and business leaders.

• Comfort in operating within a greenfield environment — you will define the structure rather than inherit it.

🏝️ Benefits

• We are committed to creating a supportive environment for our team, prioritizing the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of our employees and their families through a comprehensive Benefits Program.

• This program encompasses medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off (PTO), and a personalized career development plan for each employee.

• By investing in professional growth through training and educational opportunities, we ensure our team flourishes both personally and professionally.

• Together, we are not just building a business; we are fostering a community that appreciates creativity, collaboration, and the transformative power of play.