Principal Engineer

A newly funded growth equity firm is building its first in-house technology platform—and is hiring a founding technical leader to own it end-to-end.

This is a true phase-zero build: no legacy constraints, no predefined stack, and full ownership of how data, workflows, and AI are used to identify and win high-quality investment opportunities.

You’ll architect and build a proprietary deal sourcing engine—a system that ingests signal from across the internet, surfaces the most relevant companies, and enables the firm to engage them ahead of the market.

This is a high-impact role for someone who wants to write code, shape strategy, and build a long-term asset at the core of an investment firm.

What You’ll Do

• Own the technical vision and execution for a greenfield deal sourcing platform
• Design and build modern data pipelines and infrastructure to ingest, process, and prioritize signal from diverse sources
• Develop dynamic scoring systems to identify high-potential companies based on evolving investment criteria
• Build internal tools and workflows that enable the team to:
• Source opportunities
• Track engagement
• Capture and learn from interactions (calls, decks, meetings, etc.)
• Leverage AI/automation to streamline workflows across the investment lifecycle
• Define and implement the optimal tech stack (data, backend, frontend, orchestration)
• Work hands-on as an IC while setting architectural direction
• Collaborate closely with investors to understand how they “hunt” and translate that into scalable systems
• Lay the foundation for a long-term proprietary data advantage

What Makes This Different

• Zero-to-one ownership: build from scratch with full autonomy
• Direct impact on capital deployment strategy
• Long-term data moat: you’re building infrastructure that compounds over years
• AI-first mandate: automate workflows, extract insights, and continuously improve the system
• High-leverage environment: small team, fast decisions, real outcomes

What You Bring

• Proven experience as a senior/principal-level engineer or architect
• Strong background in backend systems, data infrastructure, and scalable architectures
• Deep expertise in building production-grade backend systems, with strong command of Python or comparable languages (e.g., Go, Java, C++) and a track record of designing scalable, high-performance architectures
• Experience with data platforms (e.g., Snowflake or equivalent) and modern pipelines
• Demonstrated experience building full-stack applications, with the ability to design and implement intuitive front-end workflows and user interfaces
• Ability to operate as both:
• Hands-on builder (IC)
• Strategic technical leader
• Strong product and design instincts—can shape workflows, not just build them
• Comfortable making high-conviction technical decisions
• Bias for action: you ship quickly and iterate
• Interest in AI/automation and data-driven systems
• Bonus: exposure to financial services, investing, or data-driven decision environments

Who You Are

• You’ve run teams before—and now want to get back into the code
• You’re not interested in “ivory tower” leadership—you want to build and own
• You think like a systems builder and a problem solver, not just an executor
• You’re motivated by long-term impact and alignment, not short-term wins
• You’re curious about how to turn raw information into actionable insight

Compensation & Structure

• Competitive base salary + bonus
• Fund-level economics / carry participation for long-term alignment
• Clear path to building and leading a team over time
• Hybrid role: Greater NYC area, 3 days onsite

If you’re looking to combine deep technical work with real strategic impact—and build something that compounds over years—this is that opportunity.