Principal Software Engineer - Cloud Storage Engineering

📍 Job Overview

• Job Title: Principal Software Engineer - Cloud Storage Engineering
• Company: Atlassian
• Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Category: Backend Developer, DevOps Engineer, Principal Engineer
• Date Posted: July 18, 2025
• Experience Level: 10+ years
• Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Atlassian is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to design and optimize high-scale, distributed storage systems for their cloud storage engineering team. This role involves technical leadership, hands-on contribution, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive scalability, availability, and efficiency improvements in large-scale storage solutions.
• Key responsibilities include designing, implementing, and optimizing backend storage services, leading technical deep dives and architecture reviews, and mentoring senior engineers. Required skills span distributed systems, storage consistency models, data partitioning, and cloud storage best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in backend software development, distributed systems, and AWS services to succeed in driving storage architecture and performance improvements at scale.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and Implement High-Scale Storage Systems: Develop and optimize backend storage services supporting high throughput, low latency, and fault tolerance. Collaborate with senior engineers and cross-functional teams to drive scalability, availability, and efficiency improvements.
• Lead Technical Deep Dives and Architecture Reviews: Conduct root cause analyses, resolve complex production issues related to storage performance, consistency, and durability. Drive best practices in distributed system design, security, and cloud cost optimization.
• Mentor Senior Engineers and Contribute to Technical Roadmaps: Shape the long-term storage strategy by mentoring senior engineers, contributing to technical roadmaps, and driving architectural decisions. Advocate for automation, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), and DevOps best practices.
• Collaborate with Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) and Implement Management Interfaces: Ensure high availability and compliance with industry standards by implementing management interfaces, observability, and monitoring. Enable scalable deployments and operational excellence through CI/CD pipelines and Kubernetes (EKS).

📝 Enhancement Note: This role demands a balance of technical depth and leadership, requiring expertise in storage systems, distributed systems, and mentoring to effectively drive improvements and influence the team's long-term vision.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.

Experience: 8+ years of experience in backend software development, focusing on distributed systems and storage solutions. 5+ years of experience working with AWS relational database services (RDS and Aurora) or equivalent in GCP.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in system design, architecture, and scalability for large-scale storage solutions.
• Proficiency in at least one major backend programming language (Kotlin, Java, Go, Rust, or Python).
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, replication strategies, backup, restore, sharding, and caching.
• Knowledge of data security, encryption best practices, and compliance requirements (SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA).
• Experience leading engineering teams, mentoring senior engineers, and driving technical roadmaps.
• Proficiency with observability tools, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting at scale.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AWS services beyond RDS and Aurora.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes (EKS) and serverless architectures (Lambda, Fargate).
• Knowledge of data serialization formats (Parquet, Avro, ORC) and data compression techniques.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform, AWS CDK, or CloudFormation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the required skills list is comprehensive, candidates are encouraged to highlight any additional relevant skills or experiences that demonstrate their expertise in cloud storage engineering, distributed systems, and backend development.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Storage System Design: Showcase your expertise in designing and optimizing large-scale storage systems. Highlight your understanding of storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies.
• Distributed System Architecture: Demonstrate your ability to design and implement highly available, fault-tolerant distributed systems using consensus algorithms (Raft / Paxos).
• Performance Optimization: Present case studies showcasing your ability to benchmark, profile, and optimize storage workloads. Highlight your proficiency in performance monitoring tools and debugging techniques.
• Cloud Storage Best Practices: Illustrate your knowledge of cloud storage best practices, cost optimization strategies, and disaster recovery solutions.

Technical Documentation:

• Code Quality and Documentation: Provide examples of well-documented, high-quality code demonstrating your commitment to best practices and maintainability.
• Version Control and Deployment Processes: Showcase your experience with version control systems (Git) and deployment processes, emphasizing your ability to collaborate effectively with other engineers.
• Testing Methodologies and Performance Metrics: Highlight your experience with testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques for storage systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the technical depth and leadership aspects of this role, candidates should focus on presenting complex storage system design challenges, performance optimization case studies, and mentoring examples in their portfolio.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: INR 1,500,000 - 2,500,000 per annum (approximately USD 19,000 - 32,000 per annum, based on current exchange rates and regional cost of living adjustments). This range is estimated based on market research for Principal Software Engineer roles in cloud storage engineering, considering the required skills and experience level.

Benefits:

• Health Coverage: Atlassian offers comprehensive health coverage for employees and their families.
• Paid Volunteer Days: Atlassian encourages employees to give back to their communities by providing paid volunteer days.
• Wellness Resources: Atlassian provides resources to support the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of its employees.

Working Hours: Full-time position with a standard workweek of 40 hours, with flexibility for project deadlines and maintenance windows.

📝 Enhancement Note: While Atlassian provides a competitive salary range and comprehensive benefits package, candidates should research regional salary standards and cost of living to ensure the compensation aligns with their expectations and needs.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Atlassian operates in the software industry, focusing on team collaboration and productivity tools. This role is part of the cloud storage engineering team, which plays a critical role in ensuring the scalability, availability, and performance of Atlassian's products.

Company Size: Atlassian is a large, global organization with over 6,500 employees worldwide. This size provides ample opportunities for collaboration, growth, and exposure to diverse projects and teams.

Founded: Atlassian was founded in 2002, with a strong focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and customer-centricity. The company has grown significantly over the years, expanding its product offerings and global presence.

Team Structure:

• The cloud storage engineering team consists of experienced engineers, specialists, and architects working together to design, implement, and maintain high-scale, distributed storage systems.
• The team follows an Agile/Scrum methodology, with regular sprint planning, code reviews, and quality assurance practices.
• Collaboration extends beyond the engineering team, with close integration with design, marketing, and business teams to ensure user-centric and market-driven storage solutions.

Development Methodology:

• Atlassian follows Agile/Scrum methodologies, with regular sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives to continuously improve the development process.
• The company emphasizes code reviews, pair programming, and automated testing to ensure code quality and maintainability.
• Atlassian uses CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment strategies to enable scalable and reliable deployments.

Company Website: Atlassian

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's large, global team structure and Agile development methodologies provide ample opportunities for collaboration, growth, and exposure to diverse projects and technologies. Candidates should research Atlassian's company culture and values to ensure alignment with their personal and professional goals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Principal Software Engineer roles require a deep understanding of distributed systems, storage solutions, and cloud storage best practices. This level demands technical leadership, mentoring, and architectural decision-making to drive long-term storage strategy and performance optimization.

Reporting Structure: Principal Software Engineers typically report directly to a Director or Senior Director of Engineering, with a matrixed reporting line to other engineering teams for specific projects or initiatives.

Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on Atlassian's products and user experience by ensuring the scalability, availability, and performance of backend storage solutions. Technical decisions made in this role directly influence the reliability, security, and cost-efficiency of Atlassian's cloud storage infrastructure.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Progression: Principal Software Engineers can progress to Senior Principal or Distinguished Engineer roles, focusing on technical leadership, architecture, and strategic decision-making.
• Management Track: Candidates can transition into management roles, such as Engineering Manager or Director of Engineering, overseeing teams and driving long-term storage strategy and roadmaps.
• Product Management: Individuals with strong business acumen and industry insights can move into product management roles, focusing on market-driven storage solutions and customer-centric product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's large, global organization and diverse product offerings provide ample opportunities for career growth and progression in technical, management, or product-focused roles. Candidates should research Atlassian's career progression paths and growth opportunities to ensure alignment with their long-term goals.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Atlassian's Bengaluru office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to foster innovation, creativity, and teamwork. The office features open-plan workspaces, meeting rooms, and breakout areas to accommodate various work styles and team sizes.

Office Location(s): Atlassian's Bengaluru office is located in the heart of the city, with easy access to public transportation, restaurants, and other amenities. The office is designed to be accessible and inclusive, with features such as wheelchair access, gender-neutral restrooms, and designated prayer and nursing rooms.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Work Environment: Atlassian's office layout encourages collaboration and communication, with open workspaces and dedicated team areas. This design fosters cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing between engineers, designers, and other stakeholders.
• Development Tools and Infrastructure: Atlassian provides its engineers with modern development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices to ensure optimal productivity and performance. The company also invests in infrastructure automation, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), and CI/CD pipelines to enable scalable deployments and operational excellence.
• Team Interaction and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Atlassian emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, with regular team meetings, design reviews, and architecture discussions. This approach ensures that storage solutions are user-centric, market-driven, and aligned with Atlassian's product strategy.

Work Schedule: Atlassian offers flexible work arrangements, with a standard workweek of 40 hours and the option to work remotely or on-site. The company encourages employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance and provides resources to support mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's modern, collaborative work environment, flexible work arrangements, and emphasis on work-life balance create an ideal setting for Principal Software Engineers to thrive and drive storage architecture and performance improvements at scale.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

• Technical Screening: Candidates can expect a technical screening focused on distributed systems, storage solutions, and cloud storage best practices. This assessment may include live coding exercises, system design questions, and architecture review challenges.
• Technical Deep Dive: A more in-depth technical interview focused on the candidate's expertise in storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies. This interview may also assess the candidate's ability to mentor senior engineers and drive technical roadmaps.
• Behavioral and Cultural Fit Assessment: An interview focused on assessing the candidate's cultural fit, problem-solving skills, and communication abilities. This interview may include behavioral questions, case studies, and role-play scenarios.
• Final Evaluation: A final evaluation based on the candidate's performance throughout the interview process, with a focus on technical depth, leadership potential, and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storage System Design: Highlight your expertise in designing and optimizing large-scale storage systems by showcasing your understanding of storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies.
• Distributed System Architecture: Demonstrate your ability to design and implement highly available, fault-tolerant distributed systems using consensus algorithms (Raft / Paxos). Present case studies showcasing your experience with AWS services, Kubernetes (EKS), and serverless architectures.
• Performance Optimization: Present case studies showcasing your ability to benchmark, profile, and optimize storage workloads. Highlight your proficiency in performance monitoring tools and debugging techniques, with a focus on cloud storage best practices and cost optimization strategies.
• Mentoring and Leadership: Illustrate your ability to mentor senior engineers and drive technical roadmaps by presenting examples of your leadership, collaboration, and communication skills in previous roles.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

• Distributed Systems and Storage Solutions: Brush up on your knowledge of distributed systems, storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies. Familiarize yourself with AWS services, Kubernetes (EKK), and serverless architectures to ensure you can effectively address technical challenges related to cloud storage engineering.
• System Design and Architecture: Review system design principles, architecture patterns, and best practices for distributed storage systems. Practice system design exercises and architecture review challenges to build your confidence and problem-solving skills.
• Mentoring and Leadership: Prepare examples of your mentoring and leadership experiences, focusing on your ability to drive technical roadmaps, foster growth in senior engineers, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

ATS Keywords: [Comprehensive list of web development and server administration-relevant keywords for resume optimization, organized by category: programming languages, web frameworks, server technologies, databases, tools, methodologies, soft skills, industry terms]

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's interview process is designed to assess the candidate's technical depth, leadership potential, and cultural fit for the Principal Software Engineer role in cloud storage engineering. Candidates should research Atlassian's company culture, values, and interview tips to ensure a strong performance throughout the application and interview process.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: N/A (This role focuses on backend storage engineering and distributed systems.)

Backend & Server Technologies:

• AWS Services: Expertise in AWS relational database services (RDS and Aurora) or equivalent in GCP is required. Familiarity with other AWS services, such as S3, DynamoDB, and Lambda, is preferred.
• Programming Languages: Proficiency in at least one major backend programming language (Kotlin, Java, Go, Rust, or Python) is required. Familiarity with additional programming languages is preferred.
• Distributed Systems and Storage Solutions: Deep understanding of distributed systems, replication strategies, backup, restore, sharding, and caching. Experience with consensus algorithms (Raft / Paxos) and distributed storage architectures is required.

Development & DevOps Tools:

• Version Control: Proficiency in Git and GitHub for collaborative development and version control.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Experience with Terraform, AWS CDK, or CloudFormation for automated infrastructure provisioning and management.
• CI/CD Pipelines: Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and tools, such as GitHub Actions, CodePipeline, Jenkins, or ArgoCD, for automated testing, deployment, and infrastructure management.
• Monitoring Tools: Proficiency in performance monitoring tools, such as CloudWatch, Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, and Grafana, for storage systems and infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's technology stack for cloud storage engineering emphasizes AWS services, distributed systems, and backend programming languages. Candidates should research and familiarize themselves with Atlassian's preferred tools, technologies, and best practices to ensure a strong performance throughout the interview process.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

• User-Centric Design: Atlassian prioritizes user experience and user-centric design in all its products and services. This value extends to cloud storage engineering, with a focus on designing storage solutions that meet user needs and performance expectations.
• Performance Optimization: Atlassian emphasizes performance optimization and cost-efficiency in its cloud storage infrastructure. This value drives engineers to continuously improve storage performance, scalability, and cost optimization strategies.
• Code Quality and Collaboration: Atlassian fosters a culture of code quality, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. This value encourages engineers to write clean, maintainable code and collaborate effectively with other teams to ensure high-quality storage solutions.
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Atlassian encourages innovation, continuous improvement, and a growth mindset in its cloud storage engineering team. This value drives engineers to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies, best practices, and industry trends.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Atlassian emphasizes cross-functional collaboration between engineers, designers, and stakeholders. This approach ensures that storage solutions are user-centric, market-driven, and aligned with Atlassian's product strategy.
• Code Review and Peer Programming: Atlassian encourages code reviews and peer programming to ensure code quality, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning. This approach fosters a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
• Knowledge Sharing and Mentoring: Atlassian values knowledge sharing and mentoring, with a strong emphasis on technical growth and skill development. This approach enables senior engineers to mentor junior engineers and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's web development values and collaboration style create a supportive, innovative, and user-centric environment for cloud storage engineering. Candidates should research Atlassian's company culture, values, and collaboration practices to ensure alignment with their personal and professional goals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

• Storage Consistency and Durability: Design and implement storage solutions that balance consistency, durability, and availability while optimizing for performance and cost-efficiency.
• Scalability and Performance Optimization: Develop and optimize storage systems that can scale to meet growing demands and performance expectations, while minimizing costs and maximizing resource utilization.
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Design and implement disaster recovery and business continuity strategies to ensure data integrity, availability, and compliance with industry standards.
• Security and Compliance: Ensure data security, encryption, and compliance with industry standards (SOC2, GDPR, HIPAA) in cloud storage infrastructure and solutions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Technical Skill Development: Atlassian offers opportunities for technical skill development through training, workshops, and conference attendance. This approach enables engineers to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies, best practices, and industry trends.
• Mentoring and Leadership Development: Atlassian provides mentoring and leadership development opportunities to help engineers grow in their technical and leadership skills. This approach fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Architecture and Design Patterns: Atlassian encourages engineers to explore and adopt emerging architecture and design patterns to drive innovation and continuous improvement in cloud storage engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's technical challenges and learning opportunities provide ample avenues for Principal Software Engineers to grow their skills, drive innovation, and make a significant impact on the company's cloud storage infrastructure and products.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

• Distributed Systems and Storage Solutions: Prepare for questions related to distributed systems, storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies. Brush up on your knowledge of AWS services, Kubernetes (EKS), and serverless architectures.
• System Design and Architecture: Review system design principles, architecture patterns, and best practices for distributed storage systems. Practice system design exercises and architecture review challenges to build your confidence and problem-solving skills.
• Mentoring and Leadership: Prepare examples of your mentoring and leadership experiences, focusing on your ability to drive technical roadmaps, foster growth in senior engineers, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Atlassian's Mission and Values: Research Atlassian's mission, values, and company culture to ensure alignment with your personal and professional goals. Prepare questions that demonstrate your understanding of Atlassian's products, services, and industry impact.
• Cloud Storage Engineering at Atlassian: Familiarize yourself with Atlassian's cloud storage engineering team, its structure, and its role within the broader organization. Prepare questions that showcase your interest in the team's goals, challenges, and growth opportunities.
• Atlassian's Products and Services: Research Atlassian's product suite, focusing on the products and services that rely on cloud storage infrastructure. Prepare questions that demonstrate your understanding of Atlassian's products and their storage requirements.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storage System Design: Highlight your expertise in designing and optimizing large-scale storage systems by showcasing your understanding of storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies.
• Distributed System Architecture: Demonstrate your ability to design and implement highly available, fault-tolerant distributed systems using consensus algorithms (Raft / Paxos). Present case studies showcasing your experience with AWS services, Kubernetes (EKS), and serverless architectures.
• Performance Optimization: Present case studies showcasing your ability to benchmark, profile, and optimize storage workloads. Highlight your proficiency in performance monitoring tools and debugging techniques, with a focus on cloud storage best practices and cost optimization strategies.
• Mentoring and Leadership: Illustrate your ability to mentor senior engineers and drive technical roadmaps by presenting examples of your leadership, collaboration, and communication skills in previous roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Atlassian's interview preparation process is designed to assess the candidate's technical depth, leadership potential, and cultural fit for the Principal Software Engineer role in cloud storage engineering. Candidates should research Atlassian's company culture, values, and interview tips to ensure a strong performance throughout the application and interview process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Software Engineer - Cloud Storage Engineering position at Atlassian:

1. Submit Your Application: Visit the Atlassian careers page and search for the job title "Principal Software Engineer - Cloud Storage Engineering." Click on the job listing and follow the instructions to submit your application.
2. Prepare Your Portfolio: Tailor your portfolio to showcase your expertise in cloud storage engineering, distributed systems, and backend development. Highlight your understanding of storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies. Include case studies demonstrating your ability to design, implement, and optimize large-scale storage systems.
3. Optimize Your Resume: Update your resume to emphasize your relevant skills, experiences, and achievements in cloud storage engineering, distributed systems, and backend development. Include specific examples of your mentoring and leadership experiences to demonstrate your ability to drive technical roadmaps and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
4. Prepare for Technical Challenges: Brush up on your knowledge of AWS services, Kubernetes (EKS), and serverless architectures. Practice system design exercises and architecture review challenges to build your confidence and problem-solving skills. Review your understanding of storage consistency models, data partitioning, and indexing strategies to ensure you can effectively address technical challenges related to cloud storage engineering.
5. Research Atlassian's Company Culture: Familiarize yourself with Atlassian's mission, values, and company culture to ensure alignment with your personal and professional goals. Prepare questions that demonstrate your understanding of Atlassian's products, services, and industry impact.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.