Principal Engineer, OKX

• 8+ years of professional software development experience, with at least 3 years in a senior or staff engineering role
• Strongly knowledgeable and informed about the crypto industry, with a strong sense of mission
• Strong expertise in backend development with proficiency in one or more languages, preferably Java
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and API design
• Experience with high-availability and high-throughput systems in a fintech or crypto-related domain
• Proven track record in leading large-scale projects, setting technical direction, and mentoring engineers
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases, caching mechanisms, and messaging queues
• Previous experience working in crypto payments, debit/credit card issuing, or fintech is highly desirable
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with a pragmatic approach to decision-making
• Strong hands-on coding skills with the ability to set high standards for code quality and software development best practices
• Ability to review and improve code written by other engineers, ensuring maintainability, security, and scalability

Desirable

• As a Principal Engineer (equivalent to a Director level at OKX), you will be a key technical leader within our engineering team, driving the development and evolution of our crypto debit card services
• Our Crypto Debit Card service empowers users to spend their crypto holdings effortlessly in everyday transactions
• You will take ownership of critical architectural decisions, influence team strategy, and lead large-scale projects that shape the future of our platform
• Your work will focus on solving complex, ambiguous problems with a long-term vision, ensuring our systems remain scalable, maintainable, and efficient
• Technical Leadership: Serve as a key technical influencer, driving architecture, design, and best practices across the engineering organization
• System Design & Architecture: Take ownership of system-wide architecture, proactively addressing technical debt and improving system efficiency
• Large-Scale Project Leadership: Lead and execute complex projects, breaking down initiatives into parallel work streams for the team
• Scalability & Performance: Identify and resolve scaling bottlenecks, optimizing systems for high availability and performance
• Technical Trade-offs: Make informed decisions balancing short-term business objectives with long-term system integrity
• Operational Excellence: Drive security, quality, and observability best practices to ensure robust and maintainable systems
• Hands-on Coding & Code Quality: Write high-quality, maintainable, and extensible code that serves as a reference for other engineers. Conduct thorough code reviews to ensure adherence to best practices and mentor team members on improving code quality
• Mentorship & Talent Development: Actively mentor engineers, contribute to technical hiring, and provide assessments for internal promotions
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, security, compliance, and operations teams to align technical solutions with business needs