Principal Software Engineer

CIS is an early-stage compliance intelligence lab pioneering an informatics-driven approach to industry and technology compliance. We’re shifting from a previous build and industry focus into a new area of opportunity, and we’re looking for an experienced, hands-on builder to help shape and build our next platform.
You’ll take the lead on the technical roadmap, define the platform architecture, and drive development. Initially this will not be a team-management role; you’ll be the principal builder so you should enjoy writing code as much as making the technical decisions that guide the product.
A few important details:
• The role is primarily remote, but you must live in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and be available for regular in-person meetings.
• We require at least 10 years of professional experience, including 5 or more years in senior, hands-on development roles.
• Compensation is equity-only initially, with a potential path to CTO as CIS grows.
Who we’re looking for:
You’ve built and shipped software products, including MVPs, from the ground up. You know how to take an idea, make thoughtful tradeoffs, and turn it into a working product.
You use AI agents and development tools where they add value, but you remain hands-on and accountable for the code.
You can design, write, review, and improve it yourself, and you bring strong engineering judgment to the process.
You’re comfortable building without a development team initially. Your expertise will shape the architecture, and your own development work will bring the platform to life.
You understand what an early-stage leadership role involves: changing priorities, limited resources, and decisions made with incomplete information.
You bring the emotional intelligence, persistence, and adaptability to work through those challenges collaboratively.
You have a STEM background, stay current with relevant technologies, and genuinely enjoy building something new. Just as importantly, you’re professional, low ego, and someone others want to work alongside.
Interested?
If this sounds like the kind of challenge you’re looking for, please apply for the role or reach out to us. We'd love to hear what you’ve built and what you’re interested in building next.
If you know someone who could be a strong fit, please share this opportunity and encourage them to apply or get in touch.

Work arrangement
Yes