Principal Software Development Engineer, Navigation

Principal Software Development Engineer, Navigation

Mapbox is the leading real‑time location platform for a new generation of location‑aware businesses. Mapbox is the only platform that equips organizations with the full set of tools to power the navigation of people, packages, and vehicles everywhere. More than 4 million registered developers have chosen Mapbox because of the platform’s flexibility, security and privacy compliance. Organizations use Mapbox applications, data, SDKs and APIs to create customized and immersive experiences that delight their customers.

The Navigation team at Mapbox develops and operates web services powering virtually all of Mapbox’s strategic navigation initiatives in consumer, automotive, and logistics verticals. We are a highly multidisciplinary organization, with work spanning distributed systems on AWS to geospatial localization, traffic telemetry, and mapping.

Collectively we are revolutionizing in‑car experiences with technology to build fast, industry‑leading maps and navigation for any vehicle. We’ve launched products such as MapGPT, Mapbox for EV, and we’re enhancing the visual experience of in‑vehicle navigation with 3‑D styling with our new Mapbox Standard through web and mobile SDKs. Mapbox has worked with automotive partners—including BMW, Toyota, and GM—to bring the best aspects of mobile app development into in‑vehicle navigation and infotainment.

• Mapbox Blog:
  Introducing 3‑D Live Navigation
• Mapbox Blog:
  Route Notifications Improve Driver Safety
• Mapbox Newsroom: AI Features in New Navigation SDK

As a Principal Software Development Engineer, you will lead the technical excellence, innovation, and execution for the Navigation organization, specifically shaping the future of the Navigation product.

In this strategic role, you will define the technical vision for all Navigation products, aligning their individual initiatives with the broader Navigation and Mapbox organizational goals. You will work hands‑on with cross‑functional Product partners, Directors, the SVP of Location Services, the CTO, and globally distributed Mapbox Engineers and Engineering Managers. You will drive the development of secure, frictionless product experiences while designing and building large‑scale systems from the ground up.

This highly collaborative, fast‑paced environment offers the opportunity to influence how teams leverage data to innovate and support business growth.

We are seeking a seasoned leader with deep expertise in distributed systems, a passion for customer experience and experimentation, and the ability to mentor and inspire across the organization.

• Develop the
  
  Roadmap:
  
  Set and guide the long‑term technical direction and roadmap for the Navigation organization, aligning with Mapbox’s business objectives while driving innovation.
• Shape the Vision:
  Lead and mentor a global team of ~80 engineers through the design, development, and execution of critical engineering components to shape the vision for an exceptional customer experience.
• Promote
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Collaborate across teams to uncover and align complex technical requirements, evaluate design trade‑offs, and influence product direction.
• Proactively Innovate:
  Evaluate, prototype, and roll out new technologies/frameworks to cultivate a culture of innovation that supports and scales for the company’s expansion into new markets.
• Advocate for Customers:
  Engage directly with customers to understand their needs, travel as needed to meet with them, discuss ideas and solutions, and effectively relay insights back to the team.

• 15+ years of engineering experience:
  Extensive hands‑on experience showcasing expertise and a strong track record in the field.
• Technical domain knowledge:
  Extensive experience coding in C/C++, Python, JavaScript, Type Script. Deep knowledge of data structures and algorithms, design patterns, memory management, multithreading, and performance optimization for high‑efficiency applications.
• Cloud proficiency:
  Extensive experience with cloud database services, including AWS…