At Clario, a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, we are transforming clinical trials through innovative technology and data-driven solutions. The Senior Principal Engineer, R&D Software Engineering plays a critical leadership role in shaping the technical direction of our software platforms, partnering closely with Product Management and senior technology leaders to deliver high‑quality, scalable, and performant solutions across one or more business lines.

This role serves as a recognized technical authority, responsible for defining architecture, engineering standards, and long‑term technical strategy. The Senior Principal Engineer applies deep expertise and sound judgment to evaluate emerging technologies, tools, and industry trends, ensuring that product and business requirements are met while enabling sustainable growth and innovation.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the architecture and design of complex, enterprise‑scale software solutions, ensuring alignment with functional, performance, scalability, security, and service quality requirements.

• Define and champion engineering standards, architectural patterns, and systems design principles across the organization.

• Select and evolve appropriate software development methodologies, including predictive (plan‑driven) and adaptive (iterative/agile) approaches.

• Provide technical leadership across all stages of the software development lifecycle, from concept through delivery and ongoing support.

• Guide data modeling, database design, and data architecture standards; oversee analysis of enterprise data requirements.

• Evaluate, select, and promote the adoption of engineering tools, frameworks, and best practices in alignment with organizational policies.

• Lead efforts to anticipate, investigate, and resolve complex system and service issues, ensuring thorough documentation and root‑cause analysis.

• Define and evolve systems development management frameworks to ensure alignment with business strategy and objectives.

• For applicable domains, provide architectural direction for real‑time or embedded systems and develop strategies to leverage emerging technologies.

• Mentor senior engineers and collaborate across engineering, product, and platform teams to drive technical excellence.

What We Look For

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience designing and building enterprise‑level software solutions.

• Proven experience leading software architecture and technical strategy in complex environments.

• Strong understanding of cloud‑based architectures and modern distributed systems.

• Solid expertise in data modeling, process modeling, and database design.

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, anticipate future needs, and lead through change.

• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder‑influencing skills.

• Experience within the life sciences or regulated environments is preferred.