Principal Software Engineer (f/m/d) presso Kaiko Systems GmbH
Kaiko Systems GmbH · Berlin, Germania · Hybrid
- Senior
- Ufficio in Berlin
Description
Founded in 2020, Kaiko Systems is a tech company driving digital innovation in the global maritime industry. Our mission is to make shipping safer, smarter, and more collaborative by transforming manual processes into actionable intelligence.
With our products, ship crews can collect reliable vessel data on the job, while our AI-powered analysis generates actionable insights for technical teams onshore. These insights help predict incidents, reduce downtime, and enhance safety and efficiency, empowering shipping companies to operate at their best.
At Kaiko Systems, we’re not just building technology — we’re delivering solutions that make a real difference in people’s work lives and their professional environment. Join us as we navigate the future of maritime together.
Your mission
We are looking for a visionary Principal Software Engineer to set the long-term technical direction of our company, drive innovation across engineering, and ensure our systems and practices meet the highest industry standards.
This role requires a rare combination of deep technical expertise, organizational foresight, and thought leadership. You will define system-wide frameworks, codify best practices, and simplify complex systems into strategies that align with business goals. As a role model and influencer, you will foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and innovation while putting customer success at the forefront.
What you’ll do:
Vision & Innovation
- Define and articulate the long-term technical vision and innovation roadmap for the company.
- Anticipate emerging technologies and practices, guiding the organization to stay ahead of industry trends.
Technical Standards & Frameworks
- Establish company-wide coding standards, frameworks, and libraries that set the benchmark for engineering excellence.
- Drive adoption of industry-leading practices to reduce system-wide entropy and complexity.
System Architecture & Scalability
- Define and maintain best practices for large-scale system design, focusing on scalability, resilience, and performance.
- Work at the framework and infrastructure level, ensuring that foundational components accelerate delivery across teams.
- Champion strategies for observability, monitoring, and operational excellence.
Testing & Quality
- Lead the definition of organization-wide testing strategies that balance speed, quality, and coverage.
- Drive a culture of continuous testing and quality assurance across teams.
Security & Compliance
- Define and enforce security best practices, ensuring compliance with regulatory and industry standards.
- Guide teams in embedding security into architecture and process from the ground up.
Organizational Impact
- Transform complex technological and organizational challenges into clear, actionable strategies.
- Align engineering direction with company objectives, driving cross-team collaboration and cohesion.
- Serve as a role model, fostering respect, ownership, and customer-centric thinking across all levels of the organization.
Our current tech stack:
- Python
- Django
- Celery
- PostgreSQL
- HTMX
- Tailwind
Your skillset to navigate success:
- Extensive experience as a Principal, Staff, or Distinguished Engineer in high-growth, complex environments.
- Proven ability to design and influence system-wide frameworks, libraries, and architectures.
- Deep expertise in Python, Django, Celery, PostgreSQL, and modern web technologies (HTMX, Tailwind).
- Demonstrated ability to scale systems and infrastructure to meet evolving business needs.
- Strong background in observability, monitoring, and reliability engineering.
- Experience in defining company-wide testing, DevOps, and security strategies.
- Thought leadership in the software engineering community (e.g., open-source contributions, speaking engagements, publications).
- Previous experience in shaping engineering culture and company-wide transformations.
- Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with a track record of cross-team influence.
Why us?
- Join a highly ambitious and diverse team with a collaborative working environment at a very exciting time in the company’s development, as we scale on the back of significant product market fit
- Be at the forefront of digitalization in a critical global industry
- Great office in the heart of Berlin as well as flexible / remote options
- Flexible and hybrid work environment that values work-life balance
- Generous vacation policy on top of bank holidays
Benefits:
🌏 Global Benefit:
- OpenUp – Mental Wellbeing Support: Free, confidential access to psychologists, group sessions, and mindfulness tools for you and your family.
🇩🇪 Germany (choose one option)
- Urban Sports Club: Flexible fitness membership with access to gyms, classes, and wellness activities.
- Probonio Vouchers: Monthly vouchers for groceries, fashion, sports, and more.
- Public Transport Support: Up to €50/month towards your commute with a valid subscription.
🇵🇭 Philippines
- Maxicare HMO: Comprehensive health coverage including doctors, diagnostics, emergency care, and 24/7 teleconsultation.
About us
We’re a growing company, expanding both our business and our team. To ensure everyone feels safe, can perform at their best, and to keep the company successful in uncharted waters, we’ve aligned on a set of values that guide us:
- Be the G.O.A.T — We take initiative and own the outcome, hold ourselves and others accountable, execute with excellence, and we are curious to learn
- Promote Joy, Respect & Sincerity — We enjoy our time together, leave our ego at the door, treat others with respect and seek truth together
- Have the Customer at Heart — We stay focused, strive for simplicity, use data to lead discussions and make decisions collaboratively
