Principal Engineer / Engineering Lead / Engineering Manager Platform & Systems

Location : India (Remote)

About SMILe :

At SMILe, we are building the next-generation logistics and supply chain platform powered by data, AI, and intelligent systems.

We operate at the intersection of physical movement and digital decision-making, where every system we build directly impacts:

This is an opportunity to design systems that move goods, optimize networks, and influence revenue in real time.

- Cost efficiency

- Customer experience

- Real-time operational execution

Role Context :

We are looking for a Principal Engineer / Engineering Lead / EM who can :

- Think like an architect

- Act like a builder

- Lead like an owner

You will drive core platform architecture, solve complex system challenges, and shape the engineering culture as we scale.

What makes this role different :

- You will work on real-world complexity (not just UI or CRUD systems)

- Systems you build will directly influence pricing, routing, fulfillment, and customer experience

- You will balance speed vs scale vs cost in a fast-evolving environment

- You will have high ownership and direct business impact

Key Responsibilities :

1. Architecture & System Design :

- Own end-to-end architecture for large-scale distributed systems

- Drive HLD & LLD discussions with clarity on trade-offs and scalability

- Design microservices and event-driven systems that are resilient and fault-tolerant

- Define engineering standards for performance, observability, and security

- Continuously evolve systems to handle increasing scale and complexity

2. Deep Problem Solving :

- Solve for :

a. High throughput systems

b. Real-time decision-making (pricing, allocation, routing)

c. Distributed system failures and recovery

- Break down ambiguous problems into structured, scalable solutions

- Apply first-principles thinking, not just existing patterns

3. Hands-on Engineering :

- Stay actively involved in coding (primarily backend)

- Build and review production-grade services and APIs

- Ensure systems are :

a. Clean and maintainable

b. Well-tested

- Built for long-term scalability

4. Platform Thinking :

- Build reusable services that act as internal platforms

- Avoid one-off solutions; design systems for multi-team usage

- Drive creation of :

1. Core services

2. Internal tools

- Shared infrastructure components

5. Technical Leadership & Mentorship :

- Mentor engineers across levels and functions

- Lead architecture reviews, design discussions, and code reviews

- Set a high bar for engineering excellence and accountability

- Influence product decisions through technical insight and feasibility

6. Engineering Culture & Ownership :

- Build a culture of :

a. Ownership over tasks

b. Accountability for outcomes

c. Simplicity in design

- Encourage :

a. Thoughtful decision-making

b. Constructive debates

c. Learning from failures

7. Collaboration Across Functions :

- Work closely with :

a. Product teams (for feature definition)

b. Data teams (for intelligence and analytics)

c. DevOps (for deployment and scaling)

- Align engineering efforts with business goals and timelines

What we are looking for :

- 10+ years of experience in backend / platform engineering

- Strong experience in distributed systems and scalable architecture

- Hands-on expertise in Node.js or modern backend frameworks

- Proven track record of building high-performance systems at scale

- Deep understanding of :

1. Data structures & algorithms

2. System design principles

3. API design and service architecture

- Experience with :

1. Cloud platforms (AWS / GCP / Azure)

2. Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

3. Event-driven architectures

What will differentiate you :

- Experience in logistics, supply chain, mobility, or marketplace platforms

- Exposure to systems involving :

1. Pricing engines

2. Dispatch or allocation systems

3. Real-time data processing

- Ability to simplify complex systems rather than over-engineer

- Strong debugging skills someone who can handle production challenges calmly

- Clear thinking and communication in ambiguous situations

Growth & Impact :

In this role, you will :

- Influence core platform decisions at scale

- Work on 0-1 and 1-10 problems simultaneously

- Build systems that directly impact revenue and operations

- Play a key role in shaping engineering