Principal Software Engineer

About us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you make. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the food you sample. Through our products, partners and people, we can empower everyone to experience the world.   Leadership/Team Quote: FinTech business unit – with teams in Amsterdam, Bangalore, London and Shanghai – develops new products and drives innovation to help us continue removing financial friction from the travel  process. That makes buying and selling travel-related products and services simpler for both travelers and partners   Role Description Principal Developer is the technical leader involved in Tax Platform design and development to meet key global tax and compliance initiatives. They own the technical strategy and co-create and drive the tactical plan to achieve these goals, ensuring tax system accuracy, compliance, and scalability. They are role models, mentors and strategists who oversee and execute technical tasks with excellence. Principal Devs are responsible to set their own priorities and focus in order to achieve the impact the business requires. The Principal can focus on everything from leading high-level architecture decisions for end-to-end tax solutions, to the hands-on implementation of the most challenging bits of a project, as well as coaching and overseeing others.   Key Responsibilities and Duties: Building software applications Is responsible to build automated tax determination, calculation, and reporting applications by using relevant development languages and applying knowledge of systems, services and tools appropriate for the Tax/Finance business area. Is responsible to maintain data security, integrity and quality by effectively following company standards and best practices, specifically relating to tax data and regulatory compliance. Architectural Guidance Is responsible to advise product and Tax/Finance teams towards a technical solution that meets the functional, nonfunctional & architectural requirements for tax systems, challenging designs and providing context in the wider architectural landscape, especially concerning global tax regulatory requirements. End to End System Ownership Is responsible to own a core Tax Platform and services end to end by actively monitoring application health and performance, setting and monitoring relevant metrics (e.g., tax engine uptime, calculation accuracy). Is responsible to reduce business continuity risks by applying state-of-the-art practices and tools, and writing the appropriate documentation, ensuring tax deadlines and reporting obligations are met. Software Systems Design Is responsible to evaluate possible architecture solutions for tax systems by taking into account cost, evolving tax legislation, business requirements, technology requirements and emerging technologies. Continuous Quality and Process Improvement Is responsible to identify opportunities for process, system and structural improvements (i.e performance gains, audit readiness) by examining and evaluating current tax calculation, reconciliation, and compliance process flows, methods and standards. Effective Communication Is responsible to deliver clear, well-structured, and meaningful information to a target audience, including Tax, Legal, and Finance stakeholders.   Qualifications & Skills: 12+ years of software development experience, with a minimum of 4 years in a principal,  lead or architect roleA track record for shipping large-scale, successful software products - Finance, Payments, Billing & Tax - Tax Platforms AdvantageExperience mentoring and growing (senior) developers, not through reporting lines, but through thorough and convincing communication is preferredExcellent communication skills. Demonstrated ability to use data to influence and drive decisionsStrong customer focus and passion for doing the right thing for the customer.Deep experience developing and operating business critical systems.Proven hands-on experience in designing, building, improving and operating large scale, high-performance, highly-available and scalable distributed systems in a fast growing environmentExpert knowledge of computer science, with strong competencies in SOA, migration and cloudAbility to design and solve complex business problems by writing simple, effective codeEager to work in multiple programming languages and frameworks and constantly striving to raise technical excellenceBenefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal RelevanceBooking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include: Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country) Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit Contributing to a high scale, complex, world renowned product and seeing real-time impact of your work on millions of travelers worldwide; Working in a fast-paced and performance driven culture; Opportunity to utilize technical expertise, leadership capabilities and entrepreneurial spirit Promote and drive impactful and innovative engineering solutions Technical, behavioral and interpersonal competence advancement via on-the-job opportunities, experimental projects, hackathons, conferences and active community participation Need more flexibility in your work week? We are happy to consider part-time, and reduced working week opportunities* (min. 32 hours per week, subject to terms and conditions) Inclusion at Booking.com:    Inclusion have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.    Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”    We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.   Application Process:  Let’s go places together: How we Hire If applicable: Detailed instructions on post-application requirements including any required application materials, deadlines, portfolios, coding challenges, or other assessments as defined by BU or department. This role does not come with relocation assistance Pre-Employment Screening If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.