It doesn’t matter whether it is being built for internal production use or as a product for external customers, developing software in a modern business enterprise requires cooperation, collaboration, and coordination. Long gone are the days when a single mythical coder can single-handedly develop software applications sophisticated enough and flexible enough for modern business needs.

Successfully managing the development of quality software in such an environment requires the deft touch of experience. This is a primary function of the Principal Software Engineer. This leadership position is best filled by a respected person with proven technical skills coupled with an innate ability to coordinate and motivate a team of software engineers toward a common goal.

Narrowing the field of potential candidates for a Principal Software Engineer position will require a careful recruitment and vetting plan of action.

This Hiring Kit: Principal Software Engineer, from TechRepublic Premium, provides a workable framework you can use to find, recruit, and ultimately hire the best candidate for your organization.

From the hiring kit:

Desirable personality traits and skillsets

A Principal Software Engineer position is first and foremost a managerial position. While advanced coding and technical skills are certainly welcome skills to have, they are not a priority. Knowing how to motivate and guide programmers, developers, and engineers as they cooperatively develop applications based on a common strategy and established goals is the priority skillset.