Senior Principal / Director, Software Engineering

Overview AvalonBay Communities, Inc., an equity REIT, has a long‑term track record of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing distinctive apartment homes in some of the best U.S. markets, and delivering outsized, risk‑adjusted returns to shareholders. With equal parts experience and vision, we’ve established a leadership position rooted in our purpose of creating a better way to live and that is always focused on building value for the long term. Creating a better way to live is the purpose that binds AvalonBay associates. We take that purpose seriously and expect you will as well. By focusing on collaboration, innovation, and taking ownership of our choices and actions, we act in ways that focus on creating value for our customers, investors and associates. Your positive, professional, and consistent personal interactions make AvalonBay a great place to work.

The Role We are seeking a hands‑on

Senior Principal / Director of Software Engineering

to personally drive the design, build, and evolution of high‑impact digital platforms that support mission‑critical business operations. This role is for a technical leader who spends meaningful time

in the architecture, code, and delivery details , while providing lightweight leadership and guidance across a small number of engineering teams.

You’ll be accountable for

technical decisions, platform modernization, and delivery outcomes , acting as the connective tissue between business priorities and real, production‑grade software.

What You’ll Do

Directly design, build, and evolve

enterprise software applications, serving as a hands‑on technical leader

Own system architecture and technical direction across multiple platforms, with a strong bias toward pragmatic, scalable solutions

Lead execution across concurrent initiatives by

actively unblocking teams , reviewing designs and code, and ensuring delivery quality

Play a key role in

modernizing legacy systems , including cloud migration, platform consolidation, and technical debt reduction

Set and model modern engineering practices (Agile, CI/CD, automation, testing) through direct involvement, not just process

Partner closely with product, business, and executive stakeholders to translate strategy into concrete technical solutions

Evaluate existing systems and make clear recommendations on where to modernize, refactor, or retire platforms

Work hands‑on with vendors and cloud partners, making build‑vs‑buy decisions and integrating third‑party solutions when appropriate

Establish practical engineering standards and guardrails, focusing on security, reliability, and maintainability

Stay close to emerging technologies and assess

real, near‑term applicability

to business problems

What We’re Looking For

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field — or equivalent practical experience

10+ years of software engineering experience, with a history of

hands‑on technical ownership

Experience leading complex, enterprise‑scale application development from design through production

Demonstrated success modernizing platforms and moving workloads from on‑prem to cloud environments

Comfortable operating in environments with

multiple stakeholders but limited hierarchy

Technical Expertise

Strong hands‑on experience with modern backend and web technologies (e.g. JavaScript/TypeScript, Angular, REST APIs)

Cloud platforms and DevOps tooling (AWS, Docker, Jenkins, CI/CD pipelines)

Relational databases and data platforms (PostgreSQL or similar)

Deep understanding of software architecture, system design, security, and performance trade‑offs

Ability to review, improve, and occasionally write production‑quality code

Working Style & Skills

Technically opinionated, pragmatic, and able to explain trade‑offs clearly

Bias toward execution and delivery over process for its own sake

Comfortable going deep on problems and staying close to implementation

Able to influence without heavy management structure

Collaborative, low‑ego partner to product, design, and business teams

How AvalonBay Supports You We know that our teams are the beating heart of our success and we’re committed to showing our appreciation.

We offer:

Comprehensive benefits — health, dental and vision, 401(k) with company match, paid vacation and holidays, tuition reimbursement, an employee stock purchase plan and more. Click on Benefits https://jobs.avalonbay.com/benefits for information.

Growth based on achievement and promotion from within.

Associate recognition (a company‑wide recognition program that celebrates associate efforts and successes in contributing to the overall success of the organization – including destination awards, ‘AvalonBay’s Very Best’ recognition program and others!).

A 20% discount on our incredible apartment homes.

A culture built on purpose and our core values – A Commitment to Integrity, A Spirit of Caring, and A Focus on Continuous Improvement.

Additional Info AvalonBay is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an inclusive and diverse work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We believe that in order to achieve our purpose of creating a better way to live, we must recruit, develop and retain associates with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and create an environment that encourages all voices to be heard, understood and appreciated. With this we know we can do great things.

AvalonBay makes employment decisions without regard to a person’s race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation or related medical conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including characteristics or testing), citizenship status, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by the law.

For California residents, if you elect to apply to AvalonBay you accept the AvalonBay California Personnel Privacy Notice https://www.avaloncommunities.com/california-personnel-privacy-notice/

#J-18808-Ljbffr