Principal Software Engineer (Zendesk Explore)

About this role

Zendesk is seeking a Principal Software Engineer for its Zendesk Explore team, the analytics product behind its customer service platform. You will lead technical initiatives, set engineering direction, and guide the team building reporting and insights tools. The role is listed as 100% remote within the United States, with an average salary range of $122,000 to $169,000. It is aimed at a senior engineer who combines deep technical skill with mentorship and sound architectural judgment. If you enjoy turning support data into products people actually use, this is a strong match.

We added this it & software jobs opening on November 03, 2026 after reviewing the employer's posting. This is a remote position, which means day-to-day work happens from your home office with regular online collaboration. The advertised pay for the position is $122,000 – $169,000/yr, as published by the employer. Read the sections below before applying — they break down what the job involves day to day, who it suits, and how the application process works.

Job snapshot

What you will do day to day

Based on the employer's posting, a typical week in this position at Zendesk would centre on the following duties:

• Lead technical initiatives for the Zendesk Explore team
• Design and build analytics and reporting features
• Guide engineers through reviews, mentoring, and technical decisions
• Drive architecture choices for scale, reliability, and performance
• Partner with product and design on roadmap delivery

What you will need

• Senior-level software engineering experience
• Track record of leading technical projects end to end
• Strong skills in modern backend and data systems
• Ability to mentor engineers and raise team standards
• Experience with analytics or reporting products is a plus

This role suits a candidate who enjoys problem-solving, keeps their technical skills current, and can explain technical decisions to non-technical colleagues.

Pay and benefits

The advertised salary range for this position is $122,000 – $169,000/yr, as published by Zendesk. Final offers in US hiring typically depend on experience, qualifications, and location, and the official listing remains the authoritative source for pay details. Alongside pay, weigh the benefits below — health cover, paid leave, and retirement contributions can add significant value on top of the base figure.

Benefits listed by the employer

• 100% remote role within the United States
• Salary range of $122,000 to $169,000
• Senior technical leadership scope
• Work on a widely used customer service platform
• Zendesk employee benefits and growth opportunities

How to apply

1. Read the requirements above carefully and check you meet the essentials — US employers screen against them closely.
2. Update your résumé so the skills named in this listing are easy to find, using the same wording where it honestly matches your experience.
3. Click the Apply button on this page. It takes you to the source listing (JobzMall), where the original posting is linked — always confirm the role, pay and deadline there before applying.
4. Complete every field of the application on the source listing and double-check your contact details before submitting.
5. Keep a note of the posting date and job title so you can follow up politely if you have not heard back within two weeks.

Tips to strengthen your application

• Mirror the exact tools and languages from the requirements in your résumé — screening is often automated.
• Link to a portfolio, GitHub, or project write-up that proves the skills you claim.
• Prepare for a technical screen by practising the core topics named in the listing.
• Quantify past work (systems scaled, tickets resolved, uptime improved) wherever you can.

Frequently asked questions

Need help applying? Read our guide: How to Write a Resume That Gets Interviews — written for it & software jobs applicants in the USA.

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