Principal Engineering

Principal Engineering at Shaka Wear Principal Engineering at Shaka Wear in Houston, Texas Posted in about 18 hours ago.

Type:

full-time

Job Description:

Our Mission To craft authentic streetwear built on respect, loyalty, and trust for the culture. Our Vision To be the global leader in streetwear essentials, driven by unfiltered authenticity, timeless silhouettes, and relentless innovation. About Shaka Wear Founded in South Los Angeles in 2004, Shaka Wear is a premium streetwear essential brand built on authenticity, quality, and culture. From our world-famous heavyweight tees to our growing collection of streetwear staples, we don't just make clothing. We make a statement. We're rooted in the spirit of LA and driven by a belief that true style lives in the basics. As we continue to grow, we're building a team that shares our passion for culture and our hunger to push the brand to the next level. ________________________________________ About the Role We are looking for a Principal Engineer who can own the technical direction of our engineering function end to end. This is not a purely managerial role. You will be hands-on building systems, leading a team of three engineers, driving AI and automation initiatives, and keeping our e-commerce and operational infrastructure running at a high level. Critically, you understand how a business actually works. You know the difference between a PO and an invoice, how inventory flows, and how ops, finance, and merchandising teams think. You will use that fluency to build systems that solve real problems, not just technical ones. Objectives of the Role AI & Machine Learning Design and ship AI-powered product features across our e-commerce platform Lead LLM integration and prompt engineering efforts to automate workflows and enhance customer experience Build and maintain data pipelines that support analytics, personalization, and decision-making Identify and implement AI/ML integrations that create meaningful operational leverage Engineering Leadership Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three software engineers Set technical standards, code review practices, and development workflows Drive architecture decisions and ensure systems are built to scale Balance hands-on contribution with team leadership, staying close to the code E-Commerce & Business Operations Own the health and performance of our Shopify-based e-commerce platform Manage and improve integrations across fulfillment, inventory, and order management systems Support supply chain and vendor systems, ensuring tech keeps pace with how the business moves product Work directly with ops, sales, merchandising, and finance teams to understand how the business runs and build tools that support it Own integrations that connect our tech stack across wholesale, retail, logistics, and financial reporting Support IT and internal tooling needs across the organization Infrastructure & DevOps Manage cloud infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment practices Ensure system reliability, uptime, and performance across all environments Identify and address technical debt before it becomes a problem Maintain security and compliance standards across all systems Required Skills & Qualifications 7+ years of software engineering experience with a strong backend and systems foundation Hands-on experience building and deploying AI-powered features and LLM integrations Experience managing or mentoring engineers, with the ability to lead without losing technical depth Deep understanding of how a product or retail business operates end to end, from supply chain and inventory to sales, fulfillment, and finance Solid understanding of e-commerce platforms, ideally Shopify, and the integrations that surround them Proven ability to work across non-technical teams and translate business needs into technical solutions Cloud infrastructure experience (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and comfort owning DevOps practices Strong instincts for system design, API architecture, and building for scale A bias for action and ownership, you see problems and fix them Preferred Technical Experience Experience in retail, apparel, or consumer brand environments Familiarity with wholesale and retail operations, vendor systems, or ERP integrations Background in data engineering, analytics pipelines, or financial reporting tools Compensation & Benefits Competitive salary commensurate with experience Health, dental, and vision insurance Paid time off and holidays 401(k) plan Employee discount on Shaka Wear products Our Culture At Shaka Wear, we move fast, think big, and take pride in what we build.

We're a growing team and your work will have real, visible impact from day one. We value people who perform, take ownership, and bring genuine passion to what they do. The environment is creative, street culture-driven, and entrepreneurial. We don't do things the conventional way, and that's by design.

Our core values:

Authenticity:

We stay true to our roots and our culture in everything we do.

Quality over everything:

We don't accept anything less than the best, and neither should you.

Loyalty:

To the culture, to our team, and to the people who wear our brand.

Trust & Integrity:

We do what we say and say what we mean, every time.

Hustle and ownership:

If you can perform, you'll be rewarded. We trust people who take initiative.