Principal Software Engineer - Manila, PH

Company Description

We have steadily growing teams in Boise, the Bay Area, Canada, Ireland, and the Philippines.

The company's mission is to create joy together. We empower our team and partners to love what they do, provide products and experiences that inspire meaningful moments with family and friends, and give back to our communities. When you join Balsam Brands, you’ll find a culture of caring people doing challenging work while building a welcoming workplace.

• Balsam Brands on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/balsam-brands/
• Balsam Brands on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balsam_brands/
• Balsam Brands in Forbes: https://bit.ly/balsambrandsforbes

At Balsam Brands, we like to think of our people-first culture as more than just a tagline. It's the heart of our company. In fact, our Philippine ROHQ being recognized as one of the Philippine’s Best Work Places by the prestigious Great Place To Work organization is a testament to this.

We know that you need to feel comfortable in your work environment, so we make sure that everyone in the team is supported and cared for. Team Manila has been working from home since 2010, with occasional in-person meet-ups and events to help build relationships and foster camaraderie.

The company trips, wellness benefits, and other perks are just the cherry on top of our permanent work-from-home setup.

• Balsam International on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BalsamInternationalPH
• Balsam International on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/balsam-international-unlimited

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Job Description

Having experience with Vercel and edge-delivery platforms is a strong plus.

What you’ll be doing:

• Designs and builds performant, scalable, and maintainable front-end experiences using React, Next.js, and modern JavaScript/TypeScript frameworks.
• Codes actively (~70% of the time) while owning complex UI features, dynamic rendering flows (CSR/SSR/ISR), and modular frontend architectures.
• Leads hands-on implementation of back-end-for-front-end (BFF) patterns, efficient data-fetching strategies, and seamless client-server interactions.
• Implements advanced caching strategies and performance tuning for high-traffic pages, optimizing Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS) and Lighthouse scores.
• Partners with platform engineers to leverage Vercel capabilities (e.g., edge functions, build optimizations, smart CDN routing) for production-grade deployments.
• Collaborates with UX/Product teams to translate designs into pixel-perfect, accessible, and responsive user interfaces that delight customers.
• Evaluates new frontend tooling and libraries, proactively introducing modern patterns (e.g., hydration optimization, server actions, edge rendering) to raise engineering quality.

• Solves deeply complex technical problems that span multiple domains, systems, and technologies.
• Leads technical investigations and resolution of critical production issues or systemic challenges.
• Drives continuous improvement in code quality, test automation, CI/CD pipelines, and observability practices.
• Champions a culture of engineering rigor through peer reviews, design validations, and performance tuning.

• Serves as a technical mentor and role model to senior and staff engineers across the organization.
• Supports the development of career paths and learning roadmaps for engineers.
• Provides critical feedback and coaching in architectural thinking, systems design, and technical decision-making.
• Acts as a bridge between individual contributors and leadership to translate strategic goals into executable work.

• Collaborates with senior leaders across Product, Data, UX, and Infrastructure to align technical solutions with business priorities.
• Influences company-wide technology strategy through deep expertise and thought leadership.
• Drives planning and execution for strategic projects and platform evolutions.
• Communicates technical concepts effectively to both engineering and non-technical stakeholders, building alignment and trust.

Performs other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

What we’re looking for:

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline—or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of professional software development experience, with a strong track record in architecting and building modern front-end web applications.
• Expertise in React and Next.js is required, with a deep understanding of component architecture, state management, rendering strategies (CSR, SSR, ISR), and hydration.
• Hands-on experience implementing back-end-for-front-end (BFF) solutions and working with GraphQL/REST APIs.
• Strong performance mindset with a proven ability to optimize Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS), lazy loading, bundle splitting, and Lighthouse metrics.
• Practical knowledge of caching strategies (CDN, edge caching, revalidation) and how they affect scalability and user experience.
• Experience with Vercel, or similar platforms like Netlify or Cloudflare Pages, including edge functions, smart routing, and build optimizations.
• Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML5, CSS3, and web accessibility standards (WCAG).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on high-complexity projects while providing architectural input and technical mentorship across teams.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly explain technical trade-offs and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Agile development experience preferred, with a focus on rapid iteration, testing, and CI/CD workflows.

Location: The Principal Software Engineer position is a remote working position for Balsam International Unlimited Company - Philippine ROHQ in Manila. Team members in the Philippines are located within Metro Manila, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, and Tarlac areas only.

Our must-haves:

• Must attend occasional in-person meetings.
• Must have a fast, reliable DSL, Fiber, or Broadband connection (not mobile or broadband stick) as the primary internet connection with a minimum actual speed of 50MBPS.

Hardware Provision: Company-issued Laptop will be provided on your first day.

At Balsam International, we strive to offer a competitive compensation and benefits package. For permanent, full-time team members, this includes:

• Government-mandated Benefits (SSS, PAG-IBIG, PhilHealth)
• 13th Month Pay
• Paid Leaves. We use time off to rest, go on vacation, or just sleep in! Our paid time off is flexible to our needs.
• Internet Subsidy. With internet allowance, we are set up for success.
• Healthcare Coverage (+ 2 dependents). We worry less about rising medical costs with flexible quality healthcare benefits.
• Maternity, Paternity, and Solo Parent Benefit. We make sure parents are supported while they navigate work and family life.
• Continuous Learning and Professional Development Benefit. Our professional and personal development are fully supported. Whether it be online courses, workshops or books!
• Mental Health Support. We manage work and life's challenges through Mental Health Day breaks, 24/7 professional counselling, and curated webinars.
• Company Incentive. An additional cash-based perk for all our Brandits based on company's performance.
• Meeting and Team Building Allowance. Happy tummies make our meetings more fun and productive!
• Shutdown Week. We can spend more time on things that matter with an additional one-week paid time off on top of paid leaves.
• Volunteer Time Off. With two paid days off, we are able to volunteer for advocacies we believe in.
• Bereavement Leave. We get additional paid leaves when a loved one passes to grieve and provide immediate support to our families.