Principal Engineer – MSP Practice

Role Overview

This is not a ticket-queue role. Principal Engineers operate as senior technical advisors and hands-on specialists, supporting embedded engineers, guiding technical standards, and assisting with complex or high-impact initiatives on an ongoing basis.

You'll work across multiple MSP environments, handling escalations, architectural planning, advanced troubleshooting, and mentoring less experienced engineers. Your focus is on solving difficult problems, establishing technical direction, and ensuring delivery quality.

This role requires significant autonomy, strong judgment, and the ability to navigate ambiguous or high-stakes situations without constant oversight.

Responsibilities

• Serve as escalation point for complex technical issues across embedded engineering teams

• Provide architectural guidance for Azure infrastructure, Microsoft 365 environments, and hybrid infrastructure designs

• Lead root-cause analysis for high-impact incidents and implement preventative measures

• Mentor and guide Tier 2–3 engineers, reviewing technical work and providing constructive feedback

• Collaborate with MSP leadership on technical strategy, standards development, and operational improvements

• Support Professional Services engagements requiring senior technical oversight

• Contribute to internal knowledge bases, technical documentation, and training materials

Requirements & Experience

• Minimum 5 years of senior-level MSP experience with demonstrated technical leadership

• Deep expertise in Microsoft 365, Azure, Active Directory, networking, security, and hybrid infrastructure

• Proven ability to architect solutions, troubleshoot complex issues, and lead technical initiatives

• Strong mentoring and communication skills. Able to guide less experienced engineers effectively

• Experience with MSP operational frameworks, escalation procedures, and client-facing technical leadership

• High degree of autonomy and self-direction. Comfortable operating without detailed instructions

Advanced certifications (Azure Solutions Architect, Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator, etc.) are valued but not mandatory. Track record and technical depth matter more.

How This Role Fits Into MSP Operations

Principal Engineers work across multiple MSP relationships and embedded engineering teams. You're not assigned to a single queue or ticketing system. Instead, you're brought in when senior technical judgment, escalation support, or architectural planning is required.

MSPs rely on Principal Engineers for high-stakes work: complex migrations, incident response, infrastructure design, and technical reviews. You also support ElastiQ's internal operational quality by reviewing embedded engineer performance, identifying knowledge gaps, and contributing to training initiatives.

This role offers significant variety, technical challenge, and strategic influence. It's well-suited for senior engineers who want meaningful technical work without the administrative burden of managing a team or running an MSP practice.