About this Principal Full Stack Developer role at The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Join the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection: Where Every Voyage is a Symphony of Luxury
Embark on an extraordinary journey with the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, an exquisite extension of the renowned Ritz-Carlton brand, dedicated to redefining ultra-luxury hospitality at sea. As a "Lady or Gentleman" of our esteemed team, you'll be entrusted with the art of delivering the impeccable "Gold Standards" that have made the Ritz-Carlton an epitome of excellence across the globe.
The Essence of Excellence: The Gold Standards
The Gold Standards are the bedrock of the Ritz-Carlton experience, setting us apart in the industry and establishing a legacy of unparalleled service. These standards embody the values and culture that define our brand, and serve as the compass guiding our every endeavor.
The Employee Promise
At The Ritz-Carlton, our Ladies & Gentlemen are the most important resource in our service commitment to each other and our guests.
By applying the principles of trust, honesty, respect, integrity, and commitment, we empower and nurture talent to the benefit of each individual and the company.
The Ritz-Carlton fosters a culture where all are valued, quality of life is enhanced, individual aspirations are fulfilled, and The Ritz-Carlton Mystique is strengthened.
Join us on a journey where every day is a testament to the highest standard of luxury and service. Apply now and be part of an unparalleled legacy in hospitality.
Key Responsibilities
Define and maintain the technical architecture for all guest-facing digital platforms, including web, mobile integration layers, and APIs
Set engineering standards: coding conventions, code review practices, branching strategies, and release processes
Make key technology decisions in partnership with the Sr Director of Digital Technologies; document reasoning via Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
Contribute hands-on full stack development across front-end and back-end layers (~50% of time)
Lead technical discovery for new features and integrations, producing technical specifications and effort estimates
Review and approve significant pull requests, providing constructive and standards-aligned feedback
Identify and address technical debt proactively, balancing delivery needs with long-term platform health
Evaluate and recommend third-party tools, APIs, and services
Serve as technical escalation point for the engineering team on complex or ambiguous problems
Collaborate with the Senior Business Analyst to ensure requirements are technically feasible and properly scoped
Share knowledge and elevate the technical capability of the team through pairing, documentation, and review
Required Qualifications
8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with 3+ years in a principal, staff, or lead architect capacity
Deep expertise in React and Next.js for front-end development
Strong back-end proficiency: Node.js, Python, or similar; RESTful and GraphQL API design
Proven experience making architectural decisions for cloud-hosted, production-scale applications (AWS preferred)
Track record of defining and enforcing engineering standards across a development team
Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, and DevOps practices
Experience integrating with third-party platforms: CRM, CMS, booking systems, or CDPs
Excellent written and verbal communication in English
Ability to work independently and manage technical priorities in a lean team environment
Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)
Experience in digital platforms for hospitality, travel, cruise, or luxury consumer brands
Familiarity with Drupal CMS architecture and headless/decoupled patterns
Experience with React Native for cross-platform mobile development
AWS Solutions Architect certification (Associate or Professional)
Experience with microservices or event-driven architecture patterns
Open source contributions or a strong public portfolio
Key Competencies
Technical Authority: Sets architectural direction and makes well-reasoned decisions the team can build with confidence
Hands-On Engineering: Stays deeply embedded in the codebase — architecture is validated through code, not just documentation
Platform Thinking: Designs systems that are scalable, maintainable, and built to evolve beyond any single project
Indirect Leadership: Elevates team capability through example, review, and knowledge sharing rather than direct management
Pragmatism: Balances technical idealism with delivery realities — knows when to build and when to integrate
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is an Equal opportunity, inclusive employer and will consider all applicants for employment with the Company on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
