Principal Engineer

About VolumioVolumio is a premium audio streaming company that has been pioneering high-fidelity music playback for over 10 years. We develop both hardware and software solutions that deliver audiophile-grade streaming experiences. Our latest innovation, CORRD, is an AI-driven music discovery platform that breaks users out of algorithmic bubbles by unifying multiple streaming services.We're a lean, technically-driven team of innovators based in Florence, passionate about delivering exceptional audio experiences through elegant software and hardware integration.The RoleWe're seeking an experienced Principal Engineer / Tech Lead to drive the technical evolution of Volumio’s core platform. This is a senior, high-impact role at the intersection of backend systems, embedded Linux, and audio infrastructure. You will be responsible for shaping architecture, guiding technical decisions, and ensuring long-term scalability, performance, and audio integrity across Volumio’s ecosystem.This role goes beyond implementation: you’ll act as a technical reference for the team, work closely with product and leadership, and help define how Volumio’s software platform evolves as our products and user base grow.What you’ll do- Own and evolve the architecture of Volumio’s core backend and system services- Lead the design of scalable, modular, and service-oriented systems- Drive technical direction across backend, audio pipeline, and embedded Linux components- Ensure high standards for audio quality, reliability, and performance- Review designs and implementations with a long-term, system-level perspective- Mentor engineers and raise the overall technical bar of the team- Collaborate closely with product, hardware, and mobile teams to align technical solutions with business goals- Make and defend architectural decisions in complex, ambiguous environmentsCore Technical Skills- 5+ years of professional software engineering experience- Strong background in systems or backend architecture- Solid understanding of audio playback pipelines:- PCM/DSD, resampling, bit-perfect playback- OS audio stacks (ALSA/PipeWire/CoreAudio/WASAPI)- Strong background in Linux, better if relevant to audio, networking, and devicesPlatform & Architecture- Proven experience designing service-oriented or modular architectures- Strong knowledge of containerization (Docker/LXC/RunC, Linux namespaces, cgroups)- Familiarity with gRPC, WebSockets, event-driven architecturesLanguages & Tooling- Comfortable working in Node.js environments (to understand and evolve the existing system)- Strong proficiency in at least one systems-friendly language (e.g. Go)- Experience with CI/CD, observability, and production diagnosticsLeadership- Prior experience as Tech Lead, Principal Engineer, or Architect- Ability to drive decisions in ambiguous, evolving systems- Comfortable pushing back on shortcuts that compromise long-term portabilityNice to Have- Direct experience with MPD or similar audio daemons- Embedded/Linux audio product experience- Experience with Flutter- Background in consumer electronics, audio hardware, or IoT- Experience designing plugin ecosystems or third-party SDKsWhy join Volumio- Work on high-end audio systems used by music enthusiasts worldwide- Principal-level ownership with direct influence on architecture and strategy- Small, highly technical team with strong engineering culture- Opportunity to work across backend systems, embedded Linux, and audio pipelines- Flexible work environment- Be part of innovative projects like CORRD that are reshaping music discoveryLocationBased in Florence, Italy, or remote, with regular collaboration overlap with CET timezone