Principal Engineer – Partner Platform, APIs - San Francisco - Icon Ventures

Description

About Quizlet

Increase your chances of an interview by reading the following overview of this role before making an application.

Let's Build the Future of Learning

Quizlet's mission is to help every learner achieve their outcomes in the most effective and delightful way. Our $1B+ learning platform serves tens of millions of students every month, including two-thirds of U.S. high schoolers and half of U.S. college students, powering over 2 billion learning interactions monthly.

We blend cognitive science with machine learning to personalize and enhance the learning experience for students, professionals, and lifelong learners alike. We're energized by the potential to power more learners through multiple approaches and various tools.

Join us to design and deliver AI-powered learning tools that scale across the world and unlock human potential.

We're hiring a Principal Engineer to lead the technical design of Quizlet's extensible learning ecosystem, including our Partner API platform, Connector services, and LearnOS plugin architecture. This is a pivotal role shaping Quizlet's AI-powered integration layer for both human and agentic users.

You'll define and implement the secure, scalable infrastructure that enables seamless learning experiences on and off Quizlet, from LMS integrations and productivity tools to AI agents and autonomous workflows.

We're happy to share that this is an onsite position in our San Francisco office. To help foster team collaboration, we require that employees be in the office a minimum of three days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and as needed by your manager or the company. We believe that this working environment facilitates increased work efficiency, team partnership, and supports growth as an employee and organization.

In this role, you will

• API & Partner Platform Architecture: Own and evolve the external API gateway, SDKs, and developer tooling.
  
• Connector Runtime & LearnOS: Design sandboxed plugin runtimes to support real-time learning triggers across platforms like Discord, Google Calendar, Grammarly.
  
• Model Context Protocol (MCP) Interoperability: Architect Quizlet's participation in agent-driven ecosystems, to integrate into AI services, like ChatGPT, Comet, Chrome.
  
• Agentic Enablement: Define APIs that allow external agents to create study sets, track progress, or initiate learning actions programmatically.
  
• Secure Developer Experience: Collaborate with Legal and T&S to implement audit, rate limiting, and permissions for third-party integrations.
  
• Data Exchange & Event Streams: Design publish-subscribe infrastructure for syncing learning activity across systems.
  

What you bring to the table

• 10+ years of engineering experience with large-scale, multi-tenant API or developer platforms.
  
• Strong track record designing extensible, secure APIs, SDKs, and plugin systems.
  
• Deep understanding of agent frameworks like MCP, protocol design, and AI/LLM interoperability.
  
• Significant experience building platform abstractions and developer enablement layers.
  
• Hands-on expertise with containerized services, OAuth 2.0, gRPC/REST, and event-driven systems.
  
• Passion for building platforms that enable scale, intelligence, and trust.
  
• Fluency with platform security, privacy, and system design.
  
• Proven ability to lead architectural transformation while shipping continuously.
  

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

• Quizlet is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Salary transparency helps to mitigate unfair hiring practices when it comes to discrimination and pay gaps. Total compensation for this role is market competitive, including a starting base salary of $276,000 - $323,000, depending on location and experience, as well as company stock options.
  
• Collaborate with your manager and team to create a healthy work-life balance.
  
• 20 vacation days that we expect you to take.
  
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee and 75% dependent PPO, Dental, VSP Choice).
  
• Employer-sponsored 401k plan with company match.
  
• Access to LinkedIn Learning and other resources to support professional growth.
  
• Paid Family Leave, FSA, HSA, Commuter benefits, and Wellness benefits.
  
• 40 hours of annual paid time off to participate in volunteer programs of choice.
  

Why Join Quizlet?

Massive reach: 60M+ users, 1B+ interactions per week

Cutting-edge tech: Generative AI, adaptive learning, cognitive science

Strong momentum: Top-tier investors, sustainable business, real traction

Mission-first: Work that makes a difference in people's lives

Inclusive culture: Committed to equity, diversity, and belonging

We strive to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome

We work to create a holistic interview process, where both Quizlet and candidates have an opportunity to view what it would be like to work together, in exploring a mutually beneficial partnership.

We provide a transparent setting that gives a comprehensive view of who we are

In Closing

At Quizlet, we're excited about passionate people joining our team—even if you don't check every box on the requirements list. We value unique perspectives and believe everyone has something meaningful to contribute. Our culture is all about taking initiative, learning through challenges, and striving for high-quality work while staying curious and open to new ideas. We believe in honest, respectful communication, thoughtful collaboration, and creating a supportive space where everyone can grow and succeed together.

Quizlet's success as an online learning community depends on a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As an equal opportunity employer and a tech company committed to societal change, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Come join us

To All Recruiters and Placement Agencies

At this time, Quizlet does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and/or profiles. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any Quizlet employee. Quizlet will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm nor will it be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. xhmxlyz All unsolicited resumes received will be considered the property of Quizlet.

#LI-FT