Developing software in a modern business enterprise requires cooperation, collaboration and coordination. Long gone are the days when a single mythical coder can single-handedly develop software applications sophisticated and flexible enough for modern business needs.

Successfully managing the development of quality software in such an environment requires a deft touch of experience. This is a primary function of the principal software engineer. This leadership position is best filled by a respected person with proven technical skills coupled with an innate ability to coordinate and motivate a team of software engineers toward a common goal.

Narrowing the field of potential candidates for a principal software engineer position will require careful recruitment and a plan of action. This Hiring Kit: Principal Software Engineer from TechRepublic Premium provides a workable framework you can use to find, recruit and ultimately hire the best candidate for your organization.

From the hiring kit:

DESIRABLE PERSONALITY TRAITS AND SKILLSETS

A principal software engineer position is first and foremost a managerial position. While advanced coding and technical skills are certainly welcome skills to have, they are not a priority. Knowing how to motivate and guide programmers, developers and engineers as they cooperatively develop applications based on a common strategy and established goals is the priority skillset.