(USA) Principal, Software Engineer

Walmart•Bentonville, AR

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Software Engineer leads the design and delivery of scalable platform capabilities, driving technical execution across multiple teams. This role applies cloud-native architecture and distributed system principles to develop AI-enhanced applications and real-time data solutions. The position requires strategic technical leadership, mentorship, and collaboration with cross-functional partners to align engineering efforts with business objectives. The engineer ensures high-quality software development lifecycle management, fosters innovation, and promotes continuous improvement while maintaining architectural standards and operational excellence in a dynamic environment. Walmart’s Advertising Technology group connects supplier brands with retail shoppers at an unmatched scale. This team of skilled engineers and data scientists operates in an agile environment to address complex, high-impact challenges. They manage billions of ad requests monthly through high-performance ad servers and develop intelligent data systems that ingest, model, and optimize vast data flows from online and in-store activities. Utilizing advanced machine learning and optimization algorithms, the team is committed to delivering exceptional experiences that meet the needs of customers and advertisers alike.

Requirements

Extensive experience in platform engineering leadership, delivering scalable infrastructure and reusable tooling aligned with strategic roadmaps.
Deep expertise designing and scaling AdTech platforms and distributed systems leveraging Java/Spring Boot, Cassandra, Azure SQL, Kafka, Solr, Vespa, Vector DB, and Apache Airflow.
Proven expertise in cloud-native architecture and distributed system design ensuring high availability and fault tolerance.
Strong technical execution skills across the full software development lifecycle, including CI/CD, testing, and incident response.
Proficiency in AI/ML integration and building intelligent software systems using languages such as Python, Java, and C++.
Demonstrated ability to provide technical mentorship and influence architectural decisions across teams.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills with cross-functional stakeholders.
Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.
7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
Background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly.
Knowledge of accessibility best practices and joining us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Responsibilities

Lead platform engineering efforts to deliver scalable infrastructure, reusable tooling, and AI/ML frameworks aligned with strategic roadmaps.
Architect and implement cloud-native, distributed systems ensuring high availability, scalability, and fault tolerance.
Oversee full software development lifecycle including coding, testing, deployment, monitoring, and incident response across multiple teams.
Integrate AI agents and intelligent applications using advanced programming languages and model-driven design principles.
Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and promote engineering best practices to enhance system interoperability and maintainability.
Collaborate with stakeholders to define requirements, measure success, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.