Principal Software Engineer

ACI Worldwide • Omaha, NE

8h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Software Engineer defines technical vision and architecture for major initiatives across multiple teams. This senior technical leadership position drives engineering excellence, sets standards, influences product roadmap with technical insights, and serves as a technical authority for complex challenges across the organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; Master's preferred
• Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree
• 8-12 years of software engineering with demonstrated technical leadership
• Proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale software systems
• Experience leading technical initiatives across multiple teams
• Strong influence on technical direction and engineering culture
• Expert software architect with large-scale system design experience
• Deep expertise across multiple technical domains and technology stacks
• Advanced knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and cloud architectures
• Experience with performance optimization at scale and system reliability
• Strong understanding of security architecture and compliance requirements
• Proficiency in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies including AI/ML
• Talented in AI tool adoption and integrating AI capabilities across systems
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Strong cross-team influence and stakeholder management
• Strategic thinking with ability to connect technical decisions to business outcomes
• Leadership through influence without direct authority
• Must be legally authorized to work in US/Canada. Visa sponsorship not available.
• Comprehensive background checks required.

Nice To Haves

• Payments, financial services, or regulated industry experience preferred
• Conference speaking, technical publications, or recognized thought leadership
• Advanced certifications in relevant technologies
• Experience with enterprise-scale systems (millions of users, petabytes of data)
• Track record of technical innovation and patents

Responsibilities

• Define technical vision and architecture for major cross-team initiatives
• Lead design reviews and set engineering standards across multiple teams
• Influence product roadmap with technical insights and innovation opportunities
• Evaluate and adopt new technologies including AI/ML to improve engineering productivity
• Identify and resolve complex technical challenges that span multiple systems
• Drive technical excellence and best practices across engineering organization
• Serve as technical escalation point for critical issues and architectural decisions
• Lead architecture reviews and provide guidance on system design
• Represent engineering in cross-organizational initiatives and strategic planning
• Mentor senior engineers and technical leads across teams
• Drive adoption of engineering best practices and architectural patterns
• Build strategic technical relationships with partners and stakeholders

Benefits

• ACI Worldwide is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
• Adherence to ACI's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics required.
• Access to sensitive information requires compliance with security policies and regulations (GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior