Principal Software Engineer

ACI Worldwide•Norcross, GA

7h•Hybrid

About The Position

Powering the world’s payments ecosystem ACI powers the payments ecosystem – globally, and you power ACI. You’ll innovate, collaborate, and grow – in an energetic technology culture with decades of proven success. ACIers – in all roles and levels – are truly your colleagues and many are your friends. Our size and reach allow you to see the global impact of your work. You are visible, your talents are valued, and you are empowered to shape the future of payments. As a Principal Software Engineer in Norcross, GA or Omaha, NE, you will join a diverse, passionate team, dedicated to powering the world’s payments ecosystem! 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
Payments, financial services, or regulated industry experience preferred
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
Expert proficiency in multiple programming languages and frameworks – Java, J2EE, Python
Rest API
Angular
Databases: Oracle and PostgreSQL
CI/CD Tools: Jenkins, Azure Pipelines
Docker and Kubernetes
Prometheus and Grafana
RabbitMQ
AWS (EC2, S3 and Lambda
Azure DevOps, Confluence
AI Tools: Claude and MS Copilot
Deep understanding of software architecture patterns and design principles
Experience with distributed systems, microservices, Spring Boot, and event-driven architecture
Strong system design and scalability expertise
Knowledge of application runtime environments and underlying infrastructure platforms
Performance optimization and debugging experience at scale
Talented use of AI tools and integration of AI/ML capabilities into applications
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

Nice To Haves

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