Principal, SW Eng

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

6d • $137,400 - $233,600 • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Software Engineer to provide technical leadership and hands‑on execution across complex, cloud‑native software initiatives. This role combines deep engineering expertise with mentorship, architecture influence, and strong collaboration across global teams. The ideal candidate is passionate about engineering excellence, AI‑assisted development, and building high‑quality, scalable products using modern development practices.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong hands‑on track record.
• Deep expertise in Java and modern application frameworks.
• Strong experience with Azure cloud services and cloud‑native application development.
• Solid understanding and practical application of: Test‑Driven Development (TDD), Spec‑driven / contract‑first development, CI/CD and DevOps practices.
• Working knowledge of cloud databases, data modeling, and performance tuning.
• Proven ability to lead by influence rather than authority.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem‑solving, design, and decision‑making abilities.
• Comfortable operating in fast‑paced, evolving environments.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Nice To Haves

• Microsoft Azure Architect Certification (strongly preferred).
• Experience integrating or enabling AI‑assisted engineering tools within development workflows.
• Exposure to large‑scale modernization, cloud migration, or distributed systems.
• Experience working in regulated or enterprise‑grade environments.
• Experience working in Capital Markets/Asset Servicing space will be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Act as a hands‑on technical leader, designing, developing, and reviewing high‑quality, production‑ready software.
• Lead development using Java as the primary language, following clean code, TDD, and spec‑driven development principles.
• Drive adoption of AI‑assisted development capabilities (e.g., Copilot‑style tools, intelligent automation) to improve developer productivity and code quality.
• Influence and review application and solution architecture for scalability, security, performance, and maintainability.
• Partner with architects and senior engineers to define and enforce engineering standards and best practices.
• Design, build, and deploy applications on Microsoft Azure, leveraging cloud‑native services.
• Lead cloud architecture decisions with a strong understanding of: Azure compute, networking, storage, and security; Cloud‑based databases (SQL & NoSQL) and performance considerations.
• Support and continuously improve DevOps pipelines, CI/CD practices, and infrastructure automation.
• Enable resilient, observable, and cost‑efficient systems in the cloud.
• Champion Test‑Driven Development (TDD) and automated testing at all levels (unit, integration, system).
• Enable and evolve test automation frameworks and practices across teams.
• Closely collaborate with DevOps and SRE partners to improve release reliability and deployment frequency, reduce operational risk and technical debt, and strengthen monitoring, alerting, and production readiness.
• Mentor and groom engineers to elevate technical skills, design thinking, and ownership mindset.
• Provide guidance through code reviews, design discussions, and technical deep dives.
• Foster a culture of high engineering standards, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to product, QA, and platform teams.
• Work closely with cross‑functional stakeholders including Product, Architecture, QA, and Operations.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Collaborate effectively with globally distributed teams across North America, EMEA, and India, accommodating time‑zone overlaps when required.
• Proactively identify risks and propose pragmatic solutions.

Benefits

• retirement benefits (401k and pension)
• health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability)
• paid time off
• parental and caregiver leave
• life & accident insurance
• other voluntary and well-being benefits
• discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: No Education Listed