Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation - SVP

Citi • Irving, TX

5d • $169,600 - $254,400 • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation (Digital S/W Eng Sr Lead Analyst) is a strategic, high-impact technical leader responsible for driving critical architecture, automation, and modernization initiatives across our API and digital technology landscape. This role demands a visionary subject matter expert capable of delivering exceptional technical leadership, strategic platform ownership, and advanced tooling solutions (including AI/ML-driven automation) to elevate developer productivity, platform stability, and operational efficiency. As a C14 Senior Principal Engineer, you will operate with a high degree of independence, defining technical strategy, establishing robust platform governance, and mentoring mid-to-senior level engineers. You will collaborate extensively with cross-functional stakeholders at a senior level to negotiate, guide, and align technical solutions with Citi's broader technology vision.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive, hands-on experience in Enterprise Architecture, Software Engineering, or Platform Engineering within a large-scale enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated subject matter expertise in architecting, securing, and stabilizing complex, high-volume API platforms, developer portals, or API gateways.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing automated solutions for risk reduction, developer self-service, and overall operational efficiency.
• Broad technical knowledge across cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, PCF, Akamai), internet frameworks (e.g., Angular, Spring Boot, JFP), and mobile paradigms (iOS/Android native) to enable secure, performant, and scalable solutions.
• Proven history of driving resource optimization and cost-saving initiatives through data-driven analysis and collaborative stakeholding.
• Exceptional communication, diplomatic, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and align senior executives, product teams, and engineering squads.
• High level of self-motivation and independent work style, capable of successfully managing assignments involving large budgets, cross-functional dependencies, and multiple projects simultaneously.
• Bachelor’s/University degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive the long-term technical strategy, architecture, and maturation of critical technology platforms (including API platforms and developer self-service portals), building strong stakeholder and developer confidence.
• Lead the design and implementation of innovative, next-generation solutions, including advanced data-matching logic, AI/ML-driven developer tools, and automated pipelines to optimize platform hygiene.
• Serve as a key member of the Design Review Board, searching for generic patterns, establishing architectural best practices, and sharing engineering excel-level templates across the organization.
• Formulate technical and architectural trade-offs (e.g., service boundaries, performance vs. extensibility) that balanced immediate, tactical, operational needs with long-term strategic business goals.
• Strengthen platform governance and compliance by establishing robust credential management workflows, ensuring diligent CAMP compliance, and managing certificate renewal automation.
• Oversee production deployment support processes and manage critical pipeline migrations, developing robust tools to enhance end-to-end auditability and traceability.
• Proactively identify, mitigate, and resolve daily operational risks, fostering a self-disciplined culture of robust operational hygiene and platform resilience.
• Appropriately assess risk during technical decision-making, demonstrating strict consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients, and assets by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
• Lead significant initiatives to optimize infrastructure utilization, leveraging data-driven insights to retire legacy components and rationalize low- or zero-traffic APIs, reducing operational overhead and technical debt.
• Define and implement advanced quota and rate-limit optimizations to improve resource utilization, directly contributing to financial savings and cloud platform cost efficiency.
• Develop strong influence with production management and application owners to secure buy-in and drive large-scale, cost-effective changes that deliver tangible financial benefits.
• Act as a premier influencer and technical diplomat, engaging with and driving consensus among diverse stakeholders, including business leaders, product managers, and engineering teams.
• Act as an advisor, coach, and mentor to SDE IIs, SDE IIIs, and lower-level architects, establishing metric-oriented delivery goals, identifying growth opportunities, and providing formal/informal recognition for impactful contributions.
• Elevate Citi’s technology brand and GCT (Global Consumer Technology) profile by contributing to brown bags, tech talks, external publications, user groups, and actively representing the firm at key industry conferences.
• Embody and champion Citi's Leadership Principles, demonstrating strong personal ownership, driving delivery with excellence, and fostering a collaborative, highly motivated team environment.

Benefits

• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• wellness programs
• paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays

What This Job Offers

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