Software Engineer IV

Grainger Businesses • Chicago, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Lead Software Engineer (Software Engineer IV)  you will play a key role in designing and building the Order submission API that provides a centralized, scalable and resilient capability to accept order requisitions from all Grainger origination channels and ensure consistent and accurate adherence to Grainger Business Rules. In addition to coaching engineers, you will partner with key stakeholders including Product Managers and Architecture. You will operate with a systems-level mindset, helping shape technical direction and raising engineering standards across the team.
This role reports to the Sr.Manager, Product Engineering and can be based in Lake Forest or Chicago, IL, on a hybrid basis.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 5+ year of experience with modern software engineering: designing, developing, testing and deploying scalable software applications within variety of technologies and environments
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, asynchronous programming, and event-driven architectures
• Strong proficiency in Java/Kotlin and modern backend development, including RESTful and/or streaming APIs
• Proven ability to make sound architectural decisions and lead through influence in ambiguous problem spaces
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), containerization (Ex: Docker, Kubernetes), CI/CD,  and production observability practices (Ex: Datadog, Prometheus)
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and DevOps practices

Responsibilities

• Own backend architecture decisions, including service boundaries, state management, and request orchestration
• Build scalable, reliable systems that support streaming, event-driven, and low-latency workflows
• Define and maintain clear API contracts and data models with extensibility and backward compatibility in mind
• Ensure backend platforms meet reliability, performance, and observability standards in production environments
• Drive improvements to CI/CD, automated testing, and deployment practices for backend services
• Act as a technical leader and mentor, raising system design and backend engineering maturity across the team

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

What This Job Offers

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