Principal Developer - IT

United Airlines; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

United Airlines in Bengaluru seeks a highly experienced Principal Developer to provide deep technical leadership for enterprise applications supporting our network operations and customer systems.

You will mentor teams, set engineering standards, and guide architecture decisions across cloud‑native microservices, containers, and AI‑enabled development to drive modernization and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of IT and business/industry experience in application development, software engineering, solution architecture, or large‑scale software delivery roles, with a strong focus on technical leadership.
• 10+ years hands‑on experience in application development using Java, .NET, React, AWS, and related modern technology stacks.
• 4+ years experience architecting and designing complex, enterprise‑scale software applications, preferably using cloud‑native, microservices, and event‑driven patterns.
• Expert‑level knowledge of Aviation NOC, including IRROPS, day‑of‑operations management, and mission‑critical airline technology platforms.
• Must have agentic AI based development exposure.
• Proven ability to provide technical direction, architecture guidance, design reviews, and engineering mentorship to application development teams, preferably within the Airline NOC space.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills with business partners, product owners, and senior technology stakeholders.
• Strong expertise in microservices architecture, Docker/container platforms, APIs, CI/CD, DevOps automation, observability, and secure engineering practices.
• Experience working with US‑based leadership and globally distributed technology teams, and ability to lead agentic AI integration into workflows.
• Experience in Agile, DevOps, and cloud‑based development (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
• Must be legally authorized to work in India for any employer without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Provide principal‑level technical leadership across application design, development, modernization, and delivery.
• Lead architectural discussions, define engineering standards, review complex designs, and mentor teams.
• Collaborate with product, business and technology stakeholders to align technical solutions with priorities.
• Drive design and delivery of mission‑critical applications using cloud‑native patterns, microservices, and APIs.
• Influence product technology strategy and multi‑year modernization roadmaps with AI‑enabled development.

Skills

Java

.NET

React

AWS

Microservices

Docker

APIs

CI/CD

DevOps

Architecture

Mentoring

Communication

AI exposure

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud platforms (AWS/AZURE/GCP)

Job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

Our Values: At United Airlines, we believe that inclusion propels innovation and is the foundation of all that we do. Our Shared Purpose: "Connecting people. Uniting the world." drives us to be the best airline for our employees, customers, and everyone we serve, and we can only do that with a truly diverse and inclusive workforce. Our team spans the globe and is made up of diverse individuals all working together with cutting-edge technology to build the best airline in the history of aviation.

With multiple employee-run "Business Resource Group" communities and world-class benefits like health insurance, parental leave, and space available travel, United is truly a one-of-a-kind place to work that will make you feel welcome and accepted. Come join our team and help us make a positive impact on the world.

United’s Digital Technology team is responsible for designing, developing, and operating highly scalable technology solutions powered by modern architecture, advanced data analytics, and digital innovation.

Within this ecosystem, the NCUS (NOC, CSR, UAX and SOC) team leads the development and maintenance of the airline’s Network Operations Center (NOC); the operational nerve centre that powers mission-critical capabilities. These include irregular operations (IRROPS) management, flight delay and passenger misconnection predictions, managing aircraft routing, and cancellation recommendations. Leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies and infrastructure, the team continuously enhances recommendation, prediction, and forecasting platforms to deliver intuitive, data-driven tools that enable real-time situational awareness and informed decision-making.

Job Overview and Responsibilities

Our United team in India is on an exciting growth trajectory, and to fuel this momentum, we are seeking a highly experienced Principal Developer who will provide deep technical leadership, hands‑on architecture guidance, and engineering excellence for enterprise applications that are essential to driving our business success.

We are looking for a technical leader who combines strong software engineering expertise with the ability to influence architecture, guide complex design decisions, mentor engineering teams, and collaborate closely with product, business and technology stakeholders. Deep experience in modern application development, cloud‑native architecture, Agile delivery, DevOps practices, coding and testing with AI‑enabled tools, and solution architecture will be key to success in this role.

Technical Leadership & Engineering Excellence: Provide principal‑level technical leadership across application design, development, modernization, and delivery. Lead architectural discussions, define engineering standards, review complex designs, mentor developers and tech leads, and promote high‑quality, secure, scalable, and maintainable software solutions.

Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner closely with US technology leadership, product teams, business stakeholders, and local/global engineering teams to align technical solutions with business priorities and technology roadmaps. Communicate architecture decisions, delivery risks, technical trade‑offs, and opportunities for innovation in a clear and effective manner.

Application Architecture & Delivery: Drive the design and delivery of mission‑critical applications using modern engineering practices, cloud‑native patterns, microservices, APIs, containers, CI/CD, and DevOps automation. Ensure applications are resilient, observable, performant, secure, and aligned with enterprise architecture, compliance, and operational standards. Identify and resolve technical risks that may affect quality, scalability, reliability, or delivery timelines.

Product Technology Strategy and Innovation: Collaborate with United business and DT leadership teams, product SMEs, and cross‑functional technology partners to shape product technology strategy, define scalable solution approaches, and support multi‑year modernization roadmaps. Apply engineering expertise, data‑driven thinking, and AI‑enabled development practices to solve complex operational challenges and deliver intuitive, reliable, and innovative capabilities.

This position is offered on local terms and conditions. Expatriate assignments and sponsorship for employment visas, even on a time‑limited visa status, will not be awarded. This position is for United Airlines Business Services Pvt. Ltd - a wholly owned subsidiary of United Airlines Inc.

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of IT and business/industry experience in application development, software engineering, solution architecture, or large‑scale software delivery roles, with a strong focus on technical leadership.
• 10+ years of hands‑on experience in application development using Java, .NET, React, AWS, and related modern technology stacks.
• 4+ years of experience architecting and designing complex, enterprise‑scale software applications, preferably using cloud‑native, microservices‑based, and event‑driven patterns.
• Expert‑level knowledge of Aviation NOC (Network Operations Center), including IRROPS, day‑of‑operations management, operational decision support, and mission‑critical airline technology platforms.
• Must have agentic AI based development exposure.
• Proven ability to provide technical direction, architecture guidance, design reviews, and engineering mentorship to application development teams, preferably within the Airline NOC space.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills to work effectively with business partners, product owners, architects, engineering teams, and senior technology stakeholders.
• Strong expertise in microservices architecture, Docker/container platforms, APIs, CI/CD, DevOps automation, observability, cloud‑based application development, and secure engineering practices.
• Strong knowledge of stakeholder engagement and collaboration with US‑based leadership and globally distributed technology teams.
• Ability to lead the technical design and deployment of agentic AI systems that autonomously plan, reason, and act to drive enterprise‑scale innovation.
• Guide engineers and cross‑functional partners in integrating agentic AI into business workflows, ensuring ethical, scalable, secure, and high‑impact outcomes.
• Experience in Agile, DevOps, and cloud‑based application development (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud).
• Excellent communication, technical influencing, negotiation, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to collaborate across cross‑cultural teams and time zones to drive technical alignment and successful delivery.
• Must be legally authorized to work in India for any employer without sponsorship.

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Information Systems, or another related field
• Experience mentoring developers, influencing technical direction, and leading architecture decisions across large engineering teams
• Certifications such as AWS/Azure/GCP Solution Architect or related engineering certifications
• Airline/NOC (Network Operations Center) experience is a plus