Experienced Software Engineer (AWS - Hybrid Only)

Principal Financial Group; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 116,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Principal Financial Group is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join the Non-Qualified Retirement IT Experience Product Family within the Benefits & Protection business. You will partner with product managers and engineering teams to define architectural vision, guide technical direction, and ensure technology investments align with business outcomes.

The role emphasizes architectural leadership, translating complex business needs into scalable solutions, and mentoring engineers across

Qualifications

• Associate's or bachelor's degree in a computer science, technology, engineering or math-related field.
• 4+ years of proven expertise in software solutioning and design.
• 4+ years of experience working with AWS (open to others).
• Hands-on software development experience with long-term architectural direction.

Responsibilities

• Translate business objectives into technical solutions with product and engineering teams.
• Define and evolve architectures aligning product strategy with enterprise standards.
• Provide technical leadership across multiple applications, services, and platforms for scalability and security.
• Mentor engineers and technical leads to develop scalable, maintainable solutions.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to stakeholders and build alignment on decisions.

Skills

Software architecture

Engineering leadership

Software design

Leadership influence

Education

Associate's or Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering/Math

Tools

AWS

Job description

What You'll Do

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join the Non-Qualified Retirement IT Experience Product Family within our Benefits & Protection business. In this role, you'll serve as a strategic technology leader, partnering with product managers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to articulate architectural vision, guide technical direction, and ensure technology investments align with business outcomes.

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join the Non-Qualified Retirement IT Experience Product Family within our Benefits & Protection business. In this role, you'll serve as a strategic technology leader, partnering with product managers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to articulate architectural vision, guide technical direction, and ensure technology investments align with business outcomes.

If you thrive at the intersection of business strategy, product driven organizations, and applying technical architecture, this role offers the opportunity to influence the design of scalable, secure, and resilient solutions while enabling engineering teams to deliver business value efficiently. The ideal candidate combines strong architectural thinking with practical software engineering experience excelling at translating complex business needs into actionable technical strategies and roadmaps.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Partner with product managers, business leaders, engineers, and enterprise architects to translate business objectives into technical solutions.
• Anticipate technical challenges, identify architectural risks, and develop strategies that enable long term product growth and sustainability.
• Define and evolve solution architectures that align product strategy, business capabilities, and enterprise technology standards.
• Provide technical leadership across multiple applications, services, and platforms to ensure scalability, security, performance, and maintainability.
• Research emerging technologies and industry trends, recommending opportunities that advance product and business objectives.
• Influence technology direction across product teams through architecture reviews, design guidance, standards, and best practices.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders and build alignment around strategic decisions.
• Mentor engineers and technical leads, fostering architectural excellence and helping teams develop scalable, supportable solutions.
• Drive collaborative problem solving across teams by clarifying ambiguity, resolving dependencies, and aligning stakeholders on a path forward.

Who You Are

We are looking for someone with:

• Associate's or bachelor's degree in a computer science, technology, engineering or math-related field and 6+ years work experience or equivalent experience
• Proven ability to influence others through formal/informal leadership
• 4+ years of proven expertise in software solutioning and design is required
• 4+ years of experience working with AWS (open to others)
• Proven experience as an IT professional (a strong foundation in hands on software development and mindset for long term architectural direction, aligning incremental solutions).

Skills That Will Help You Stand Out:

• Prior experience in Financial Services (Retirement & Insurance)
• Experience operating in a Product driven organization
• Salesforce experience
• Traditional Java & JavaScript
• Community/COE(Center of excellence) engagement & influence
• Take ownership and pride in your work. A voice for stewardship.
• Hungry, curious, driven and the ability to take initiative.

Salary Range Information

Salary ranges below reflect targeted base salaries. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation for all roles will be based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer.

Salary Range (Non-Exempt expressed as hourly; Exempt expressed as yearly)

$116000 - $171000 / year

Salary Details

Job level

We’ll consider talent at the next level with the right experiences and skills.

Work Environments

This role offers in-office, hybrid (blending at least three office days in a typical workweek). You’ll work with your leader to figure out which option may align best based on several factors.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we're not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please use the following links. Nonimmigrant Workers and Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants

Investment Code of Ethics

For Principal Global Investors positions, you’ll need to follow an Investment Code of Ethics related to personal and business conduct as well as personal trading activities for you and members of your household. These same requirements may also apply to other positions across the organization.

Experience Principal

While our expertise spans the globe, we're bound by one common purpose: to foster a world where financial security is accessible to all. And our success depends on the unique experiences, backgrounds, and talents of our employees – individually and all of us together. Explore our core values, benefits and why we’re an exceptional place to grow your career.

Principal is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Time Off Program

Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short-term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided.

Pension Eligible

Yes

• Sr. Software Engineer I: $116,000 - $156,000/year
• Sr. Software Engineer II: $127,000 - $171,000/year

Posting Window

We will accept applications for 3 full days following the Original Posting Date, after which the posting may remain open or be removed based upon applications received. If we choose to post the job again, we will accept additional applications for at least 1 full day following the Most Recently Posted Date. Please submit applications in a timely manner as there is no guarantee the posting will be available beyond the applicable deadline.

Original Posting Date

9/8/2026

Most Recently Posted Date

9/10/2026

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