Principal, R&D Engineer

Vizient; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 156,500 - 290,100; Full time

Job summary

Vizient in Chicago is building a foundational R&D unit, where you will partner with product leaders to understand problems, translate intent into working software, and move fluidly from idea to prototype to production.

You’ll make pragmatic technical decisions that balance speed and durability, own from day one, and help shape how this unit operates as it grows while shipping software into live environments.

Qualifications

• Experience leading high-impact projects in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders and influence technical direction at an organizational level.
• Prior exposure to large-scale systems, cloud-native platforms, and enterprise-grade software development.

Responsibilities

• Partner with product leaders to understand problems, users, and rationale.
• Shape solutions collaboratively or execute independently when effective.
• Move from idea to prototype to production.
• Make pragmatic technical decisions balancing speed, learning, and durability.
• Help define how the R&D unit operates as it grows.

Skills

Software fundamentals

Shipping mindset

Ambiguity handling

Product understanding

Proven impact

Early-career flexibility

Tools

Cloud-native platforms

Enterprise-grade software

Job description

What You’ll Work On

• Customer‑facing tools used by real Vizient members
• Rapid experiments and prototypes designed to learn quickly
• Products that ship, evolve, and ship again – in rapid succession
• Platform work that unlocks future product velocity

How You’ll Work

• Partner closely with product leaders to understand problems, users, and rationale
• Shape solutions collaboratively when it makes sense, or execute independently when that’s more effective
• Move fluidly from idea to prototype to production
• Make pragmatic technical decisions that balance speed, learning, and durability
• Help define how this R&D unit operates as it grows

What We’re Looking For

• Strong software engineering fundamentals and a bias toward shipping
• Comfort working on ambiguous problems with real users and real constraints
• Ability to quickly understand product intent and translate it into working software
• A track record of building things that were actually used
• 2-5 years of experience is common, but not required – judgment and capability matter more than tenure
• Healthcare experience is not required

Why This Role Is Different

• It’s a foundational role in a new business unit with room to grow
• You’ll have real ownership and influence from the start
• You’ll ship software into live environments, not slide decks or internal demos
• You’ll help shape what R&D looks like at Vizient long‑term

Requirements

• Demonstrated success in leading high‑impact projects or initiatives in a fast‑paced, innovative environment
• Proven experience collaborating with cross‑functional stakeholders and influencing technical direction at an organizational level
• Prior exposure to large‑scale systems, cloud‑native platforms, and enterprise‑grade software development

Career Framework: SME – Principal (P5)

Estimated Hiring Range: $156,500.00 to $290,100.00. This position is also incentive eligible. The current salary range for this role is $156,500.00 to $290,100.00.