Principal Software Engineer

19109 SPEEDPAY RD; Omaha (NE); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ACI Worldwide is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to define technical vision and architecture for major cross-team initiatives. This senior role drives engineering excellence, sets standards, and influences product roadmaps with technical insight.

You will mentor senior engineers, lead architecture reviews, and champion scalable, secure systems across the organization, including AI/ML initiatives to boost productivity and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; Master's preferred.
• Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree.
• 8–12 years of software engineering with leadership experience.
• Experience delivering large-scale systems and cross-team initiatives.
• Payments or regulated industry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define technical vision and architecture for major cross-team initiatives.
• Lead design reviews and set engineering standards across multiple teams.
• Influence product roadmap with technical insights and innovation opportunities.
• Evaluate and adopt new technologies including AI/ML to improve engineering productivity.
• Identify and resolve complex technical challenges that span multiple systems.
• Drive technical excellence and best practices across engineering organization.
• Serve as technical escalation point for critical issues and architectural decisions.
• Lead architecture reviews and provide guidance on system design.
• Represent engineering in cross-organizational initiatives and strategic planning.
• Mentor senior engineers and technical leads across teams.
• Drive adoption of engineering best practices and architectural patterns.

Skills

Expert software architect

Distributed systems

Microservices

Cloud architectures

AI/ML integration

Security architecture

Communication skills

Leadership by influence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's degree preferred

Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree

Tools

AWS

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

JOB PURPOSE

The Principal Software Engineer defines technical vision and architecture for major initiatives across multiple teams. This senior technical leadership position drives engineering excellence, sets standards, influences product roadmap with technical insights, and serves as a technical authority for complex challenges across the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Vision & Strategy

• Define technical vision and architecture for major cross-team initiatives
• Lead design reviews and set engineering standards across multiple teams
• Influence product roadmap with technical insights and innovation opportunities
• Evaluate and adopt new technologies including AI/ML to improve engineering productivity

Technical Leadership & Problem Solving

• Identify and resolve complex technical challenges that span multiple systems
• Drive technical excellence and best practices across engineering organization
• Serve as technical escalation point for critical issues and architectural decisions
• Lead architecture reviews and provide guidance on system design

Cross-Organizational Impact

• Represent engineering in cross-organizational initiatives and strategic planning
• Mentor senior engineers and technical leads across teams
• Drive adoption of engineering best practices and architectural patterns
• Build strategic technical relationships with partners and stakeholders

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; Master's preferred
• Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree

Experience

• 8-12 years of software engineering with demonstrated technical leadership
• Proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale software systems
• Experience leading technical initiatives across multiple teams
• Strong influence on technical direction and engineering culture
• Payments, financial services, or regulated industry experience preferred

Technical Skills

• Expert software architect with large-scale system design experience
• Deep expertise across multiple technical domains and technology stacks
• Advanced knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and cloud architectures
• Experience with performance optimization at scale and system reliability
• Strong understanding of security architecture and compliance requirements
• Proficiency in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies including AI/ML
• Talented in AI tool adoption and integrating AI capabilities across systems

Professional Skills

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Strong cross-team influence and stakeholder management
• Strategic thinking with ability to connect technical decisions to business outcomes
• Leadership through influence without direct authority

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Conference speaking, technical publications, or recognized thought leadership
• Advanced certifications in relevant technologies
• Experience with enterprise-scale systems (millions of users, petabytes of data)
• Track record of technical innovation and patents

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Hybrid work model (2-3 days in-office); multiple office locations available
• 10-15% travel for conferences, strategic meetings, and cross-site collaboration
• On-call escalation participation; flexible hours for global collaboration

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

ACI Worldwide is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

LEGAL DISCLAIMERS

Compliance & Ethics: Adherence to ACI's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics required.

Security & Data Protection: Access to sensitive information requires compliance with security policies and regulations (GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS).

Work Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in US/Canada. Visa sponsorship not available.

Background Screening: Comprehensive background checks required.

Position Description: Responsibilities may change based on business needs.