Principal Software Engineer

Nordstrom Inc; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 191,000 - 297,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Vision

Retirement

Paid Time Off

Merchandise Discount

Job summary

Nordstrom, a leading fashion retailer, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to join Inventory Technology. You will set technical direction for a 150+ engineering org, architect complex systems, and design event‑driven microservices powering real‑time inventory across stores and warehouses.

You will mentor engineers, drive secure development practices, and apply agentic AI capabilities to optimize inventory workflows, with hands‑on POCs and cross‑team collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in computer science, computer engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Proficiency in Java and Python.
• Hands‑on experience with AWS and/or GCP.
• Hands‑on experience with agentic AI systems; AWS Bedrock exposure a plus.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and continuous improvement mindset.
• DevOps experience; track record of improving MTTR and reducing failures.
• Strong CI/CD experience (GitLab) and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Ability to architect scalable services with enterprise‑grade security.
• Mentoring and coaching of engineers; strong problem solving at scale.

Responsibilities

• Set technical direction for a 150+ engineering org on how designs are built and shipped.
• Architect and develop complex, scalable systems meeting SLA and KPI standards.
• Design and evolve event‑driven, microservices architectures with streaming platforms.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to recommend solutions and articulate trade‑offs.
• Provide domain technical authority across Inventory Technology and adjacent teams.
• Lead engineers across multiple teams, guiding software design and development.
• Diagnose and remedy performance or security issues.
• Mentor senior engineers and help attract top talent; stay hands‑on with POCs.

Skills

Java

Python

Agentic AI

Agile

Security best practices

Technical leadership

System architecture

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s in CS/CE

Tools

AWS

GCP

GitLab

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

Bedrock

Job description

Job Description

Nordstrom, a leading fashion retailer, is seeking a highly skilled Principal Software Engineer to join our Inventory Technology team. Inventory is Nordstrom’s biggest investment and the productive use of it is critical to the company’s success. Our team is responsible for the movement execution and optimization of inventory across a network of 400+ stores and our warehouses, as well as the visibility and traceability of the inventory. Lastly, we are also responsible for the systems that support all of the reverse logistics lifecycle for Nordstrom. Our platform provides a real-time, unified representation of inventory state, enabling stores, fulfillment centers, and enterprise stakeholders to make informed decisions about stock availability, movement, and allocation. We’re also at the forefront of applying AI and agentic architectures to transform how inventory systems are built, tested and operated. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a crucial role in building technology to improve the way we move, track and optimize our inventory. As a key member of our Inventory technology leadership team, you will oversee the design, architecture, and implementation of critical technology. Your expertise will be instrumental in driving innovation and ensuring the scalability, reliability, and performance of our technology.

A day in the life...

• Set technical direction for a 150+ engineering org on how the org designs, builds, and ships code, with agentic development practices where agents write code and engineers provide the context and review
• Architect and develop complex systems at scale that meet SLA’s, KPI's and engineering standards
• Design and evolve event-driven, microservices-based architectures (e.g., streaming platforms such as Kafka) that power real-time inventory visibility, movement, and traceability across our store, warehouse, and RFID systems
• Collaborate with and influence senior technology and business leaders to recommend solutions and articulate trade‑off’s
• Set technical direction and strategy across the Inventory Technology portfolio, serving as the domain’s technical authority to peer engineering organizations (Supply Chain, Merchandising, Data Science) and enterprise business stakeholders
• Lead engineers across multiple teams through projects by providing guidance on software design and development
• Diagnose and remedy performance or security issues
• Demonstrates expertise in industry standards for secure development practices
• Apply expertise with telemetry solutions and products available in the industry
• Contributes to great open source, community projects and engineering standards
• Mentor and elevate Senior engineers across the broader Inventory Technology organization; help acquire and retain top engineering talent
• Stay hands‑on: build POCs and dig into complex problem areas directly, not just at the whiteboard

You own this if you have…

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Highly proficient with Java and Python
• Highly experienced with AWS and/or GCP
• Hands‑on experience with agentic AI systems; experience with AWS Bedrock
• AgentCore is a strong plus
• Experience with Agile methodologies with a continuous improvement and quality mindset
• DevOps experience with track record of improving time to recovery and mitigating failures
• Highly experienced with various CI/CD process and tools (GitLab) and containerization technologies
• Highly skilled at applying architectural patterns to express complex scalable systems that optimize for simplicity, operational support and implementation velocity
• Experienced with developing data science enabled solutions using big data and traditional software skills
• Experience leveraging AI, particularly Generative AI, to enhance platform automation, reduce operational costs, and improve engineering productivity.
• Identify opportunities where AI can streamline workflows, optimize data processing, and enable intelligent decision‑making
• Track record of designing and developing services and applications with enterprise grade security to protect sensitive data from threats
• Highly experienced with mentoring and coaching engineers
• Track record of architecting and solving complex engineering problems at scale with outstanding business and technology results
• Experience in supply chain and/or complex ecommerce domains is preferred
• Domain experience with inventory management, warehouse management systems (WMS), or RFID‑based tracking systems is a strong plus

Pay Range Details

The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations. Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. $191,000.00 - $297,000.00 Annual

We’ve got you covered…

Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including: Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away Life Insurance and Disability Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources. This position may be eligible for performance-based incentives/bonuses. Benefits include 401k, medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance options, PTO accruals, Holidays, and more. Eligibility requirements may apply based on location, job level, classification, and length of employment. Learn more in the Nordstrom Benefits Overview by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://careers.nordstrom.com/pdfs/Ben_Overview_17-19.pdf

A few more important points... The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job. For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site. Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com. Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s for relevant information and guidelines.

© 2026 Nordstrom, Inc

About Us

We’re a fast‑moving fashion company that started as a shoe store in 1901. This heritage of service is the foundation we’re building on as we provide convenience and true connection for our customers. We empower our people to be innovative, creative and focused on providing the best service to our customers. Through it all, we remain committed to leaving the world better than we found it. Whether you’re a genius engineer, a phenomenal salesperson or a supply chain pro, we invite you to bring your unique talents and join our team. We reward great work, promote from within and celebrate diversity.

CUSTOMER OBSESSED

We strive to know our customers better than anyone else. We listen, anticipate, build trust and move with speed to deliver on their needs.

OWNERS AT HEART

We treat every interaction as an opportunity to make an impact and deliver excellence.

CURIOUS AND EVER CHANGING

We approach problems with curiosity and create solutions. We unlock potential to be bold, think big and inspire innovation.

HERE TO WIN

We’re committed to delivering results, both today and tomorrow. We win as a team by supporting and challenging one another to be better every day.

WE EXTEND OURSELVES

We treat each other with respect and kindness. We do the small things that make a big difference. We create a welcoming environment, helping people feel connected, valued and part of one community.

Come on! Join us!