Principal, Software Engineer - Java

Walmart Inc.; Bentonville (AR); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits (medical, vision, and?

401(k)

Stock purchase program

Company-paid life insurance

Paid time off and leave benefits

Live Better U education program

Job summary

Walmart Inc. in Bentonville, AR, seeks a Principal Software Engineer to lead platform engineering, delivering scalable cloud-native infrastructure and AI/ML-enabled applications across multiple teams.

You will own technical decisions, mentor engineers, and align architecture with long-term roadmaps while ensuring reliability, performance, and security across data processing pipelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/Software Engineering or related field
• 5+ years software engineering experience (or 7 years) in software development

Responsibilities

• Lead platform engineering efforts to deliver scalable infrastructure and reusable tooling.
• Drive full software development lifecycle across multiple teams with high availability and fault tolerance.
• Architect and integrate AI‑enhanced applications using cloud‑native principles.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship, promoting engineering excellence and standardization across teams.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business needs into measurable technical requirements.

Skills

Java (JDK 21)

Spring

Spring Boot

Domain-Driven Design

Distributed systems

AI/ML integration

Mentorship

Cloud-native architecture

Real-time data processing

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related

5+ years software engineering experience (or 7 years)

Tools

Cosmos DB

Cassandra

Spanner

Job description

Position Summary

Role summary: The Principal, Software Engineer leads platform engineering efforts by delivering scalable, cloud-native solutions and reusable infrastructure components that support long-term technical roadmaps. This role drives the full software development lifecycle across multiple teams, integrating AI/ML capabilities and ensuring system reliability and performance. The position requires strategic technical leadership, mentorship, and collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders to translate complex business needs into effective software architectures. The Principal Engineer champions innovation, continuous improvement, and adherence to high standards of quality, integrity, and operational excellence within a dynamic engineering environment.

About the team

The Global Integrated Fulfillment (GIF) team advances Walmart’s ability to position inventory closer to customers, enabling faster, more efficient order fulfillment. Within the Picking domain, the team supports essential Store Fulfillment operations such as item picking, pick path optimization, exception handling, and store exit processes. By providing clear direction, architectural leadership, and adherence to best engineering practices, the team ensures systems are resilient, scalable, and seamlessly integrated with other fulfillment functions. Their work drives continuous transformation to meet evolving business demands with reliability and operational excellence.

What you’ll do

Lead platform engineering efforts to deliver scalable infrastructure, reusable tooling, and AI/ML frameworks aligned with strategic roadmaps. Drive full software development lifecycle across multiple teams, ensuring high availability, fault tolerance, and real-time data processing. Architect and integrate intelligent AI‑enhanced applications using cloud‑native principles and model‑driven design. Provide technical leadership and mentorship, promoting engineering excellence and standardization across teams. Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business needs into actionable technical requirements and measurable outcomes. Own technical decisions, ensuring quality, reliability, and alignment with long‑term system goals. Foster continuous improvement by adopting new technologies and optimizing processes.

What you’ll bring

Proficiency in cloud-native architecture and distributed system design ensuring high availability and fault tolerance. 10+ years of hands‑on software engineering experience building scalable, distributed systems using Java (JDK 21), Spring, and Spring Boot, with strong expertise in Domain‑Driven Design (DDD) and modern architecture patterns. Deep data platform expertise across SQL, NoSQL, and NewSQL technologies (Cosmos DB, Cassandra, Spanner), with a strong understanding of distributed system design. Proven mentorship skills, providing strategic guidance and fostering engineering excellence across teams. Excellent problem‑solving capabilities with a focus on aligning technical solutions to business objectives. Effective collaboration and communication skills to engage cross‑functional stakeholders and drive innovation.

Benefits

• Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage.
• Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company‑paid life insurance.
• Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.
• Other benefits include short‑term and long‑term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.
• You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable.
• Live Better U is a Walmart‑paid education benefit program for full‑time and part‑time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short‑form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment.
• Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms. For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart.

Salary

The annual salary range for this position is $110,000.00 - $220,000.00. Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include Stock.

Minimum Qualifications

• Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.
• Option 2: 7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
• We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Primary Location

2608 Se J St, Bentonville, AR 72716-3724, United States of America

About Walmart

Walmart and its subsidiaries are committed to maintaining a drug‑free workplace and has a no tolerance policy regarding the use of illegal drugs and alcohol on the job. This policy applies to all employees and aims to create a safe and productive work environment. About Walmart: Fifty years ago, Sam Walton started a single mom-and-pop shop and transformed it into the world's biggest retailer. Since those founding days, one thing has remained consistent: our commitment to helping our customers save money so they can live better. Today, we're reinventing the shopping experience and our associates are at the heart of it. You'll play a crucial role in shaping the future of retail, improving millions of lives around the world. This is that place where your passions meet purpose. Join our family and create a career you're proud of.