Principal, SW Eng

ntrs; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Trust is seeking a highly experienced Principal Software Engineer to provide technical leadership and hands-on execution across complex cloud-native initiatives. You will mentor teams, influence architecture, and collaborate with global partners to deliver scalable software.

The role emphasizes strong Java expertise, Azure cloud proficiency, and modern development practices including TDD, CI/CD, and AI-assisted tooling to boost developer productivity and software quality.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Deep expertise in Java and modern application frameworks.
• Strong experience with Azure cloud services and cloud-native development.
• Solid understanding of Test-Driven Development (TDD) and contract-first development.
• CI/CD and DevOps practices, including automation and tooling.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; proven leadership by influence.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and hands-on development across cloud-native initiatives.
• Design, develop, and review high-quality, production-ready software in Java.
• Lead cloud architecture decisions and implement Azure-based solutions.
• Drive adoption of AI-assisted development capabilities to improve productivity and code quality.
• Collaborate with architects and engineers to enforce standards for scalability, security, and performance.
• Mentor engineers and promote a culture of high engineering standards and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams including Product, QA, and Platform across multiple regions.

Skills

Java

Azure

Cloud-native

TDD

CI/CD

DevOps

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Job description

About Northern Trust

As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world's most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.

Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.

With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Software Engineer to provide technical leadership and hands - on execution across complex, cloud - native software initiatives. This role combines deep engineering expertise with mentorship, architecture influence, and strong collaboration across global teams. The ideal candidate is passionate about engineering excellence , AI - assisted development , and building high - quality , scalable products using modern development practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Hands - On Development
• Act as a hands - on technical leader , designing, developing, and reviewing high - quality , production - ready software.
• Lead development using Java as the primary language, following clean code , TDD , and spec - driven development principles.
• Drive adoption of AI - assisted development capabilities (e.g., Copilot - style tools, intelligent automation) to improve developer productivity and code quality.
• Influence and review application and solution architecture for scalability, security, performance, and maintainability.
• Partner with architects and senior engineers to define and enforce engineering standards and best practices .
• Cloud & Platform Engineering
• Design, build, and deploy applications on Microsoft Azure , leveraging cloud - native services.
• Lead cloud architecture decisions with a strong understanding of:
• Azure compute , networking, storage, and security
• Cloud - based databases (SQL & NoSQL) and performance considerations
• Support and continuously improve DevOps pipelines , CI/CD practices, and infrastructure automation.
• Enable resilient, observable, and cost - efficient systems in the cloud.
• Quality, DevOps & Automation
• Champion Test - Driven Development (TDD) and automated testing at all levels (unit, integration, system).
• Enable and evolve test automation frameworks and practices across teams.
• Closely collaborate with DevOps and SRE partners to:
• Improve release reliability and deployment frequency
• Reduce operational risk and technical debt
• Strengthen monitoring, alerting, and production readiness
• Engineering Excellence & Team Enablement
• Mentor and groom engineers to elevate technical skills, design thinking, and ownership mindset.
• Provide guidance through code reviews, design discussions, and technical deep dives.
• Foster a culture of high engineering standards , accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to product, QA, and platform teams.
• Collaboration & Communication
• Work closely with cross - functional stakeholders including Product, Architecture, QA, and Operations.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non - technical audiences.
• Collaborate effectively with globally distributed teams across North America, EMEA, and India , accommodating time - zone overlaps when required.
• Proactively identify risks and propose pragmatic solutions.
• Required Qualifications
• Technical Skills
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong hands - on track record .
• Deep expertise in Java and modern application frameworks.
• Strong experience with Azure cloud services and cloud - native application development.
• Solid understanding and practical application of:
• Test - Driven Development (TDD)
• Spec - driven / contract - first development
• CI/CD and DevOps practices
• Working knowledge of cloud databases , data modeling, and performance tuning.
• Professional Skills
• Proven ability to lead by influence rather than authority.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem - solving , design, and decision - making abilities.
• Comfortable operating in fast - paced , evolving environments.
• Preferred / Added Weightage
• Microsoft Azure Architect Certification (strongly preferred).
• Experience integrating or enabling AI - assisted engineering tools within development workflows.
• Exposure to large - scale modernization, cloud migration, or distributed systems.
• Experience working in regulated or enterprise - grade environments.
• Experience working in Capital Markets / Asset Serv icing space will be beneficial
• What Success Looks Like in This Role
• Engineering teams consis