Principal, SW Quality Eng

Northern Trust Corp; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 115,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k and pension

Health benefits

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Northern Trust is seeking a Principal, Software Quality Engineering for Capital Markets Securities Finance. You will lead end-to-end testing strategy, automation, data/API validation, and performance testing across global teams.

Collaborate with Product Owners, Analysts, Architects and Developers to drive quality governance and release-readiness. Strong domain expertise and leadership are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Securities Finance domain knowledge and lifecycle familiarity.
• Experience designing end-to-end test strategies for large financial systems.
• Experience building scalable automation frameworks and data validation across platforms.
• Ability to communicate quality risk and delivery status to diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the Securities Finance quality engineering strategy across functional, integration, regression, data, API and non-functional testing.
• Lead complex end-to-end test cycles across interconnected applications and global teams.
• Design testable solutions with Product Owners and Developers early in the SDLC.
• Develop roadmaps and plans for program-level test strategies and automation capabilities.
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines for early feedback and continuous delivery.

Skills

Securities Finance

Quality strategy

Test automation

CI/CD integration

Data testing

API testing

Performance testing

Leadership

Communication

Financial services

Tools

Selenium

Cucumber

Jenkins

Azure DevOps

SQL

Java

Python

JavaScript

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. We are seeking a Principal, Software Quality Engineering professional to provide technical and quality leadership for Capital Markets Securities Finance. The role requires strong Securities Finance domain knowledge combined with end-to-end testing strategy, automation engineering, data/API validation, performance testing and quality governance. The individual will partner with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Architects, Developers and global technology teams to drive scalable, risk-based quality engineering across complex Securities Finance platforms and integrated workflows.

Key Differentiators

Deep Securities Finance expertise: strong understanding of the securities lending and financing lifecycle, including trade capture, inventory/availability, collateral, pricing, settlement, recalls/returns, corporate actions and downstream processing. Principal-level quality leadership: ability to define end-to-end test strategy, quality standards, governance, risk-based coverage and release-readiness criteria across complex programs. Engineering-led automation: technical ownership of reusable automation frameworks, regression suites, data validation and CI/CD-integrated quality checks. Complex integration testing: ability to validate front-to-back workflows spanning applications, APIs, messaging, data pipelines and downstream platforms.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the Securities Finance quality engineering strategy across functional, integration, regression, data, API and non-functional testing.
• Advance product quality through testing innovation, engineering practices and continuous process improvement.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Architects and Developers to design testable solutions and establish quality requirements early in the SDLC.
• Develop technical roadmaps and implementation plans for program-level test strategies and automation capabilities.
• Lead complex end-to-end test cycles across interconnected Securities Finance applications and global teams, including defect triage, risk assessment and release-readiness reporting.
• Design and manage technical proof-of-concepts and feasibility studies for new quality engineering capabilities.
• Identify quality and delivery risks early, drive root-cause analysis, and ensure timely escalation and mitigation.
• Optimize and maintain automation frameworks and regression suites; expand automated coverage for high-value and high-risk business workflows.
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to enable early, repeatable feedback and support continuous delivery.
• Lead data validation across databases, ETL/ELT pipelines and downstream reporting or processing flows.
• Design and execute API, microservices, integration and performance testing at program level.
• Define meaningful quality metrics and provide clear execution, defect, automation and release-readiness reporting to technical and business stakeholders.
• Provide technical mentorship and quality engineering leadership across distributed teams; help establish consistent standards and engineering best practices.

Required Skills

• Securities Finance domain knowledge: strong functional understanding of securities lending/borrowing or financing workflows and associated lifecycle events.
• Quality engineering strategy: demonstrated experience designing and governing end-to-end test strategies for large, integrated financial systems.
• Test automation: expertise building and extending scalable automation frameworks using modern programming/scripting languages such as Java, Python, JavaScript and SQL.
• Automation frameworks and practices: experience with BDD/TDD approaches and tools such as Cucumber and Selenium or comparable modern automation technologies.
• CI/CD: experience integrating automated quality checks with Jenkins, Azure DevOps or comparable delivery pipelines.
• Data testing: strong SQL skills and experience validating relational/analytical databases, data warehouses, ETL/ELT processing and complex data flows.
• API and microservices testing: strong experience validating service interfaces, integration flows and data-layer behavior.
• Performance testing: experience planning and executing performance, scalability and resiliency testing at application or program level.
• Analytical leadership: ability to understand complex business logic, diagnose systemic defects and recommend strategic quality improvements.
• Communication and influence: proven ability to communicate quality risk, technical decisions and delivery status to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Financial services experience: substantial experience delivering quality engineering for capital markets or other complex financial platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with cloud and modern data platforms, including Azure-based services.
• Experience modernizing legacy test suites into reusable, maintainable automation capabilities.
• Experience supporting regulatory, control-sensitive or audit-focused technology delivery in financial services.
• Azure or relevant quality/engineering certification is a plus.
• Experience 14 years of relevant software quality engineering, testing or technology delivery experience, including senior technical or quality leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience leading quality engineering for complex, business-critical financial systems and multi-team programs.

Success Profile

• Self-motivated, proactive and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment with multiple platforms, architectures and delivery teams.
• Able to move between detailed technical analysis and broader program-level quality risk assessment.
• Balances hands-on engineering depth with strategic leadership, stakeholder influence and delivery accountability.

Salary Range

Salary Range: $114,700 - 194,900 USD Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay.

Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [e-mail], or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

Looking for greater?

You found it. A global financial leader with more than 22,000 employees in 23 locations worldwide, Northern Trust empowers our employees to achieve more than just business goals. Our focus on work-life balance, career mobility and unique opportunities are just a few of the reasons we’ve been named one of the world’s most admired companies.

Terms and Conditions

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Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision (U.S)

Transparency in Coverage Disclosure – North America

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center or call 1-800-807-0302 (North America), [phone] (Asia Pacific), 1800-425-0333 (India), [phone] (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

APAC/INDIA EEO STATEMENT

It is the policy and practice of Northern Trust to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Northern Trust does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion or belief, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or age. All employment decisions will be made in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with our obligations under the law and codes of practice. This includes human resources’ decisions relating to recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, transfers, promotions and access to learning and development.

Canada EEO STATEMENT

Northern Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Hiring and other employment decisions at Northern Trust are made without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, ethnic origin, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, record of offences, marital status, family status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.

EMEA EEO STATEMENT

It is the policy and practice of Northern Trust to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Northern Trust does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion or belief, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or age. All employment decisions will be made in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with our obligations under the law and codes of practice. This includes human resources’ decisions relating to recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, transfers, promotions and access to learning and development.

USA EEO STATEMENT

It is the policy of The Northern Trust Company to afford equal opportunity in all phases of employment without regard to an individual's age, race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic tests and information, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status.