Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation - SVP

Socket.dev; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 170,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi in Irving, Texas is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer to drive API tooling and automation across digital platforms. You will lead strategic architecture, advanced tooling, and governance to elevate developer productivity and platform resilience.

As a senior leader, you will mentor engineers, align solutions with Citi's technology vision, and oversee secure, scalable pipelines and cost-efficient infrastructure across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive, hands-on experience in Enterprise Architecture, Software Eng, or Platform Eng.
• Subject matter expertise in architecting, securing, and stabilizing high-volume API platforms and developer portals.
• Proven automation experience for risk reduction, self-service DX, and operational efficiency.
• Knowledge across cloud platforms and modern web/mobile tech stacks.
• Experience driving cost optimization and platform governance.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Autonomy to lead large-scale initiatives with cross-functional dependencies.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic technical leadership and architecture for API tooling and modernization.
• Oversee risk management, deployment security, and auditability across pipelines.
• Drive platform governance, credential management, and compliance efforts.
• Mentor engineers and influence senior stakeholders to align technical solutions.

Skills

API Expertise

Developer Experience

Platform Architecture

Cloud Platforms

Security & Compliance

Cost Optimization

Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Computer Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

AWS

PCF

Akamai

Angular

Spring Boot

iOS/Android native

Job description

The Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation (Digital S/W Eng Sr Lead Analyst) is a strategic, high-impact technical leader responsible for driving critical architecture, automation, and modernization initiatives across our API and digital technology landscape. This role demands a visionary subject matter expert capable of delivering exceptional technical leadership, strategic platform ownership, and advanced tooling solutions (including AI/ML-driven automation) to elevate developer productivity, platform stability, and operational efficiency.

As a C14 Senior Principal Engineer, you will operate with a high degree of independence, defining technical strategy, establishing robust platform governance, and mentoring mid-to-senior level engineers. You will collaborate extensively with cross-functional stakeholders at a senior level to negotiate, guide, and align technical solutions with Citi's broader technology vision.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Platform Modernization: Drive the long-term technical strategy, architecture, and maturation of critical technology platforms (including API platforms and developer self-service portals), building strong stakeholder and developer confidence.
• Advanced Tooling & AI: Lead the design and implementation of innovative, next-generation solutions, including advanced data-matching logic, AI/ML-driven developer tools, and automated pipelines to optimize platform hygiene.
• Design Governance: Serve as a key member of the Design Review Board, searching for generic patterns, establishing architectural best practices, and sharing engineering excel-level templates across the organization.
• Strategic Trade-Offs: Formulate technical and architectural trade-offs (e.g., service boundaries, performance vs. extensibility) that balanced immediate, tactical, operational needs with long-term strategic business goals.

2. Risk Management & Operational Excellence

• Platform Governance: Strengthen platform governance and compliance by establishing robust credential management workflows, ensuring diligent CAMP compliance, and managing certificate renewal automation.
• Pipeline & Deployment Security: Oversee production deployment support processes and manage critical pipeline migrations, developing robust tools to enhance end-to-end auditability and traceability.
• Operational Hygiene: Proactively identify, mitigate, and resolve daily operational risks, fostering a self-disciplined culture of robust operational hygiene and platform resilience.
• Risk Safeguarding: Appropriately assess risk during technical decision-making, demonstrating strict consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients, and assets by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

3. Financial Optimization & Resource Management

• Platform Rationalization: Lead significant initiatives to optimize infrastructure utilization, leveraging data-driven insights to retire legacy components and rationalize low- or zero-traffic APIs, reducing operational overhead and technical debt.
• Traffic & Cost Efficiency: Define and implement advanced quota and rate-limit optimizations to improve resource utilization, directly contributing to financial savings and cloud platform cost efficiency.
• Strategic Buy-In: Develop strong influence with production management and application owners to secure buy-in and drive large-scale, cost-effective changes that deliver tangible financial benefits.

4. Stakeholder Engagement & Talent Development

• Consensus & Influence: Act as a premier influencer and technical diplomat, engaging with and driving consensus among diverse stakeholders, including business leaders, product managers, and engineering teams.
• Mentorship & Coaching: Act as an advisor, coach, and mentor to SDE IIs, SDE IIIs, and lower-level architects, establishing metric-oriented delivery goals, identifying growth opportunities, and providing formal/informal recognition for impactful contributions.
• Community Advocacy: Elevate Citi’s technology brand and GCT (Global Consumer Technology) profile by contributing to brown bags, tech talks, external publications, user groups, and actively representing the firm at key industry conferences.
• Collaboration: Embody and champion Citi's Leadership Principles, demonstrating strong personal ownership, driving delivery with excellence, and fostering a collaborative, highly motivated team environment.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 10+ years of progressive, hands‑on experience in Enterprise Architecture, Software Engineering, or Platform Engineering within a large-scale enterprise environment.
• API Expertise: Demonstrated subject matter expertise in architecting, securing, and stabilizing complex, high-volume API platforms, developer portals, or API gateways.
• Automation & Developer Experience (DX): Proven track record of designing and implementing automated solutions for risk reduction, developer self‑service, and overall operational efficiency.
• Modern Technology Stack: Broad technical knowledge across cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, PCF, Akamai), internet frameworks (e.g., Angular, Spring Boot, JFP), and mobile paradigms (iOS/Android native) to enable secure, performant, and scalable solutions.
• Infrastructure Optimization: Proven history of driving resource optimization and cost‑saving initiatives through data‑driven analysis and collaborative stakeholding.
• Communication & Negotiation: Exceptional communication, diplomatic, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and align senior executives, product teams, and engineering squads.

• Autonomy: High level of self‑motivation and independent work style, capable of successfully managing assignments involving large budgets, cross‑functional dependencies, and multiple projects simultaneously.

Education:

• Bachelor’s/University degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Master’s degree preferred.

Job Family Group:

Technology

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Job Family:

Digital Software Engineering

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Time Type:

Full time

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Primary Location:

Irving Texas United States

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Primary Location Full Time Salary Range:

$169,600.00 - $254,400.00

In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

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Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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Anticipated Posting Close Date:

Sep 25, 2026

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Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate's skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.

Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not involve relying on automatic or autonomous decision-making. Please refer to any Jurisdictional Considerations, with specific provisions for your country (where relevant) for further details.

Illinois residents – AI Notice and Right

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Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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