Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation - SVP

Citi; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 170,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi in Irving, TX seeks a Senior Principal Engineer to lead API tooling, automation, and platform modernization across digital services. You will own strategic architecture, drive governance, and mentor senior engineers while influencing cross-functional stakeholders.

The role emphasizes AI/ML-driven tooling, secure deployment pipelines, and cost-aware platform stewardship. You will collaborate with product and business leaders to balance scalability, risk, and innovation while advancing Citi's

Qualifications

• Experience in Enterprise Architecture, Software Engineering, or Platform Engineering in a large-scale environment.
• Subject matter expertise in architecting, securing, and stabilizing high-volume API platforms and developer portals.
• Proven automation solutions for risk reduction, self-service, and operational efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical leadership and architecture for API tooling and automation initiatives.
• Drive platform modernization including API platforms and developer self-service portals.
• Lead AI/ML-driven tooling and automated pipelines to improve platform hygiene and developer productivity.
• Participate in Design Review Board to set architectural best practices and templates.
• Manage risk, governance, and credential workflows to ensure compliant operations.

Skills

API Platform Expertise

Automation & DX

Cloud & DevOps

Communication & Negotiation

Autonomy

Education

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

Master’s degree preferred

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

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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

Job Family

Digital Software Engineering

Time Type

Full time

Primary Location

Irving Texas United States

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.

Anticipated Posting Close Date

Sep 25, 2026

Automated Processing and AI

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