Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation - SVP

Citibank (Switzerland) AG; Irving (TX); Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

Citi in Irving, Texas is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer to drive API tooling, platform modernization, and automation across our digital stack. You will own architectural strategy, govern design reviews, and mentor senior engineers while enabling AI/ML-powered developer tools for efficiency.

You will collaborate with cross-functional leaders to balance performance, extensibility, and cost, ensuring robust security and governance across pipelines and deployments in a hybrid work model.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Enterprise Architecture, Software Eng, or Platform Eng in large enterprises.
• Expertise in architecting, securing, and stabilizing complex API platforms.
• Experience with automation and developer experience improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead platform modernization and API tooling strategy.
• Design and implement AI/ML-driven tooling for developer productivity.
• Oversee risk, security, and governance across pipelines and deployments.
• Mentor engineers and influence senior stakeholders.

Skills

API strategy

Automation DX

Architecture

Stakeholder mgmt

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

AWS

PCF

Akamai

Angular

Spring Boot

Job description

## Senior Principal Engineer, API Tooling & Automation - SVPApply: Hybrid: Irving Texas United States: Full time: Posted Yesterday: 26989026The **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------------------------------------------------------## **Job Family:**Digital Software Engineering------------------------------------------------------## **Time Type:**Full time------------------------------------------------------## **Primary Location:**Irving Texas United States------------------------------------------------------## **Primary Location Full Time Salary Range:**$169,600.00 - $254,400.00In 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.