Sr Software Engineer II (Modernization - Workflow Platform & Integration)

Principal Financial Group; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Principal Financial Group is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead architecture for modernizing our process orchestration and workflow platform. You will guide technical direction across APIs, services, and enterprise integrations, partnering with stakeholders to deliver scalable, secure retirement solutions.

You will influence architecture for complex workflow-driven systems and provide mentorship to a team, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and enterprise strategy.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of enterprise-level engineering experience.
• 5+ years of professional experience with AWS (open to GCP & Azure).
• Experience architecting or modernizing SaaS platforms or highly configurable enterprise applications.
• Experience designing workflow-based systems spanning multiple applications and teams.
• Informal team leadership experience with mentoring and strategic direction.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide architectural oversight for the modernization of the process orchestration and workflow platform.
• Design scalable solutions and guide architectural decisions for mission-critical initiatives.
• Assess emerging technologies and patterns (cloud-native, event-driven, API-first) for alignment with strategy.
• Create and maintain solution architecture artifacts, reference architectures, and roadmaps.
• Collaborate with business, product, and technology stakeholders to translate objectives into robust technical solutions.
• Shape product and platform strategy with a compelling technical vision for enterprise capabilities.
• Mentor engineers and foster a results-driven culture focused on reliability and security.
• Ensure scalability, resiliency, security, observability, and business continuity in a regulated environment.

Skills

Solution architecture

Workflow orchestration

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

What You'll Do

We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our Retirement & Income Solutions (RIS) business. In this role, you’ll serve as an engineering leader providing architectural oversight for the modernization of our process orchestration and workflow platform by designing scalable solutions, guiding architectural decisions, and ensuring the successful delivery of mission‑critical initiatives that shape the future of our retirement solutions.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Drive technological innovation by identifying strategic opportunities to evolve our retirement solutions into a scalable enterprise platform that delivers maximum business impact.
• Design and influence architecture for complex, workflow‑driven systems, including business process orchestration across core platforms, APIs, services, and enterprise integrations.
• Assess emerging technologies and architectural patterns, including cloud‑native, event‑driven, and API‑first approaches, and provide guidance on technical direction, ensuring alignment with enterprise‑wide strategic initiatives.
• Create and maintain solution architecture artifacts, reference architectures, integration patterns, and technical roadmaps that enable scalable platform modernization, guiding implementation teams.
• Partner with business, product and technology stakeholders to transform business objectives and operational processes into robust technical solutions, while effectively bridging communication between technical and non‑technical teams
• Shape product and platform strategy by establishing compelling technical vision for configurable, reusable and extensible enterprise capabilities.
• Champion an exceptional engineering team by fostering innovation, mentoring talent, and supporting a results‑driven culture founded on trust and accountability.
• Ensure solutions are designed for scalability, resiliency, security, observability, and business continuity in a highly regulated environment.

Operating at the intersection of financial services and technology, Principal builds financial tools that help our customers live better lives. We take pride in being a purpose‑led firm, motivated by our mission to make financial security accessible to all. Our mission, integrity, and customer focus have made us a trusted leader for more than 140 years.

As Principal continues to modernize its systems, this role will offer you an exciting opportunity to build solutions that will directly impact our long‑term strategy and tech stack, all while ensuring that our products are robust, scalable, and secure!

Who You Are

We are looking for someone with:

• Associate or bachelor’s degree (preference in a computer science, technology, engineering or math‑related field) or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of enterprise‑level engineering experience, demonstrating progressive responsibility and impact.
• 5+ years of professional experience working with AWS (open to GCP & Azure).
• Experience working in a collaborative matrixed environment.
• Experience architecting or modernizing SaaS platforms, domain platforms, or highly configurable enterprise applications.
• Experience designing workflow‑based systems, business process automation, or orchestration solutions spanning multiple applications and teams.
• Informal team leadership experience, mentoring and providing strategic direction to a team.
• Excellent communication and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to work through complex technical challenges.

Skills That Will Help You Stand Out:

• Proven track record in solution architecture and system design
• Experience with process orchestration, workflow engines, or business process automation platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to modernize while maintaining business continuity.
• Experience in financial services or other highly regulated industries.

Salary Range Information

Salary ranges below reflect targeted base salaries. Non‑sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation for all roles will be based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer.

Salary Range (Non‑Exempt expressed as hourly; Exempt expressed as yearly)

$127000 - $171000 / year

Time Off Program

Flexible Time Off (FTO) is provided to salaried (exempt) employees and provides the opportunity to take time away from the office with pay for vacation, personal or short‑term illness. Employees don’t accrue a bank of time off under FTO and there is no set number of days provided.

Pension Eligible

Yes

Work Environments

This role offers in‑office, hybrid (blending at least three office days in a typical workweek). You’ll work with your leader to figure out which option may align best based on several factors.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we’re not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please use the following links.

Nonimmigrant Workers (https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-nonimmigrant-workers) and Green Card for Employment‑Based Immigrants (https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-for-employment-based-immigrants)

Investment Code of Ethics

For Principal Global Investors positions, you’ll need to follow an Investment Code of Ethics related to personal and business conduct as well as personal trading activities for you and members of your household. These same requirements may also apply to other positions across the organization.

Experience Principal

While our expertise spans the globe, we’re bound by one common purpose: to foster a world where financial security is accessible to all. And our success depends on the unique experiences, backgrounds, and talents of our employees – individually and all of us together. Explore our core values (https://www.principal.com/about-us/careers#core-values) , benefits (https://www.principal.com/about-us/careers#benefits) and why we’re an exceptional place (https://www.principal.com/about-us/careers#reputation) to grow your career.

Principal is an Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Posting Window

We will accept applications for 3 full days following the Original Posting Date, after which the posting may remain open or be removed based upon applications received. If we choose to post the job again, we will accept additional applications for at least 1 full day following the Most Recently Posted Date. Please submit applications in a timely manner as there is no guarantee the posting will be available beyond the applicable deadline.

Original Posting Date

7/23/2026

Most Recently Posted Date

7/23/2026

Principal uses artificial intelligence tools to assist in reviewing and evaluating job applications, fraud prevention, and candidate matching and comparisons. These AI tools support our human recruiters in the initial review process but do not make final hiring decisions without human involvement. By submitting your application, you acknowledge this use of AI in our recruitment process. Please review our Workforce (U.S.) Privacy Notice (https://secure02.principal.com/publicvsupply/GetFile?fm=WW962&ty=VOP) for more details on our practices and your data privacy rights.