JOB FUNCTION / SUMMARY:The Principal Engineer is a senior-level individual contributor and recognized subject matter expert responsible for enterprise-wide technical leadership, engineering strategy, and complex solution guidance across multiple systems, platforms, and domains. This role influences architecture, standards, modernization efforts, and strategic initiatives without direct people management responsibilities. Serving as a trusted advisor to technology and business leaders, this position provides technical leadership ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned with organizational objectives.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:- Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert for assigned technologies, platforms, or engineering domains.
- Define and influence technical standards, design patterns, best practices, and long-term roadmaps.
- Lead technical direction for strategic initiatives, ensuring scalable, secure, resilient, and supportable solutions.
- Lead complex solution design, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and performance optimization efforts.
- Review and approve high-impact technical decisions, architectures, and implementation approaches.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and guide modernization initiatives.
- Partner with technology teams and business leaders to align technical solutions with enterprise priorities.
- Influence cross-functional teams and communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence through training, documentation, standards, and continuous improvement.
- Lead conversion and/or integration workstreams related to mergers, acquisitions, or strategic business events.
MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE:- Bachelor's degree in a related field (i.e., Computer Science, Engineering, etc.) or equivalent experience.
- 10 years of progressively technical experience in complex enterprise environments.
- Prior experience as a Principal, Staff, Lead Engineer, or comparable senior technical expert.
- Extensive experience supporting complex, business-critical digital banking, branch banking, or financial-services technology platforms.
- Demonstrated expertise in online banking, mobile banking, online account opening, banker-assisted servicing, bill payment, funds transfers, authentication, identity verification, and related banking integrations.
- Strong understanding of banking operations, client onboarding, account servicing, transaction processing, fraud controls, regulatory requirements, and branch workflows.
- Advanced understanding of enterprise application architecture, APIs, system integrations, customer and account data flows, vendor-hosted solutions, security controls, and production-support practices.
- Experience with modern engineering practices preferred (DevOps, CI/CD, API, LLM, etc.).
- Expert technical knowledge and advanced engineering practices.
- Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and solve complex technical challenges.
- Strong communication and strategic planning skills.
- Banking or financial services experience preferred.
- M&A integration experience preferred.
- Demonstrated experience serving as the senior technical subject-matter expert or escalation point for highly integrated applications.
- Proven ability to independently lead complex production investigations, architecture decisions, platform changes, vendor escalations, and cross-functional technical initiatives.
- Experience communicating complex technical risks and recommendations to senior business and technology leaders.
- Ability to lead through technical expertise and influence in a senior individual-contributor role without direct reports.
ESSENTIAL MENTAL & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:- Ability to travel if required to perform the essential job functions
- Ability to work under stress and meet deadlines
- Ability to operate related equipment to perform the essential job functions
- Ability to read and interpret a document if required to perform the essential job functions
- Ability to lift/move/carry approximately 10 pounds if required to perform the essential job functions. If the employee is unable to lift/move/carry this weight and can be accommodated without causing the department/division an "undue hardship" then the employee must be accommodated; hence omitting lifting/moving/carrying as a physical requirement.
