Principal Engineer

Northwestern Mutual is disrupting the financial security industry by setting the new standard for client experience. We deliver distinctive and dynamically interactive innovative capabilities that can only be accessed through our exclusive digital platform which transforms the client-advisor partnership and elevates client engagement. 

As Principal Engineer, you'll have a great opportunity to help Northwestern Mutual continue to develop, refine, and implement the strategy for our Sales Enablement tools, which includes policy Illustration Systems and Financial Planning solutions. We are looking for a capable engineer who has a proven track record of solutioning, implementing and delivering on business strategy, being a leader with vision and helping to build an extraordinary engineering culture. The ideal person will be someone who can operate in pivotal initiatives and deliver tactically while demonstrating strong analytical and leadership skills. This person will have a deep understanding of technology solutions and has demonstrated out of the box problem solving skills and innovative approach. The candidate would also be responsible for system design, solution architecture and implementation.

Job Responsibilities:

• Applies industry leading and ground-breaking best practices in analyzing and developing software solutions.

• Designs, coordinates, and performs high impact solutions across the organization.

• Mentors, guides, and coaches’ engineers within division for technical and leadership growth.

• Develops strategies, writes proposals, and pitches them across the enterprise for new architectures, systems, and approaches.

• Influences technical, business and product leadership to overcome cultural, product or technical challenges.

• Represents Northwestern Mutual’s technology organization in community and technology events.

• Recommends product, process, or service improvements; Leads technology solutions with notable risk and complexity; develops the strategy for solution execution.

• Acts as a practitioner, mentor, advisor, or influencer based on the need and the situation.

• Nurtures network and talent pipeline by attending and presenting at meetups, conferences, and tech events.

• Design Solutions:

  • Lead the architecture, design, and technical oversight of the solutions required to deliver the epic.

  • Align technical solutions with the strategic business objectives and vision defined by the Epic Product Lead and progress toward the Planning Platform's target state as defined by Frontend/Backend/Data Lead.

  • Ensure alignment among delivery teams regarding the technical aspects of the epic.

• Technical Roadmap:

  • Develop and maintain the product technology roadmap for the epic, ensuring it complements the product, target state, and other epic roadmaps.

  • Ensure that the technical roadmap addresses scalability, security, maintenance, and performance considerations.

  • Identify and document technical risks and trade-offs early and develop mitigation strategies with the teams.

• Requirements and Implementation:

  • Collaborate with Epic Product Lead and Frontend/Backend/Data Leads to refine high-level epic requirements into succinct definitions of done and acceptance criteria.

  • Oversee the technical implementation of the epic, ensuring software quality is achieved and engineering standards and best practices are followed.

• Technical decision-making:

  • Make key technical decisions, identify risks, and trade-offs and provide strategic technical guidance to the development leads/engineering managers.

  • Collaborate with the Epic Product Lead and Program Manager to ensure technical feasibility and resolve any technical issues or roadblocks.

  • Highlight the need for architecture decision records (ADR) and ensure they are submitted, as required.

• Training and Mentoring:

  • Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineering teams and junior members.

  • Partner with engineering leads and ADs for training and development of technical skills within the teams involved in the epic.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience

• 9-14 years of professional experience required.

• 8-10+ years of experience leading teams using modern engineering tools, languages, and practices.

• Proven track record of optimally developing strategy, establishing design, and completing the delivery of large and sophisticated enterprise systems.

• Success working in a matrix environment.

• Mentor for the team and department positive relationships with multiple business and technology partners.

• Recognized specialist in the regional area in one or more technologies OR specialist in most core systems of the enterprise

• Thrives in ambiguity.

• Requires conceptual and innovative thinking to develop solutions.

• Ability to optimally communicate to both technical and non-technical audiences in varying forms and all levels of detail.

• Strong understanding of design patterns and architecture.

• Ability to influence teams, technology or business leaders on impactful issues and decisions.

• Well-rounded skills across front end and server-side programming including DevOps automation and experience with Cloud infrastructure, preferably AWS.

Technologies/Skills:

• Core Programming Skills – Java / Springboot / Spring Batch, React / Redux, Nodejs, Javascript

• DevOps and Build Automation – GitLab CI / Jenkins, Maven, Gradle, Terraform

• Cloud – AWS (S3, Lambda, RDS, EC2, KMS, IAM, MSK)

Concepts:

• Object oriented design patterns, Microservices Architecture, Event Driven Frameworks and Service Oriented Architecture

• Experience with API Management Frameworks

• Familiarity with both Batch and Real-time application patterns

• Familiarity with Security Patterns/Frameworks like Secure SDLC, TLS and Secrets Management

• Familiarity with Containers and Container Management (Kubernetes)

• Familiarity with Business Rules Management and Document Management systems

• Familiarity with cloud deployment patterns

Benefits:

• Tuition reimbursement, commuter plans, and paid time off

• Highly competitive compensation that include base salary plus bonus

• Medical/Dental/Vision plans, 401(k), pension program

#LI-Hybrid

Compensation Range:

Pay Range - End:

We believe in fairness and transparency. It’s why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you’re living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.

Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.