We are looking for a Principal Engineer with deep expertise in building high-throughput, low-latency, and highly available distributed systems. In this role, you will lead the technical vision, architectural patterns, and execution for critical backend services using Java, Spring Boot, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or similar experience in other cloud platforms like Azure / AWS.
Beyond core architecture, you will serve as a technical beacon—hands-on with profiling and troubleshooting complex JVM/Kubernetes environments, driving resilience and security best practices, and mentoring engineering teams to foster a culture of technical excellence.
This position is based at our headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, and requires on-site work. Hybrid or remote work is not offered for this role
Key Responsibilities
Technical Architecture & Design
- Design and execute end-to-end distributed backend architectures using Microservices, Event-Driven Architecture (EDA), and orchestration/choreography patterns.
- Build resilient, fault-tolerant applications using resilience patterns (Circuit Breaker, Bulkhead, Retry, Rate Limiting).
- Architect systems optimized for high throughput and low latency, maintaining strict SLA/SLO requirements.
- Enforce robust security practices across API design, authentication/authorization (OAuth2/OIDC), zero-trust networking, and data encryption at rest and in transit.
Cloud Platform, Infrastructure & DevOps
- Design, build, and maintain containerized workloads running on (GKE)
- Manage API landscapes using Apigee API Management.
- Leverage cloud-native data and storage solutions including Google Cloud Spanner, Memory store (Valkey/Redis), and Google Cloud Storage (GCS).
- Drive Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and deployment automation using Terraform,
- Helm, and modern CI/CD pipelines.
- Architect end-to-end Observability strategies (distributed tracing, structured logging, metrics dashboards, and alerting) across microservices.
Performance Tuning & Troubleshooting
- Lead complex debugging and diagnostic efforts across distributed microservice topologies.
- Deep-dive into JVM performance, garbage collection (GC) tuning, and runtime profiling (e.g., thread dumps, heap dumps, memory leak analysis).
- Troubleshoot Kubernetes runtime issues (ingress routing, pod lifecycles, network policies, resource contention).
Leadership & Mindset
- Champion a "can-learn, can-do” attitude—proactively adopting new technologies, proving out POCs, and tackling unsolved engineering challenges.
- Mentor, coach, and elevate junior and mid-level developers through code reviews, architectural design sessions, and technical workshops.
- Partner with product management, platform teams, and security teams
Required Qualifications & Skills
Technical Expertise
- Languages & Frameworks: Master-level proficiency in Java and the Spring / Spring Boot ecosystem (Spring Security, Spring Data, Spring Cloud).
- Distributed Systems & Microservices: Thorough understanding of microservices patterns (Saga, CQRS, Event-Driven, Orchestration vs. Choreography) and security protocols.
- Resilience Engineering: Experience configuring resilience frameworks (e.g., Resilience4j, Istio service mesh patterns).
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP): Strong hands-on experience with GKE, Apigee, Spanner, Memorystore (Valkey), and GCS.
- Kubernetes & Cloud Native: Deep practical knowledge of Kubernetes internals, architecture, networking, and cluster troubleshooting.
- Infrastructure & Automation: Skilled in Terraform, Helm, and CI/CD pipeline construction.
- Diagnostics: Proven ability to profile the JVM, read flame graphs/heap dumps, and analyze thread behavior under heavy load.
Soft Skills & Soft Assets
- Strong ownership mindset with a track record of driving projects from concept to production.
- Demonstrated history of mentoring engineers and setting high code quality standards.
- Excellent communication skills to articulate complex architectural decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Nice to Have
- Experience with build automation tools like Gradle.
- GCP Professional Cloud Architect or Developer certifications.
- Hands-on experience with Service Mesh implementations (Istio/Anthos Service Mesh).
O’Reilly Auto Parts has a proven track record of growth and stability. O’Reilly is full of successful career stories and believes in a strong promote-from-within philosophy, encouraging you to grow your career along with the organization.
Total Compensation Package:
Competitive Wages & Paid Time Off
Stock Purchase Plan & 401k with Employer Contributions Starting Day One
Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance with Optional Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Team Member Health/Wellbeing Programs
Tuition Educational Assistance Programs
Opportunities for Career Growth
O’Reilly Auto Parts is an equal opportunity employer. The Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin or ancestry (including immigration status or citizenship), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions,) age (40 and over), veteran status, uniformed service member status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing or characteristics) or another protected status as defined by local, state, or federal law, as applicable.
Qualified individuals with a disability may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or employment process, please send an email to: [email protected] or call (800) 471-7431 option , and provide your requested accommodation, and position details.
Skills Required
- Master-level proficiency in Java and the Spring/Spring Boot ecosystem, including Spring Security, Spring Data, and Spring Cloud
- Thorough understanding of microservices patterns, including Saga, CQRS, event-driven architecture, and orchestration versus choreography
- Experience with resilience frameworks such as Resilience4j and Istio service mesh patterns
- Strong hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform, including GKE, Apigee, Spanner, Memorystore/Valkey, and Google Cloud Storage
- Deep practical knowledge of Kubernetes internals, architecture, networking, and cluster troubleshooting
- Experience with Terraform, Helm, and CI/CD pipeline construction
- Ability to profile the JVM, read flame graphs and heap dumps, and analyze thread behavior under heavy load
- Track record of driving projects from concept to production
- Demonstrated experience mentoring engineers and setting high code quality standards
- Excellent communication skills for explaining architectural decisions to technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Experience with Gradle
- GCP Professional Cloud Architect or Developer certification
- Hands-on experience with Istio or Anthos Service Mesh
O’Reilly Auto Parts Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about O’Reilly Auto Parts and has not been reviewed or approved by O’Reilly Auto Parts.
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity-style upside is strengthened by an Employee Stock Purchase Plan that allows eligible full-time team members to buy ORLY shares via payroll deductions at a discount, improving access to ownership. This creates a tangible wealth-building lever that is positioned as stronger than many retail peers’ stock purchase offerings.
-
Inclusive Benefits Coverage — Retirement access is broadened because both part-time and full-time team members are immediately eligible to enroll in the 401(k). Whole-person support also extends beyond full-time staff through O’Care Solutions, which is described as available to full- and part-time team members at no cost.
-
Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellness and support benefits are expanded through the Live Life Well program, which can reduce medical premium share when specific health criteria are met. O’Care Solutions adds lifestyle and wellbeing coverage through counseling and practical supports like legal/financial consults and caregiving resources.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Insights
What We Do
O’Reilly Auto Parts started as a single store and has grown into a leading retailer in the automotive aftermarket industry with more than 6,100 locations and counting. With more than 94,000 team members, O’Reilly has expanded into 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. O’Reilly, headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, has a deep commitment to serving our customers, community, and our team members. Our culture values make O’Reilly the best place to work and grow! Whether you're interested in running a local store, managing a distribution center, or climbing the corporate ladder, O’Reilly has a career path in which you can truly thrive. Find out what it means to Live Green at our Fortune 500 Company and come work at the O! Mission: O'Reilly Automotive intends to be the dominant supplier of auto parts in our market areas by offering our retail customers, professional installers, and jobbers the best combination of price and quality provided with the highest possible service level.
