JOB PURPOSE
The Principal Software Engineer defines technical vision and architecture for major initiatives across multiple teams. This senior technical leadership position drives engineering excellence, sets standards, influences product roadmap with technical insights, and serves as a technical authority for complex challenges across the organization.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical Vision & Strategy
Define technical vision and architecture for major cross-team initiatives
Lead design reviews and set engineering standards across multiple teams
Influence product roadmap with technical insights and innovation opportunities
Evaluate and adopt new technologies including AI/ML to improve engineering productivity
Technical Leadership & Problem Solving
Identify and resolve complex technical challenges that span multiple systems
Drive technical excellence and best practices across engineering organization
Serve as technical escalation point for critical issues and architectural decisions
Lead architecture reviews and provide guidance on system design
Cross-Organizational Impact
Represent engineering in cross-organizational initiatives and strategic planning
Mentor senior engineers and technical leads across teams
Drive adoption of engineering best practices and architectural patterns
Build strategic technical relationships with partners and stakeholders
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; Master's preferred
Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree
Experience
8-12 years of software engineering with demonstrated technical leadership
Proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale software systems
Experience leading technical initiatives across multiple teams
Strong influence on technical direction and engineering culture
Payments, financial services, or regulated industry experience preferred
Technical Skills
Expert software architect with large-scale system design experience
Deep expertise across multiple technical domains and technology stacks
Advanced knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and cloud architectures
Experience with performance optimization at scale and system reliability
Strong understanding of security architecture and compliance requirements
Proficiency in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies including AI/ML
Talented in AI tool adoption and integrating AI capabilities across systems
Professional Skills
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Strong cross-team influence and stakeholder management
Strategic thinking with ability to connect technical decisions to business outcomes
Leadership through influence without direct authority
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Conference speaking, technical publications, or recognized thought leadership
Advanced certifications in relevant technologies
Experience with enterprise-scale systems (millions of users, petabytes of data)
Track record of technical innovation and patents
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Hybrid work model (2-3 days in-office); multiple office locations available
10-15% travel for conferences, strategic meetings, and cross-site collaboration
On-call escalation participation; flexible hours for global collaboration
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
ACI Worldwide is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
Compliance & Ethics: Adherence to ACI's Code of Business Conduct and Ethics required.
Security & Data Protection: Access to sensitive information requires compliance with security policies and regulations (GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS).
Work Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in US/Canada. Visa sponsorship not available.
Background Screening: Comprehensive background checks required.
Position Description: Responsibilities may change based on business needs.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field
- Equivalent experience (10+ years) may substitute for degree
- 8-12 years of software engineering with demonstrated technical leadership
- Proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale software systems
- Experience leading technical initiatives across multiple teams
- Payments, financial services, or regulated industry experience
- Expert software architect with large-scale system design experience
- Deep expertise across multiple technical domains and technology stacks
- Advanced knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and cloud architectures
- Experience with performance optimization at scale and system reliability
- Strong understanding of security architecture and compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2)
- Proficiency in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies including AI/ML
- Experience adopting AI tools and integrating AI capabilities across systems
- Exceptional written and verbal communication and strong cross-team influence
- Must be legally authorized to work in US/Canada (visa sponsorship not available)
- Willingness to travel 10-15% and participate in on-call escalation
- Comprehensive background checks required
ACI Worldwide Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about ACI Worldwide and has not been reviewed or approved by ACI Worldwide.
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Healthcare Strength — Health, dental, and vision coverage are complemented by HSA options, disability insurance, AD&D, and wellbeing programs. Offerings span core medical protection with added wellness support.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match and pension/retirement options support long‑term savings. Additional programs such as an employee stock purchase plan contribute to financial security over time.
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Flexible Benefits — A flexible, hybrid office culture with work‑from‑home options and adaptable schedules supports work‑life balance. Paid time off and country‑tailored packages allow alignment of benefits to local needs.
ACI Worldwide Insights
What We Do
ACI Worldwide is a global software company that provides mission-critical real-time payment solutions to corporations. Customers use our proven, scalable and secure solutions to process and manage digital payments, enable omni-commerce payments, present and process bill payments, and manage fraud and risk. We combine our global footprint with local presence to drive the real-time digital transformation of payments and commerce.
