About Northern Trust
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.
Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.
With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
About the Role
We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Software Engineer to design, build, and support mission-critical back-office post-trade processing applications. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in C++, Python, and SQL with strong problem-solving, communication, and ownership skills.
You will work closely with business stakeholders, operations teams, architects, and fellow engineers to develop scalable, reliable, and high-performance solutions supporting critical financial workflows. We value engineers who embrace modern development practices and leverage AI tools such as GitHub Copilot and Claude to improve productivity, code quality, and innovation.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain high-performance server-side applications using modern C++ and Python.
- Build scalable and reliable solutions supporting reconciliation related financial workflows.
- Design and optimize SQL queries, database interactions, and data processing components.
- Implement engineering best practices including logging, monitoring, caching, exception handling, performance tuning, and automated testing.
- Investigate and resolve complex production issues using application, database, and infrastructure diagnostics.
- Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Leverage AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot and Claude to enhance development efficiency and software quality.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence and collaboration.
Required Qualifications
- 12+ years of software development experience building enterprise applications.
- Strong expertise in modern C++ (C++11/14/17/20 preferred).
- Solid experience with Python for automation, tooling, and application development.
- Strong SQL and database performance tuning skills.
- Experience designing scalable, maintainable, and resilient distributed systems.
- Strong Linux and Windows troubleshooting and administration skills.
- Experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and modern software development practices.
- Excellent debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with both technical and business teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in financial services, capital markets, or post-trade processing systems.
- Familiarity with Azure cloud services, monitoring, and observability tools.
- Experience with messaging platforms such as Kafka, MQ, or event-driven architectures.
- Knowledge of microservices, containerization, and modern application architectures.
- Experience using AI-powered developer tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude, or similar technologies.
What Makes You a Great Fit
- Strong ownership mindset with excellent execution skills.
- Able to quickly understand complex business and technical concepts.
- Exceptional troubleshooting and root-cause analysis capabilities.
- Continuously learning new technologies, frameworks, and engineering practices.
- Collaborative team player with strong mentoring and communication skills.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced environments supporting critical business systems.
- Passionate about delivering reliable, maintainable, and high-quality software.
Salary Range:
$164,600 - 288,000 USDSalary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Work Authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).
Working with Us
As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.
Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.
Reasonable Accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [email protected], or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.
Skills Required
- 12+ years of software development experience building enterprise applications
- Strong expertise in modern C++, preferably C++11, C++14, C++17, or C++20
- Solid experience with Python for automation, tooling, and application development
- Strong SQL and database performance tuning skills
- Experience designing scalable, maintainable, and resilient distributed systems
- Strong Linux and Windows troubleshooting and administration skills
- Experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and modern software development practices
- Excellent debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work with technical and business teams
- Experience in financial services, capital markets, or post-trade processing systems
- Familiarity with Azure cloud services, monitoring, and observability tools
- Experience with messaging platforms such as Kafka or MQ, or event-driven architectures
- Knowledge of microservices, containerization, and modern application architectures
- Experience using AI-powered developer tools such as GitHub Copilot or Claude
Northern Trust Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Northern Trust and has not been reviewed or approved by Northern Trust.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match alongside an employer‑funded defined‑benefit pension is highlighted in employer‑verified materials and filings, setting the retirement package apart from many private employers.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO is portrayed as solid overall, and two paid volunteer days per year are clearly documented across corporate materials.
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Parental & Family Support — Company sources and postings reference paid parental and caregiver leave and recent enhancements to parental benefits, indicating meaningful family support within the package.
Northern Trust Insights
What We Do
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing and investment solutions, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise and integrity. A globally recognized Fortune 500 Company in continuous operation since 1889, we’ve built a legacy of empowering clients to reach their goals with confidence. Since our roots as a trust bank, we’ve grown to a global presence with more than 24,000 employees in more than 20 countries and across six core business units: Wealth Management Asset Management Asset Servicing Technology Corporate Functions Enterprise Operations Join a Team That’s Achieving Greater At Northern Trust, we refer to our employees as partners – with good reason. We understand that relationships are the key to our success. Here you’ll join a diverse and inclusive team of innovators with the drive to challenge the way things have always been done. Instead of choosing between a dynamic career and work-life balance, enjoy working with a team that supports your goals in the office and at home. We’ll help you get where you want to go without sacrificing what matters most to you. Delivering value and adhering to our enduring principles What are enduring principles? Since our founding, they have guided our strategy and success. Thanks to the dedication of our partners, Northern Trust continues to thrive by adhering to three enduring principles: service, expertise and integrity . What does this mean? Service Northern Trust has a relentless drive to provide exceptional service to our clients, our partners and our communities. We set new standards and go above and beyond in our commitment to delivering greater results. Expertise Expertise is at the core of who we are. We focus sharply on what we do well. From expanding our capabilities, to hiring talented professionals to developing innovative solutions, our expertise is why we continue to be a trusted advisor for generations of families and institutions. Integrity Operating with uncompromising ethics is central to Northern Trust’s heritage. As a result, our clients, partners and communities know they can rely on us. For more than 130 years, our integrity has been our guide – and that will never change.
Why Work With Us
At Northern Trust, we go further because we go together. We embrace flexibility, encourage balance, and prioritize inclusion at all levels, working together to keep you connected. We are committed to our employees—all 24,000 of them. Whether this is a first step or a bold new leap in your career, we’re here to help you move forward.
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