Principal Software Engineer

Essential Duties & Responsibilities 

Performs a combination of duties in accordance with departmental guidelines: 

• Acts as the principal designer for major high risk, high complexity systems and their subsystems utilizing a thorough understanding of available technology, tools and existing designs. Includes leading the integration of vendor applications and/or consulting resources into CNA applications and/or resources. 

• Provides comprehensive technical consultation to business unit and IT management and staff at the highest level of complexity on all phases of application programming and processes for diverse development platforms and computing environments. Includes performance engineering, functionality testing, production implementation, application recovery and maintenance, application stability, defect resolution, and meeting service level agreements. 

• Acts as expert technical resource to develop and mentor staff in all phases of the development and implementation process. Participates in instructing, directing, and checking the design or applications work of others. Leads high risk projects. 

• Acts as liaison between clients, vendors, consulting resources, and applications area. Analyzes problems regarding detailed requirements and capabilities and works cross organizationally to resolve issues and solve problems. 

• Researches and evaluates new and/or alternative solutions and recommends the most efficient and cost effective application programming solution consistent with strategic direction. Also anticipates changes to determine development tools, processes and implements those decisions. 

• Assists with the identification and selection of information technologies, vendors, and/or consulting resources which assist the functional business units in meeting their strategic objectives. Includes assisting with relationship management, contract negotiations, and ensuring adherence to requirements. 

• Works closely with other IT areas to contribute to the overall strategic direction of the applications portfolio. Includes partnering with Architecture to assist with the overall technology direction of CNA. 

• May code new or modified programs, reuse existing code through the use of program development software alternatives and/or integrate purchased solutions. 
   

 Reporting Relationship: Typically Director or above. 

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities 

• Expert technical knowledge of the system development life cycle, and system and application program development technological alternatives. 

• Senior level knowledge of client area's functions and systems. 

• Must be competent to work at the highest technical level of all phases of application program/system design and implementation and have excellent analytical and problem solving skills. 

• Excellent project management skills and ability to organize and plan effectively to meet both short and long range project goals. 

• Solid knowledge of interface design and user centered design method. 
  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with peers, IT management and staff, and internal business partners/clients. 

• Advanced computer skills including Microsoft Office suite and other business related software systems or languages including, but not limited to Mainframe, DB2, UNIX, Oracle, Websphere J2EE Java, Peoplesoft, Business Objects, and ETL. 

•  Other technologies will apply dependent on business area supported. 

• Proficient in Google Cloud technologies. 

• Strong understanding of the ETL process. Expert knowledge of relational database concepts, and ETL. 

• Expert knowledge of application integration design and development, ensuring accuracy and ease of consumption. Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. 

• Preferred experience with the insurance industry, its products and services. 

• Guidewire Integrations (Cloud Apis, Integration Gateway, Rest Apis, App Events in large-scale setting. 

• Strong experience in building data analytics solutions using Google Cloud Platform services such as Google BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Dataflow, DataProc, Pub/Sub, Cloud Composer, or DataPrep. AWS, including, Amazon Redshift, Postgres, Elastic MapReduce a plus. 

 Education and Experience 

• Bachelor's Degree with Masters preferred in Computer Science, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience.  

• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, including significant work at a principal or senior technical leadership level. 

• Typically, a minimum of nine years of solid, diverse work experience in IT with a minimum of six years' experience in application program development.  

• Experience using Agile methods preferred. 

• Applicable certifications preferred (Guidewire Ace).