Principal Software Engineer II, VP

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer II (Vice President) in Java who recognized technical authority and senior individual contributor within Charles River Development (a State Street company). This role operates with broad autonomy and significant influence, driving architecture, technical strategy, and engineering excellence across one or more major platforms, domains, or cross‑cutting initiatives.

This position blends deep hands‑on engineering with enterprise‑level technical leadership. The Principal Software Engineer II is responsible not only for delivering complex, mission‑critical software, but also for shaping how software is designed, built, tested, and operated at scale.

What you will be responsible for

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Serve as a principal technical authority for one or more key initiatives or core modules within Charles River platforms
• Define and evolve system architecture, design standards, and engineering best practices across teams
• Provide long‑term technical strategy and thought leadership to senior engineering leaders and executive stakeholders
• Drive adoption of modern cloud architecture, frameworks, and emerging technologies where they deliver clear business value
• Lead resolution of high-risk, complex, or business‑critical challenges

Software Design & Development

• Analyze, design, develop, test, debug, and implement large‑scale, multi‑tier, mission‑critical enterprise systems
• Lead complex enhancements that span multiple components and teams
• Set a high bar for code quality, performance, scalability, security, reliability, and maintainability
• Make informed trade‑offs between short‑term delivery and long‑term platform health
• Remain hands‑on for the most complex or ambiguous technical problems

Engineering Excellence & Governance

• Establish and enforce design review, code review, and technical governance practices
• Identify systemic technical debt and lead cross‑team efforts to remediate it
• Champion automated testing, CI/CD, observability, and operational excellence
• Write and review unit, integration, and automation tests to ensure high‑quality deliverables
• Influence engineering roadmaps to align technology investments with business strategy

Cross‑Team & Executive Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product Management, Architecture, Client Support and Operations
• Lead and coordinate cross‑team technical initiatives spanning multiple scrum teams
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear recommendations for senior management and non‑technical stakeholders
• Advise senior management on technical risk, platform direction, and investment priorities

Mentorship & Talent Development

• Serve as a technical mentor and role model for engineers at all levels
• Raise the overall technical bar through coaching, design reviews, and knowledge sharing
• Influence hiring, onboarding, and technical talent development strategies

Client & Production Support

• Provide expert‑level troubleshooting for large, complex, and high‑visibility client deployments
• Act as an escalation point for critical production or client issues
• Help design durable, long‑term solutions to recurring operational or client‑impacting problems

What we value

• Demonstrated ability to operate as a principal-level individual contributor with broad organization-wide impact
• Extensive experience designing, building and evolving largescale, cloud native enterprise platforms
• Exceptional problem‑solving and system-thinking skills, with deep understanding of performance, scalability, reliability, and resilience
• Expert-level proficiency in object‑oriented design using Java, C++, or C#
• Strong database and data modeling skills with experience in Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and/or data warehouse platforms
• Experience with compiler design, optimizers, solvers, code generation, or semantic analysis a strong plus
• Exposure to Machine Learning, AI, or cognitive Computing is a plus
• Strong background in financial services (e.g., Portfolio Management, Trading, Compliance, IBOR, or Wealth Management) strongly preferred

Education & Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field; Master’s degree preferred
• 10-15+ years of commercial software development experience, including senior or principal‑level roles
• Deep understanding of cloud-based and distributed systems
• Demonstrated track record of delivering high‑performance, production‑quality systems at scale
• Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and lead through influence rather than authority
• Strong balance of deep technical execution with strategic, long-term thinking
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive‑level communication
• Demonstrated leadership in developing and supporting commercial enterprise software used by non‑technical customers
• Significant experience working in Agile/Scrum environments, shaping—not just following—process
• Comfortable operating in a highly regulated, mission‑critical financial services environment

Salary Range:

$120,000 - $202,500 Annual

The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.

Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.

For a full overview, visit https://hrportal.ehr.com/statestreet/Home.

About State Street

Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.

We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.