Jobs › Northern Trust

Principal Software Engineer (.NET Technical Lead)

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $137,400–$233,600 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 6, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Northern Trust

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you led a team through a difficult technical delivery.

What they are checking: Whether they can lead delivery as a technical lead, not only write code themselves.

Describe a time you disagreed with an architect on a design. How was it resolved?

What they are checking: Whether they can disagree constructively and still commit once a decision is made.

What would you do

A product owner wants a feature in two weeks that you think needs six. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they negotiate scope and options honestly instead of overpromising or flatly refusing.

A production incident traces back to code your team shipped. How do you lead the response?

What they are checking: Whether they own the problem, fix it quickly and lead a blameless review.

About the work

How would you design a .NET microservice that needs to be secure, resilient and high-performing on the cloud?

What they are checking: Whether they can bring together .NET, cloud and microservice practices into one practical design.

When would you not split an application into microservices?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the cost of microservices and avoid them when a simpler design works better.

How do you handle data consistency across services that each own their own database?

What they are checking: Whether they understand patterns like eventual consistency, sagas and outbox for distributed data.

How are you using AI tools in your own .NET development today, and where do you not trust them?

What they are checking: Whether they use AI-assisted engineering with good judgment about its limits.

How would you approach modernizing an old .NET Framework application to modern .NET on the cloud?

What they are checking: Whether they can plan an incremental migration that reduces risk instead of a big rewrite.

How do you make sure your team's code is secure before it reaches production?

What they are checking: Whether they build security into reviews, pipelines and design, which a bank requires.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northern Trust from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

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. Global Engineering is seeking a Principal Software Engineer (.NET Technical Lead) to provide technical leadership for the design, development, and delivery of modern cloud-native applications and platforms. This role serves as a senior technical leader and principal designer, working closely with business, product, architecture, and engineering teams to deliver scalable, resilient, secure, and high-performing solutions. The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on expertise in .NET development, cloud technologies, microservices architecture, and AI-assisted software engineering with strong leadership, communication, and project delivery skills. Key Responsibilities • Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to engineering teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and engineering excellence. • Serve as the principal designer for major systems and applications, defining architectures, technical standards, and implementation strategies. • Partner with business stakeholders, product teams, and architects to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions. • Design, develop, and support applications using C#, .NET Core/.NET, ASP.NET Core, Entity Framework Core, SQL Server, and modern API frameworks . • Architect and implement microservices and event-driven solutions leveraging Kafka and related messaging technologies. • Design and deploy cloud-native solutions utilizing Azure and/or AWS , Docker, Kubernetes, and Infrastructure as Code. • Drive adoption of CI/CD, automated testing, DevOps, and secure software development practices. • Lead technical project planning, solution design, implementation, and status reporting for strategic initiatives. • Ensure compliance with enterprise standards, audit requirements, change management controls, and data security policies. • Collaborate with vendors, consultants, and technology partners as needed. • Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies, tools, and architectural patterns to improve business outcomes and operational efficiency. • Champion the use of AI-powered development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, and AI-assisted engineering platforms to enhance developer productivity, code quality, testing, and documentation. Required Qualifications • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline. • 10+ years of software engineering experience with enterprise-scale systems. • 5+ years of experience in technical leadership, solution design, systems analysis, or project leadership roles. • Strong expertise in: • C# • .NET Core / ASP.NET Core • Entity Framework Core • SQL Server • REST APIs • Microservices Architecture • Experience with: • Kafka or equivalent messaging platforms • Docker and Kubernetes • Azure and/or AWS • Git, GitHub, Azure DevOps, Jenkins, or similar CI/CD tools • Strong understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC), design patterns, distributed systems, Agile, and DevOps practices. • Hands-on experience using GitHub Copilot and other AI-assisted software engineering tools to accelerate software development and improve engineering effectiveness. • Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives and influence technical direction across multiple teams. • Excellent communication, analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills. Preferred Qualifications • Financial Services experience. • Knowledge of Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform. • Familiarity with modern security frameworks including OAuth, JWT, SAML, SSO, and Identity Management solutions. Salary Range: $137,400 - 233,600 USD Salary 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 MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

Apply at Northern Trust

More principal software engineer roles