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This position has closed. Northern Trust removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 6, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Principal, SW Quality Eng

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $114,700–$194,900 a year · Full time

Posted Jul 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 4, 2026

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 the payments or liquidity systems you have tested, such as GPP, Flexcube or BaNCS. What made them hard to test?

What they are checking: Whether they have real domain depth in the banking platforms the posting names.

Tell me about a time you led a quality team through a high-stakes release. What did you do as the leader?

What they are checking: Whether they have the leadership experience the posting requires, not just technical skill.

What would you do

You lead testing across several projects in a portfolio. How do you decide where to put your best people?

What they are checking: Whether they allocate testing effort by business risk across the portfolio.

How would you build a smart quality strategy for a custody banking program that has little automation today?

What they are checking: Whether they can plan a realistic path to automation without stopping current delivery.

How would you show leadership the value of your quality strategy in terms they care about?

What they are checking: Whether they connect testing work to risk reduction and delivery speed that leaders value.

About the work

How would you test a payments flow end to end, from initiation through messaging to settlement?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the full life of a payment and where defects tend to hide.

What testing challenges come with SWIFT and ISO 20022 messaging, and how have you handled them?

What they are checking: Whether they know message formats, validation rules and the migration issues payments teams face.

How have you used AI-driven tools in testing, and where did they actually help?

What they are checking: Whether they can apply next-generation tools with real judgment rather than chasing hype.

How do you test cut-off times, holidays and time zone behavior in payments and liquidity systems?

What they are checking: Whether they think about the date and time edge cases that cause real failures in banking.

How do you test integration between core banking systems and downstream reporting or reconciliation?

What they are checking: Whether they cover the handoffs between systems where data often breaks.

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. Northern Trust is looking for a Principal, Quality Engineering to join its payments, messaging and liquidity testing team. The role demands leadership skills along with technical knowledge of subject matter. The ideal candidate will drive testing of multiple projects within the portfolio leveraging next gen automation solutions, AI driven technologies and smart quality strategies. Location : Chicago, IL, USA Experience : 14 -18 Years ( Minimum 8 years in Quality Engineering and 5 years in leadership role) Business Domain : Custody Banking, Payments , Liquidity and Trades Banking Products : Flex cube / Bancs/ LME/ GPP/MTS/ Polaris LMS Payment System : CHAPS, SEPA, CREST, RITS, AustraClear, FEDwire , Chips Tools : Azure Devops, Selenium with Java, DevOps concepts, CI- CD implementation Good to have : Exposure to AI based QE solutioning Job Description AND Principal Responsibilities • Thought leadership, consultation, mentoring & guidance for test automation • Advance product quality via testing innovations and process improvement • Collaborate with BAs, Architects & Developers in designing testable applications • Technical roadmaps & plans for implementing enterprise/program test strategies • Design & manage technical proof-of-concept and feasibility studies • Resolve technical issues, anticipate risks and ensure timely management escalation • Utilize analytical skills in determining the root cause of defects & issues • Influence and communicate effectively with both technical & non-technical audiences • Analysis, optimization, improvement & maintenance of current test automation suites • Master enterprise/program high-level business workflows • Mentor junior SDETs to improve technical ability and effectiveness • Promote and support implementation of automated CI/CT/CD pipeline • Develop & extend test automation frameworks for UI, Micro services & API • Guarantee compliance to automation framework, standards & best practices • Facilitate automated, on-demand test automation metrics • Ensure automated tests are run early & often providing quick feedback to the team • Seek stakeholder feedback via test automation demos • Accelerate test development process by leveraging existing assets, standards & best practices; Add new functions/methods to the libraries for continuous improvement Experience/ Skills Experience • BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or Information Technology or equivalent • 14-18 years of overall experience with at least 8 years in quality engineering • 5-8 years of experience implementing test automation • 5-8 years of Experience in leading team of employee/contractors • Experience in multi-tiered, complex system design & architecture Required Skills : • Excellent knowledge of SDLC and Agile development practices • Lead level exposure to Java, Selenium/LeanFT, BDD (Cucumber/JBehave), TestNG, Eclipse/IntelliJ • Experience with Devops/CICD toolset - Bamboo/Jenkins/Concourse, Maven, Git, BitBucket • Expert in QA process, techniques & méthodologies • Forecasting, estimation & ROI analysis • Solid analytical and problem-solving skills • Both attention to detail & ability to rise above details to see broader implications & recommend strategic solutions • Self-starter; Positive & adaptable; Multi-task in a continually changing environment • Ability to work independently and with a team • Proven interpersonal and communication skills with technical & business partners Preferred/ Recommended Skills: • Proven ability to lead and collaborate in global , cross functional teams • Familiarity with Banking/Financial domain • Experience in leading large programs Salary Range: $114,700 - 194,900 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.