Software Engineer Lead - Back End / Java, Spring Boot, Kafka

At PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are all united in delivering the best experience for our customers. We work together each day to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all of our employees feel respected, valued and have an opportunity to contribute to the company's success.

As a Lead Software Engineer within PNC's Retail Technology organization, you will be based in Pittsburgh, PA or Strongsville, OH.

As a Lead Backend Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and lead the delivery of scalable, high-performance backend services that power mission-critical applications. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and Apache Kafka, with a passion for building distributed systems, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence.

In this role, you will collaborate with architects, product managers, and cross-functional engineering teams to define technical solutions, establish best practices, and deliver highly reliable, secure, and scalable software platforms.

Key

Responsibilities - Lead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-scale backend applications and microservices. - Architect and build event-driven systems using Apache Kafka and modern distributed system patterns. - Develop RESTful APIs and backend services using Java and Spring Boot. - Provide technical leadership and mentorship to software engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and coaching. - Drive application architecture decisions, ensuring scalability, reliability, maintainability, and performance. - Partner with product management and business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions. - Define and promote software engineering best practices, coding standards, and development processes. - Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues while continuously improving system observability and resiliency. - Collaborate with DevOps teams to implement CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native deployment strategies. - Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to the overall technology stack. - Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and technical roadmap development. - Ensure security, compliance, and operational excellence across backend platforms.

Qualifications - Strong expertise in Java (Java 11/17+). - Extensive experience developing applications using Spring Boot and the Spring ecosystem. - Hands-on experience designing and implementing Kafka-based event-driven architectures. - Strong understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems. - Experience building and consuming REST APIs. - Proficiency with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL. - Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes. - Strong understanding of software design patterns, object-oriented design principles, and clean coding practices. - Experience with source control systems such as Git. - Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

- Creates and leads the technical design and development of software solutions. - Proposes & designs software solutions to address complex business needs. Prepares technical and procedural documentation required. - Facilitates complex problem resolution. - Provides technical guidance and support to colleagues. Reviews coding, testing, and documentation of software. - Applies modern principles, methodologies and tools to advance business initiatives and capabilities.

Preferred Skills Apache Kafka, Application Development, Back-End Development, Business Management, Customer Solutions, Design, Group Problem Solving, Java, Process Improvements, Release Management, Software Solutions, Spring Boot, User Experience (UX) Design

Competencies Application Delivery Process, Application Design, Architecture, Application Development Tools, Application Testing, Packaged Application Integration, System Development Life Cycle, Technical Troubleshooting

Work Experience Roles at this level typically require a university / college degree, with 3+ years of relevant / direct industry experience. Certifications are often desired. In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, job specific certification(s), and experience (including military service) may be considered.

Generally, this opening is expected to be posted for two business days from 07/30/2026, although it may be longer with business discretion.