Software Engineer Lead - 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 Software Engineer Lead - 2 within PNC's Retail Tech organization, you will be based in Dallas, TX, Pittsburgh, PA, Strongsville, OH or Birmingham, AL.

We are seeking a skilled Software Engineer with a strong emphasis on API development and integration to design, build, and maintain scalable, high-performance services. This role will primarily focus on developing robust APIs that enable seamless communication across platforms and systems.

Key

Responsibilities - Primary (API Development - Core Focus) - Design, develop, and maintain RESTful and/or GraphQL APIs - Lead a team of mid-level to senior developers. - Experience with Event Streaming with Kafka - Build scalable, secure, and high-performing API services - Define API contracts and documentation (OpenAPI/Swagger) - Integrate APIs with databases and third-party services - Optimize API performance and reliability - Implement authentication and authorization (OAuth2, JWT) - Collaborating with cross-functional teams - Conduct code reviews and enforce API standards - Assist with CI/CD pipelines and GitOps practices - Collaborate with DevOps teams - Troubleshoot deployment issues

Required

Qualifications - Strong experience in API development (Java 8/17/21, Spring Boot, Kafka) - Proven experience building RESTful APIs - Knowledge of API security and lifecycle management - Experience with Oracle and MySQL databases - Familiarity with microservices architecture

Preferred

Qualifications - Exposure to Kubernetes - Experience with CI/CD pipelines - Cloud platform familiarity (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Nice to Have - Experience with API gateways - Knowledge of event-driven architecture - Experience with observability tools

Key Skills - Primary: API Design, Development, Integration, Security

- 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, API Development, Application Development, Business Management, Customer Solutions, Design, Group Problem Solving, Java (Programming Language), 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 07/03/2026, although it may be longer with business discretion.