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Principal Technical Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Technical Engineer Total Base Pay Range 96,500.00 - 207,500.00 USD Annual At Fifth Third, we understand the importance of recognizing our employees for the role they play in improving the ...

Principal Technical Lead

Chicago, IL · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

Principal Technical Lead Department: Product/Development Reports To: COO / CTO Team Size: 911 ... WHAT YOU'LL DO Lead the Engineering Team * Own technical direction and day-to-day leadership of a ...

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Principal Technical Engineer information

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$74K

$147.2K

$212.5K

How much do principal technical engineer jobs pay per year?

As of May 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal technical engineer in the United States is $147,220.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,500.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Principal Technical Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Technical Engineer, you need deep expertise in engineering principles, advanced problem-solving abilities, and typically a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard design tools, programming languages, and familiarity with systems such as CAD, DevOps platforms, or cloud architectures is essential. Strong leadership, communication, and strategic thinking skills help you guide teams and influence cross-functional projects. These skills ensure you can architect robust solutions, drive technical excellence, and lead successful, innovative initiatives within the organization.

How does a Principal Technical Engineer typically collaborate with cross-functional teams on large-scale projects?

A Principal Technical Engineer often serves as a bridge between engineering teams, product managers, and other departments, ensuring that technical solutions align with business objectives. They lead technical discussions, mentor team members, and provide guidance during critical architectural decisions. Collaboration often involves regular meetings, design reviews, and joint problem-solving sessions to address challenges and keep projects on track. Their role is pivotal in fostering clear communication and driving consensus among diverse stakeholders.

What are Principal Technical Engineers?

Principal Technical Engineers are senior-level professionals responsible for leading the technical direction of projects, mentoring engineering teams, and making high-level design decisions. They typically possess deep expertise in their technical domain and play a critical role in setting technical standards and ensuring best practices are followed. Principal Technical Engineers often collaborate with stakeholders to align technology solutions with business goals and may also be involved in research and development of new technologies.

What is the difference between Principal Technical Engineer vs Senior Technical Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Technical EngineerSenior Technical Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, professional certifications (e.g., PMP, PE)Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering, relevant certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentLead complex projects, provide technical guidance, collaborate with cross-functional teamsImplement technical solutions, troubleshoot issues, support project teams
Industry UsageUsed across industries like aerospace, software, manufacturing for high-level technical rolesCommon in engineering and tech sectors for experienced technical staff

The Principal Technical Engineer typically holds a higher level of responsibility, focusing on leading projects and strategic technical decisions, while the Senior Technical Engineer primarily executes technical tasks and supports project teams. Both roles require strong technical expertise, but the principal position emphasizes leadership and innovation.

More about Principal Technical Engineer jobs
Infographic showing various Principal Technical Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,220 per year, or $70.8 per hour.
Principal Technical Engineer

Full-time

Posted 4 days ago


Fifth Third Bank rating

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 108 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

80th of 141 rated banks


Job description

Make banking a Fifth Third better®
We connect great people to great opportunities. Are you ready to take the next step? Discover a career in banking at Fifth Third Bank.
GENERAL FUNCTION:
Design and implement technology solutions using modern engineering tools and Agile practices. Work with self-directed, cross-functional, and product-oriented teams in a highly collaborative environment. Deliver some of the bank's most important products and services while developing skills and experience well beyond your initial role.
All employees are responsible and accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and following policies and procedures as defined. Accountable for always doing the right thing for customers and colleagues, and ensuring that actions and behaviors drive a positive customer experience. Operating within the Bank's risk appetite, you will achieve results while consistently identifying, assessing, managing, monitoring, and reporting risks of all types.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Develop and maintain Newline's core RESTful API using Ruby on Rails
  • Work with SRE's to design and implement our backend infrastructure using Terraform
  • Work with the QA team to write thorough unit and integration tests
  • Participate in software architecture discussions and code reviews
  • Integrate our platform with bank core services and APIs
  • Assist in establishing data security and information security best practices
  • Participate in API platform scaling and optimization sessions
  • Develop Newline's internal data pipeline and BI tools
  • Implement and maintain new features and capabilities while continuously improving the quality of our technical products and services
  • Build and share technical expertise with your Agile team and other members of the organization
  • Follow industry and organizational best practices and standards, and participate in company communities of practice to continuously refine and communicate them. Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Achieve operational excellence by automating processes and creating maintainable, supportable, and testable solutions
  • Keep up with technology trends and innovations in your field(s) of practice
  • Provide operational support and troubleshooting for your team's products and services
  • Maintain appropriate controls and documentation to ensure compliance with all company and regulatory requirements
  • Provide coaching, mentoring, and training for new or less experienced team members
  • Provide leadership and guidance to your team in your technical field(s) of expertise
  • Other duties as assigned

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: None
MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant technology field or equivalent combination of education and work experience
  • Eight+ years of engineering or other IT work experience relevant to the position
  • Prior experience working in a technical or team lead capacity
  • Hands-on experience with Ruby and Ruby on Rails required.
  • Experience working with PostgreSQL and ActiveRecord.
  • Experience writing unit tests in RSpec.
  • Knowledge of CI/CD tools (Jenkins).
  • Ability to build and consume command line tools.
  • Experience working in an Agile software environment.
  • Experience working with IaC deployments (Terraform) is a plus.
  • Experience building high TPS API systems (~100 TPS) is a plus.
  • Experience shipping highly-available (99.99%) enterprise B2B SaaS products is preferred.
  • Experience working in a regulated financial environment is a plus.
  • Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
  • Willingness to work in a highly-collaborative environment.
  • Solid understanding and significant experience with modern software development practices, tools, and/or hardware technologies.
  • Solid understanding of IT security best practices.
  • Experience designing, implementing, and supporting complex technical solutions.

Principal Technical Engineer
Total Base Pay Range 96,500.00 - 207,500.00 USD Annual
At Fifth Third, we understand the importance of recognizing our employees for the role they play in improving the lives of our customers, communities and each other. Our Total Rewards include comprehensive benefits and differentiated compensation offerings to give each employee the opportunity to be their best every day.
The base salary for this position is reflective of the range of salary levels for all roles within this pay grade across the U.S. Individual salaries within this range will vary based on factors such as role, relevant skillset, relevant experience, education and geographic location. In addition to the base salary, this role is eligible to participate in an incentive compensation plan, with any such payment based upon company, line of business and/or individual performance.
Our extensive benefits programs are designed to support the individual needs of our employees and their families, encompassing physical, financial, emotional and social well-being. You can learn more about those programs on our 53.com Careers page at: https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/careers/benefits.html or by consulting with your talent acquisition partner.
LOCATION -- Virtual, Virginia 00000
Attention search firms and staffing agencies: do not submit unsolicited resumes for this posting. Fifth Third does not accept resumes from any agency that does not have an active agreement with Fifth Third. Any unsolicited resumes - no matter how they are submitted - will be considered the property of Fifth Third and Fifth Third will not be responsible for any associated fee.
Fifth Third Bank, National Association is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

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About Fifth Third Bank

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Fifth Third Bank, National Association established in 1858, is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest. It operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Wealth & Asset Management.

Industry

Finance and insurance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cincinnati, OH, US

Year founded

1858