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

Overview 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 Senior Software Engineer within PNC's Retail Technology organization, you will be based in Pittsburgh, PA or Strongsville, OH. As a Senior 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 • Design, develop, and implement 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. • 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. PNC is an in-office company that fosters a supportive culture where employees can thrive and achieve balance. We encourage candidates to connect with their recruiter and hiring manager to understand workplace expectations and ensure the role aligns with their goals.   PNC will not provide sponsorship for employment visas or participate in STEM OPT for this position.

Provides detailed technical design and development of software solutions using existing and emerging technology platforms. Proposes & designs software solutions to address complex business needs. Writes code, tests and deploys software. Prepares technical and procedural documentation required for software. Maintains and debugs software. PNC Employees take pride in our reputation and to continue building upon that we expect our employees to be: Customer Focused - Knowledgeable of the values and practices that align customer needs and satisfaction as primary