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 companys success. As a Lead Software Engineer within PNCs 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 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.

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.

• 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.

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 considerations in all business decisions and able to leverage that information in creating customized customer solutions.
• Managing Risk - Assessing and effectively managing all of the risks associated with their business objectives and activities to ensure they adhere to and support PNCs Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

Successful candidates must demonstrate appropriate knowledge skills and abilities for a role. Listed below are skills competencies work experience education and required certifications/licensures needed to be successful in this position.

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

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

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

Bachelors

No Required Certification(s)

No Required License(s)

Base Salary: $86250.00 $143750.00

Salaries may vary based on geographic location market data and on individual skills experience and education. This role is incentive eligible with the payment based upon company business and/or individual performance.

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

PNC offers a comprehensive range of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility options for full-time employees include: medical/prescription drug coverage (with a Health Savings Account feature) dental and vision options; employee and spouse/child life insurance; short and long-term disability protection; 401(k) with PNC match pension and stock purchase plans; dependent care reimbursement account; back-up child/elder care; adoption surrogacy and doula reimbursement; educational assistance including select programs fully paid; a robust wellness program with financial incentives.

In addition PNC generally provides the following paid time off depending on your eligibility: maternity and/or parental leave; up to 11 paid holidays each year; 9 occasional absence days each year unless otherwise required by law; between 15 to 25 vacation days each year depending on career level; and years of service.

To learn more about these and other programs including benefits for full time and part-time employees visit.

If an accommodation is required to participate in the application process please contact us via email at . Please include accommodation request in the subject line title and be sure to include your name the job ID and your preferred method of contact in the body of the email. Emails not related to accommodation requests will not receive responses. Applicants may also call and say Workday for accommodation assistance. All information provided will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

At PNC we foster an inclusive and accessible workplace. We provide reasonable accommodations to employment applicants and qualified individuals with a disability who need an accommodation to perform the essential functions of their positions.

PNC provides equal employment opportunity to qualified persons regardless of race color sex religion national origin age sexual orientation gender identity disability veteran status or other categories protected by law.

This position is subject to the requirements of Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (FDIA) and for any registered role the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act) and/or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) which prohibit the hiring of individuals with certain criminal history.

Refer to the California Consumer Privacy Act Privacy Notice to gain understanding of how PNC may use or disclose your personal information in our hiring practices.