Principal, Software Engineer

Reference: R- Posted: Location: SUNNYVALE, CA, United StatesSalary: $ - $ /yearType: Full time / Regular/PermanentCompany: WalmartBusiness Segment: Home OfficePrincipal Software Engineer – Data Security PlatformAbout the TeamWe are building Walmart’s next-generation Data Security Platform, responsiblefor protecting data across Walmart’s systems, applications, and associates. Datasecurity is one of the most critical challenges for modern enterprises, requiring a careful balance between security, privacy, compliance, and productivity.Our platform provides comprehensive capabilities including: Authentication and Identity Management Authorization and Access Control Audit Logging and Compliance Data Protection and Least-Privilege EnforcementAs part of this team, you will design and build highly scalable distributed systemsthat protect petabytes of data at rest and in motion, across both structured andunstructured data sources. You will solve complex engineering challengesinvolving real-time policy enforcement, large-scale data processing, and low-latency access control while ensuring a seamless user experience.What You’ll Do Architect and build large-scale distributed systems for enterprise datasecurity. Design highly scalable and resilient services for authentication,authorization, auditing, and data protection. Develop solutions that enforce fine-grained access controls with minimalperformance overhead. Drive technical strategy and influence cross-functional engineering teamsand stakeholders. Optimize system performance, reliability, scalability, and operationalexcellence. Mentor engineers and establish engineering best practices across theorganization. Lead critical design reviews and contribute to long-term platformarchitecture.Required QualificationsTechnical Expertise 10+ years of software engineering experience building large-scaledistributed systems. 5+ years of experience designing and architecting complex distributedsystems in production environments. 10+ years of hands-on experience with Java and Go. Deep understanding of JVM internals, memory management, garbagecollection, thread management, and performance tuning. Strong expertise in concurrent and multithreaded programming. 10+ years of experience with SQL and NoSQL databases. Deep understanding of storage engines, indexing, query optimization,database internals, and performance tuning. Strong hands-on coding skills with a track record of delivering production-quality software.Leadership & Problem Solving Exceptional analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills. Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and drive alignment acrossengineering teams and senior stakeholders. Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to influencetechnical decisions through data-driven discussions. Experience mentoring engineers and driving engineering excellence atscale.Preferred Qualifications Experience building security, identity, authorization, governance, or dataprotection platforms. Experience working with large-scale cloud-native systems andmicroservices architectures. Familiarity with distributed data processing frameworks and big datatechnologies. Experience operating systems at petabyte scale.Platform Engineering Leadership:Delivers platform capabilities across a technical area or sub-organization,including shared infrastructure, reusable tooling, and scalable ML frameworks(for example, CI/CD pipelines, SDKs, model runtimes, feature stores).Aligns engineering efforts with roadmap milestones and domain strategies,ensuring execution supports long-term platform evolution.Applies cloud-native architecture principles and best practices in distributedsystem design to enable high availability, scalability, and fault tolerance.Technical Execution & Lifecycle Management:Drives the full software development lifecycle across multiple teams—includingcoding, testing, CI/CD deployment, observability, monitoring, incident response,and maintenance.Implements distributed architectures optimized for real-time data processing,AI/ML integration, and cross-service reliability.Maintains architectural decision records (ADRs) to ensure traceability, alignment,and transparency in technical planning and tradeoffs.AI/ML Integration & Product Development:Architects and builds intelligent software systems and AI-enhanced applicationsthat serve millions of customers and associates.Leads the integration of AI agents capable of multi-step reasoning and tool-augmented tasks using technologies such as Python, Java, JavaScript, Dart, Rust,and C++.Applies model-driven design and leverage tools like GitHub Copilot to increasedevelopment velocity and quality.Technical Leadership & Mentorship:Provides strategic technical guidance and mentorship to Engineers and theirteams, fostering engineering excellence and innovation.Influences architectural decisions and design patterns across teams to promotestandardization, maintainability, and system interoperability.Showcases Walmart’s engineering vision through knowledge sharing, communityleadership, and by publishing technical articles and insights internally andexternally.Customer/Associate Problem Definition & Metrics:Engages with cross-functional stakeholders to deeply understand business anduser needs.Breaks down ambiguous problems into actionable technical requirements anddefines clear operational, engineering, and customer-centric metrics to measuresuccess and value delivery.Technical Ownership:Demonstrates responsibility for deliverables, ensuring solutions meet qualitystandards and business objectives.Takes initiative to resolve issues and drive projects to completion.Technical Judgment:Applies sound reasoning to make informed technical decisions, balancing trade-offs and considering long-term impacts on system architecture and businessgoals.Change Agility:Adapts quickly to change, embraces new technologies, and understands thebroader system context.Anticipates the downstream effects of technical choices and integrates feedbackto improve outcomes.Collaboration:Works effectively across teams, openly shares knowledge, and communicatescomplex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Innovation & Continuous Improvement:Proactively seeks opportunities to enhance processes, tools, and products.Encourages experimentation and learning to drive ongoing improvement.Drives the execution of multiple business plans and projects by identifyingcustomer and operational needs; developing and communicating business plansand priorities; removing barriers and obstacles that impact performance;providing resources; identifying performance standards; measuring progress andadjusting performance accordingly; developing contingency plans; anddemonstrating adaptability and supporting continuous learning.Provides supervision and development opportunities for associates by selectingand training; mentoring; assigning duties; building a team-based workenvironment; establishing performance expectations and conducting regularperformance evaluations; providing recognition and rewards; coaching forsuccess and improvement; and promoting a belonging mindset in workplace.Promotes and supports company policies, procedures, mission, values, andstandards of ethics and integrity by training and providing direction to others intheir use and application; ensuring compliance with them; and utilizing andsupporting the Open Door Policy.Ensures business needs are being met by evaluating the ongoing effectiveness ofcurrent plans, programs, and initiatives; consulting with business partners,managers, co-workers, or other key stakeholders; soliciting, evaluating, andapplying suggestions for improving efficiency and cost effectiveness; andparticipating in and supporting community outreach events.Software Development, Software Architecture, Solution Design, ContinuousIntegrationRespect the Individual: Demonstrates and encourages respect for all; builds ahigh-performing team; seeks, and embraces differences in people, cultures, ideasand experiences; creates a workplace where all associates feel seen, supportedand connected through culture of belonging so associates thrive and perform;drives a positive associate and customer/member experience for all; identifies,attracts, and retains the best team members.Respect the Individual: Creates a discipline and focus around developing talent,through feedback, coaching, mentoring, and developmental opportunities;promotes an environment allowing everyone to bring their best selves to work;empowers associates and partners to act in the best interest of thecustomer/member and company; and regularly recognizes others’ contributionsand accomplishments.Respect the Individual: Builds strong and trusting relationships with teammembers and business partners; works collaboratively and cross-functionally toachieve objectives; and communicates and listens attentively, with energy andpositivity to motivate, influence, and inspire commitment and action.Act with Integrity: Maintains and promotes the highest standards of integrity,ethics and compliance; models the Walmart values and leads by example tofoster our culture; supports Walmart’s goal of becoming a regenerative companyby making a positive impact for associates, customers, and the world around us(e.g., creating a sense of belonging, eliminating waste, participating in localgiving).Act with Integrity: Follows the law, our code of conduct and company policies,and sets expectations for others to do the same; promotes an environment whereassociates feel comfortable sharing concerns and reinforces our culture of non-retaliation; listens to concerns raised by associates. takes action and encouragesothers to do the same; holds self and others accountable for achieving results in away that is consistent with our values.Act with Integrity: Acts as an altruistic servant leader and is consistently humble,self-aware, honest, and transparent.Serve our Customers and Members: Delivers expected business results whileputting the customer/member first and consistently applying an omni-merchantmindset and acts with an Every Day Low-Cost mindset to drive value and EveryDay Low Prices for customers/members.Serve our Customers and Members: Adopts a holistic perspective that considersdata, analytics, customer/member insights, and different parts of the businesswhen making plans and shaping the team’s strategy.Strive for Excellence: Consistently raises the bar and seeks to improve;demonstrates curiosity and a growth mindset; seeks feedback, asks thoughtfulquestions, fosters an environment that supports learning, innovation, andlearning from mistakes, and intelligent risk-taking; and exhibits resilience in theface of setbacks.Strive for Excellence: Seeks and implements continuous improvements andencourages the team to leverage new digital tools and ways of working.
At Walmart, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage. Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.
You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable.
For information about PTO, see .
Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.
For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart.
The annual salary range for this position is $143,000.00 - $286,000.00
Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses.
Additional compensation for certain positions may also include :
- StockMinimum qualifications("Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.Option 2: 7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.")Preferred qualifications("Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area.", "We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.")Additional information(empty)