Principal Engineer

Job Title: Principal Engineer for IT Ops

Location: Chicago

Job Summary: A Principal Engineer for IT Ops at Advantage Solutions is a senior-level position who is comfortable dealing with high level activities and drive execution. High level tasks include and are not limited to making high-level design choices and framing technical standards, including tools, software coding standards, and platforms to be used. Execution activities range from helping with team mobilization, defining solution architecture, leading design review or testing plan and be engaged in support activities. This role requires broad and deep technical knowledge to make high-level decisions about each stage of the IT operations lifecycle process. Additionally, the Principal Engineer must possess strong soft skills to manage and positively influence projects and people.

Primary Responsibilities:

Collaborate with various stakeholders to determine an IT operations' architecture strategy aligned with Advantage Solutions' business objectives.
• Create high-level solutions specifications and design documents (conceptual and physical diagrams).
• Provide the IT operations team with architectural blueprints to follow.
• Ensure the security of all IT systems in alignment with our Security strategy.
• Meet financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing budgets, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions.
• Actively seek ways to improve business IT processes and interactions.
• Enhance cloud, network, DevSecOps and operation capabilities.
• Work closely with lead architects and engineers to create and maintain architectural templates, build/operational documents, and automation playbooks.
• Work closely with engineers, product owners to deliver IT or business capabilities.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Research and properly evaluate sources of information to determine possible limitations in reliability or usability.
• Help other development and engineering teams resolve application-to-platform integration issues for Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) services.
• Maintain domain knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, and participating in professional organizations.
• Coach and mentor engineering teams to raise collective technical expertise.
• Test the final product to ensure it is entirely functional and meets requirements.
• Use a proactive approach to common challenges and continually research best practices in coding.

Qualifications / Skills / Requirements:

• Outstanding collaboration and communication skills are essential.
• 5+ years of experience working on large-scale IT projects.
• 5+ years of exposure to cloud-managed services, serverless technology, and microservices like Function-as-a-Service, Containers, and managed databases.
• 5+ years of exposure to logging and application performance monitoring.
• 5+ years of experience overseeing customized development of processes for multiple projects simultaneously.
• 5+ years of exposure with database architecture and infrastructure.
• 3+ years of exposure with network design.
• Demonstrated deep knowledge of web applications, API development, cybersecurity, and open-source technologies.
• Demonstrated track record of leading within complex organizations requiring strong influence management skills - the ability to work cooperatively at all levels in a matrix environment.
• Proven ability to create high-level product specifications and design documents.
• Experience in enhancing cloud capability by creating and implementing cloud application patterns.
• Ability to forecast requirements, prepare budgets, schedule expenditures, analyze variances, and initiate corrective actions.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to common challenges.
• Continuous learning mindset, with the ability to stay updated on industry trends and best practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Certifications in cloud technologies such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Certifications in ServiceNow.
• Experience with DevOps practices and tools such as Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform.
• Familiarity with ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) processes and practices.
• Experience with automation and orchestration tools.
• Knowledge of data analytics and machine learning.
• Experience in a leadership role within a large enterprise environment.

Strong understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements in IT operatio

Job Will Remain Open Until Filled

The Company is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

Responsibilities:
Primary Responsibilities
o Collaborating with various stakeholders to determine application requirements
o Play a central role in technical, business, and organizational contributions affecting the sub-department/department
o Creating high-level product specifications and design documents (conceptual and physical diagrams)
o Exert technical influence over multiple teams, increasing their productivity and effectiveness by sharing your deep knowledge and experience
o Providing the development team with architectural blueprints to follow
o Ensure the security of all applications/software systems
o Meet financial objectives by forecasting requirements, preparing budgets, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions
o Actively seek ways to improve business applications/software processes and interactions
o Enhance our cloud capability by creating and implementing cloud application patterns
o Work closely with lead architects and engineers to create and maintain architectural templates, build/operational documents, and automation playbooks
o Define API features, expected security setup, scalability, and monetization.
Secondary Responsibilities
o Research and properly evaluate sources of information to determine possible limitations in reliability or usability
o Help other development and engineering teams resolve application-to-platform integration issues for Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) services
o Maintain domain knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, and participating in professional organizations
o Coach and mentor engineering teams to raise collective technical expertise
o Testing the final product to ensure it is entirely functional and meets requirements
o Use a proactive approach to common challenges and continually researching best practices in coding

Qualifications:
* Outstanding collaboration and communication skills are essential
* 10+ years of hands-on experience in architecting and designing solutions using at least three disciplines: cloud architecture, software development, data platform integration, business processes and capabilities, focusing on scalability, security, performance, and cost to serve
* 10+ years of experience in applying architecture patterns that cover application, data, events, and API-led design concepts enabling transaction flow for scenarios such as application to application, business to business (B2B), direct to consumer (B2C), digital integration, devices, and things
* 10+ yrs. Experience working on large-scale application projects
* 10+ yrs. Exposure to cloud-managed services, serverless technology, and microservices like Function-as-a-Service, Containers, and managed databases
* 10+ yrs. Experience developing applications/software utilizing various coding languages, including Python, .Net, Java, JavaScript/React, and more
* 10+ yrs. Experience overseeing customized development of processes for multiple projects simultaneously
* 10+ yrs. Experience designing secure applications systems based upon industry specifications
* Demonstrated deep knowledge of web applications, webhook and API development, cybersecurity, and open-source technologies
* Demonstrate a track record of leading within complex organizations requiring strong influence management skills - the ability to work cooperatively at all levels in a matrix environment

Additional Information Regarding Advantage Solutions Job Duties and Job Descriptions
Job duties include additional responsibilities as assigned by one's supervisor or other manager related to the position/department. This job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position. The Company reserves the right at any time with or without notice to alter or change job responsibilities, reassign or transfer job positions, or assign additional job responsibilities, subject to applicable law. The Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable a qualified applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the job, or enjoy the benefits and privileges of employment as required by the law.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of associates so classified.

The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment practices without regard to age, race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, physical or mental disability, or any other category protected by law. As part of this commitment, the Company shall provide reasonable accommodations of known disabilities to enable an applicant or employee to apply for employment, perform the essential functions of the jo