Principal Software Engineer

This is a remote role that may be hired in several markets across the United States.

At First Citizens Bank we're in the midst of a bold digital transformation-simplifying, consolidating, and modernizing the way we serve our customers. We're evolving toward a foundational North Star Architecture that enables us to scale smarter, move faster, and deliver experiences that truly differentiate us in the market.

This is not business-as-usual. We're reimagining our digital banking platform from the ground up-rethinking how channels connect, how technology supports growth, and how teams collaborate to deliver with speed and purpose. Few get the chance to help shape something this foundational. This is your opportunity to be part of a once-in-a-career journey, building what's next while staying grounded in the impact we create today. If you're energized by transformation, passionate about software engineering, and ready to help lay the technical bedrock for a digital-first future-we want to talk to you.

The CIAM & Fraud Principal Software Engineer is the senior-most hands-on engineering authority for customer identity and fraud technology built on the Okta platform . The role ensures that digital banking journeys are secure, resilient, and fraud-aware , while maintaining a low-friction customer experience .

Operating across multiple squads, the role sets technical direction, standards, and quality expectations , and provides deep expertise during complex design decisions, platform changes, and production incidents.

• Own engineering integrity and technical decision-making for CIAM and Fraud platforms.
• Ensure Okta-based identity solutions balance customer experience, fraud prevention, security, and scalability .
• Influence platform roadmaps and priorities through deep domain expertise.
• Act as a critical control point for high-risk changes impacting customers and regulatory outcomes.
• Serve as the engineering authority for Customer facing Okta Customer Identity Cloud implementations.
• Define and maintain CIAM and Fraud specific engineering standards, patterns, and reference implementations .
• Lead complex engineering initiatives including:
  • OAuth2 / OIDC authentication and token lifecycle management
  • Okta Identity Engine adaptive and risk-based authentication
  • MFA step-up for high-risk transactions
  • Integration of fraud and behavioral risk signals
• Lead resolution of severe production incidents and security vulnerabilities .
• Partner with Architecture, Security, Fraud, and Delivery leadership to ensure alignment.

Technology & Domain Focus

• Okta Customer Identity Cloud (Identity Engine, Universal Directory, MFA).
• Digital onboarding, login, recovery, and transaction security.
• Fraud signal integration and risk-based decisioning.
• API security, zero-trust patterns, and cloud-native architectures.
• DevSecOps, observability, and operational resilience.

Leadership & Influence

• Provides technical leadership across squads without direct line management.
• Coaches and mentors Senior and Staff engineers.
• Sets expectations for engineering quality, resilience, and ownership.
• Acts as a trusted advisor to Directors, Architects, and Security leaders.

Bachelor's Degree and 10 years of experience in Software application development and maintenance OR High School Diploma or GED and 14 years of experience in Software application development and maintenance

Preferred Qualifications

• Principal or Staff-level engineering experience.
• Deep hands-on expertise with Okta CIAM.
• Strong experience in banking or regulated financial services.
• Proven delivery of secure, customer-facing platforms at scale.
• Minimum 5-8 years experience with at least one major programming language (e.g. Java, Python, Go, etc.,).
• Strong understanding of fraud prevention, risk-based authentication, and secure digital journeys .
• Experience working within agile, product-aligned delivery models .
• Familiarity with regulatory, audit, and operational risk expectations.
• Strong CIAM and fraud-aware identity design expertise.
• Deep understanding of Okta architecture and configuration concepts.
• OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML.
• Fraud signal integration and risk-based decisioning.
• Strong understanding of REST APIs, event-driven architectures.
• Experience of Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).

This job posting is expected to remain active for 14 days from the initial posting date listed above. If it is necessary to extend this deadline, the posting will remain active as appropriate. Job postings may come down early due to business need or a high volume of applicants.

The base pay for this position is generally between $165,000 and $195,000. Actual starting base pay will be determined based on skills, experience, location, and other non-discriminatory factors permitted by law. For some roles, total compensation may also include variable incentives, bonuses, benefits, and/or other awards as outlined in the offer of employment.

Benefits are an integral part of total rewards and First Citizens Bank is committed to providing a competitive, thoughtfully designed and quality benefits program to meet the needs of our associates. More information can be found at