Principal Innovation Engineer

Principal Innovation Engineer - Job Profile Summary Will be responsible for driving Huntington’s most complex innovation initiatives by designing and building end-to-end, production-grade prototypes and reusable technology assets, including AI-enabled applications, while setting high engineering standards for solution architecture, application design, and delivery acceleration across the Technology Innovation portfolio. This role requires strong hands‑on full-stack engineering skills, the mindset of a startup innovator in a large organization, experience building AI-integrated applications end-to-end, developing APIs and user experiences, and the ability to operate independently with limited supervision in a fast-paced innovation environment. Duties and Responsibilities Lead the design and delivery of high-impact innovation solutions aligned with the organization’s business goals and technology trends in financial services. Architect and build end-to-end prototypes and reusable assets, including AI-enabled applications, APIs, workflow automations, and integrations. Translate AI innovation concepts (GenAI / agentic patterns) into real applications with enterprise-grade architecture patterns, security, and operational readiness. Build solutions with a future-proof mindset, laying a solid foundation for development and preventing the need for costly redesigns. Establish and evolve engineering standards for innovation delivery (reference architectures, reusable templates, code quality, API patterns, integration patterns). Partner with other technology teams to align on enterprise architecture, identity / access patterns, data access, compliance needs, and reuse opportunities. Evaluate emerging technologies and developer tooling (Digital Assets, AI-assisted development, orchestration frameworks, app frameworks, integration approaches) and assess applicability to Huntington’s environment. Drive technical problem-solving across ambiguous domains; proactively decompose work into deliverable increments and lead execution to complete finished outcomes. Provide technical mentorship and guidance to engineers, helping improve development velocity, quality, and confidence across the team. Contribute to innovation reporting by summarizing progress, decisions, tradeoffs, and outcomes in a clear way for senior stakeholders. Champion a culture of innovation and forward thinking, educating teams about new possibilities and bringing an “art of the possible” mindset to problem-solving. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical field. 10+ years of experience in software engineering, technology architecture, and end-to-end innovative solution delivery. Expert-level software engineering and application architecture skills with the ability to independently lead complex initiatives from concept to execution. Demonstrated hands-on experience building applications end-to-end (backend + integration + UI), including APIs and workflow automation solutions. Demonstrated experience building AI-enabled applications (GenAI, RAG, agentic workflows, model integration, evaluation/guardrails) in a hands-on capacity. Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment while managing multiple priorities and driving workplans proactively. Preferred Qualifications Experience building innovative digital products in a regulated environment (financial services preferred) with strong security and risk-awareness. Strong API design skills, integration patterns, and experience building services that can be reused across multiple use cases. Experience with modern cloud platforms and AI services (e.g., Google Cloud / Vertex AI, Gemini, or comparable platforms). Experience with modern front-end frameworks and rapid prototyping approaches (e.g., React/Next.js or equivalent), plus strong backend development depth. Strong hands-on software engineering experience using one or more modern programming languages (e.g., Java, Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, or similar), with the ability to rapidly learn and apply new technologies as needed. Demonstrated success creating reusable accelerators (templates, libraries, reference implementations) that scale delivery across teams. Strong communication skills with the ability to explain architecture decisions, tradeoffs, and outcomes to technical and non-technical audiences. Experience building with a product-centric mindset and ability to iteratively deliver; ability to create momentum while maintaining engineering discipline. Benefits & Compensation Compensation Range: $102,000.00 – $208,000.00 USD annual. Eligibility for incentive compensation plan. Benefits include health insurance coverage, wellness program, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plan, paid leave programs, paid holidays and paid time off. Workplace Type: Office (hybrid arrangements may be available; flexible arrangements provided by the hiring team). Huntington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr Huntington National Bank