Software Engineer Senior- Kafka Expert & Microservices and Web UI Angular

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Software Engineer Senior - Kafka Expert & Microservices and Web UI Angular

Company: PNC

Location: Pittsburgh, PA; Strongsville, OH; Farmers Branch, TX

Job Type: Full time

Category: Software Engineering / Technology Operations

Date Posted: 2026-07-30

Experience Level: 3+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This Senior Software Engineer role is critical for developing and maintaining robust, scalable, and high-performance software solutions for PNC's technology infrastructure.

• The position demands expertise in real-time data streaming technologies, specifically Kafka, to ensure efficient data flow and processing within microservices architectures.

• A strong focus will be placed on designing and implementing modern web user interfaces using Angular, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience for internal and external stakeholders.

• Responsibilities will span the full software development lifecycle, from initial technical design and architecture through coding, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance and debugging of complex systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Software Engineer Senior," the required skills (Kafka, Microservices, Angular) and emphasis on technical design, development, and maintenance strongly align with roles that support operational efficiency and data integrity, making it relevant to a technology operations-focused audience. The specific mention of Kafka points towards data pipeline operations and real-time event-driven systems.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement scalable microservices architectures, with a particular emphasis on leveraging Kafka for event-driven communication and data streaming.

• Build and maintain responsive, user-friendly web interfaces using Angular, ensuring alignment with business requirements and user experience best practices.

• Create detailed technical designs and architectural blueprints for software solutions, ensuring they meet performance, security, and scalability standards.

• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, adhering to established coding standards and best practices across all development activities.

• Conduct thorough unit, integration, and system testing to ensure the quality, reliability, and functionality of delivered software.

• Troubleshoot and debug complex software issues, identifying root causes and implementing effective solutions to minimize downtime and impact on operations.

• Prepare comprehensive technical and procedural documentation for software solutions, including design specifications, user guides, and operational runbooks.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including product managers, architects, and other engineers, to define requirements and deliver integrated solutions.

• Participate in release management processes, ensuring smooth and controlled deployment of software updates and new features.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of core software engineering tasks with a strong operational focus on data flow (Kafka), system integration (microservices), and user interface reliability (Angular), all crucial for maintaining efficient technology operations within a financial institution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

• Minimum of 3+ years of relevant professional experience in software development, with a proven track record of delivering complex technical solutions. Required Skills:

• Kafka Expertise: Deep understanding and hands-on experience with Apache Kafka, including message queuing, stream processing, and real-time data integration.

• Microservices Development: Proficiency in designing, building, and deploying microservices architectures, understanding their benefits and challenges.

• Angular Development: Strong skills in developing modern web applications using Angular, including component-based architecture, state management, and UI/UX best practices.

• Web UI Development: Comprehensive knowledge of front-end technologies (HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript/TypeScript) and building responsive user interfaces.

• Software Design Principles: Solid understanding of object-oriented programming (OOP), design patterns, and software architecture principles.

• System Development Life Cycle (SDLC): Experience with Agile methodologies and a thorough understanding of the end-to-end software development lifecycle.

• Technical Troubleshooting: Ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues in distributed systems and web applications.

• Application Development Tools: Familiarity with modern IDEs, build tools, and version control systems (e.g., Git).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with other messaging or event streaming platforms.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.

• Experience in financial services or a regulated industry.

• Understanding of user experience (UX) design principles and accessibility standards.

• Experience with packaged application integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Kafka and microservices suggests a need for skills in managing high-throughput data pipelines and distributed systems, which are core to many operational technology functions. The inclusion of Angular indicates a focus on user-facing applications that support operational workflows and customer interactions.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Kafka Integration Case Studies: Showcase projects where Kafka was used for real-time data streaming, event processing, or building event-driven architectures, detailing the setup, challenges, and outcomes.

• Microservices Architecture Examples: Provide examples of microservices developed, highlighting design choices, inter-service communication patterns, and deployment strategies.

• Angular Application Demos: Demonstrate functional Angular applications, focusing on UI/UX implementation, component reusability, and performance optimization.

• Technical Design Documents: Include samples of technical specifications, architectural diagrams, or design documents for complex software solutions, illustrating your ability to translate business needs into technical plans.

• Code Samples (if permitted): If possible and permissible by prior employers, provide clean, well-structured code samples that demonstrate proficiency in Kafka, microservices, or Angular development.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design and Optimization: Present examples of how you have documented and optimized software development workflows, including testing, deployment, and debugging processes.

• System Implementation Standards: Illustrate your understanding of establishing and adhering to standards for system implementation, ensuring consistency and reliability across development efforts.

• Measurement and Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you have measured the performance of software solutions, particularly those involving Kafka and microservices, and used data to drive improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role requiring Kafka and microservices expertise, a portfolio demonstrating experience with real-time data flows, distributed systems, and robust application development is crucial. The emphasis on process documentation relates to maintaining operational stability and efficiency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• $86,250.00 – $172,500.00 per year.

📝 Enhancement Note: This salary range is based on the provided information. For Pittsburgh, PA (a lower cost-of-living area compared to national averages), this range is competitive for a Senior Software Engineer role. For Strongsville, OH, it aligns with similar benchmarks. For Farmers Branch, TX (part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex), the higher end of the range is particularly relevant due to the higher cost of living and competitive tech market in that region. The range reflects significant experience and specialized skills in Kafka, microservices, and Angular.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Prescription drug coverage with a Health Savings Account (HSA) option.

• Employee and spouse/child life insurance.

• Short-term and long-term disability protection.

• Generous 401(k) plan with a PNC match.

• Pension plan and stock purchase options.

• Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.

• Back-up child and elder care services.

• Adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement programs.

• Educational assistance, including fully paid select programs.

• Robust wellness program with financial incentives.

• Paid time off, including vacation days (15-25 days depending on career level), occasional absence days, and paid holidays (up to 11 per year).

• Maternity and/or parental leave. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. PNC is an in-office company, implying a structured work schedule with potential for some flexibility as determined by the hiring manager and team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package is extensive, reflecting PNC's commitment to employee well-being and financial security. The PTO structure, particularly the vacation days based on career level, suggests opportunities for growth and recognition of tenure.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Banking. PNC operates within a highly regulated industry, demanding stringent adherence to security, compliance, and operational reliability.

Company Size: PNC is a large, established financial institution with a significant employee base (indicated by the company's overall scale, though specific numbers aren't provided in the raw data, it's a major bank). This size implies a structured environment with established processes and opportunities for specialization.

Founded: PNC has a long history, founded in 1852, indicating stability, deep market experience, and a well-established corporate culture.

Team Structure:

• This role is within PNC's Technology organization, likely part of a larger software engineering or platform development team.

• The team structure will likely involve reporting to a Software Engineering Manager or a Technical Lead, with collaboration across various engineering disciplines and potentially product management.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, involving interaction with teams responsible for infrastructure, security, compliance, and business units to ensure integrated and secure solutions. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The role emphasizes using data (through Kafka streams, application metrics) to inform design choices, troubleshoot issues, and drive performance improvements.

• Agile Development: PNC, like most modern tech organizations, likely employs Agile methodologies for software development, focusing on iterative development, continuous feedback, and flexibility.

• Risk Management & Compliance: Given the financial industry context, a strong emphasis is placed on managing risks, ensuring compliance with regulations, and maintaining robust security protocols in all development and operational activities.

Company Website: https://www.pnc.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The financial services industry context is paramount. Operations professionals in this space must be keenly aware of regulatory requirements, data security, and the critical nature of system uptime and reliability. The size and history of PNC suggest a stable but potentially bureaucratic environment, where understanding established processes and navigating internal structures can be key to success.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Software Engineer role, indicating a mid-to-senior level position within the technology function. It requires not only technical proficiency but also the ability to contribute to technical design, mentor junior engineers, and drive complex projects. In an operations context, this level signifies responsibility for critical systems that underpin business functions.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Software Engineer will likely report to a Software Engineering Manager or a Technical Lead. They will collaborate closely with architects, product owners, and other senior engineers, potentially leading small project teams or feature development efforts.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on the operational efficiency and reliability of PNC's technology platforms. Expertise in Kafka and microservices ensures that data flows smoothly and systems are resilient, directly supporting customer transactions, internal processes, and regulatory reporting. A well-developed Angular UI enhances user productivity and customer experience, contributing to overall business goals.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in Kafka, microservices, and Angular, potentially becoming a subject matter expert (SME) or architect in these areas.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a Tech Lead role, managing project teams, or transitioning into management roles within the engineering or operations departments.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain exposure to various aspects of financial technology, including data analytics, security, compliance, and product development, broadening career horizons.

• Industry Certifications: Support for obtaining relevant industry certifications in cloud technologies, Kafka, or software architecture.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior engineers, developing leadership and coaching skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations-minded candidates, this role offers a clear path to influence critical business processes through technology. The growth opportunities highlight a structured career progression typical of large financial institutions, with pathways for both deep technical mastery and leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: PNC is an "in-office company," indicating a preference for on-site work. This suggests a traditional office environment designed for collaboration and focused work.

Office Location(s): The role can be based in Pittsburgh, PA (Two PNC Plaza), Strongsville, OH, or Farmers Branch, TX. These are established corporate locations with typical office amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The on-site nature encourages direct interaction, spontaneous discussions, and team cohesion, which can be beneficial for complex problem-solving and knowledge sharing in operations.

• Technology & Tools: Expect access to standard corporate IT infrastructure, development tools, and potentially specialized hardware or software required for Kafka and microservices development.

• Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, stand-ups, and collaborative work sessions are expected, fostering a sense of shared responsibility for project success and operational stability.

Work Schedule:

• The standard 40-hour work week is expected, with the possibility of needing to work outside of these hours for critical deployments, incident response, or project deadlines, common in operational technology roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "in-office" requirement is a significant factor. Candidates should be prepared for a traditional office setting and understand that remote work flexibility may be limited. This also means opportunities for informal learning and mentorship through direct interaction with colleagues.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will likely conduct an initial screening to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Technical Interviews: Expect multiple rounds of technical interviews. These will likely include:

  • Coding Challenges: Live coding exercises focusing on algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving, potentially involving Kafka, microservices, or Angular concepts.
  • System Design Interviews: Scenarios where you'll be asked to design a system (e.g., a real-time data processing pipeline using Kafka, or a microservices-based application) and discuss trade-offs, scalability, and reliability.
  • Kafka/Microservices/Angular Deep Dives: Questions probing your specific knowledge and experience with these technologies, including troubleshooting scenarios and best practices.

• Behavioral Interviews: Questions assessing your soft skills, teamwork, problem-solving approach, and alignment with PNC's values (Customer Focused, Managing Risk).

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager to assess overall fit, discuss team dynamics, and answer any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Kafka Use Cases: For any Kafka-related projects, clearly articulate the problem statement, the Kafka architecture implemented (e.g., topics, partitions, consumer groups), data throughput, latency, and any resilience patterns used.

• Showcase Microservices Design: For microservices, explain the rationale behind the chosen architecture, how services communicate (e.g., REST, gRPC, message queues), API design, and deployment strategies.

• Demonstrate Angular Proficiency: For Angular projects, focus on UI/UX implementation, component structure, state management, performance optimization techniques, and how the UI addresses user needs effectively.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., "reduced data processing time by X%", "improved application load time by Y%", "handled Z messages per second").

• Prepare for Walkthroughs: Be ready to walk through your portfolio pieces, explaining your role, the technical decisions made, and the lessons learned.

Challenge Preparation:

• Practice Coding: Utilize platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or similar to practice coding problems, focusing on efficiency and clarity.

• Study System Design: Review common system design patterns, especially those relevant to distributed systems, event-driven architectures, and high-volume data processing.

• Review Kafka Concepts: Brush up on Kafka internals, common use cases (e.g., stream processing with Kafka Streams, Kafka Connect), and best practices for production deployments.

• Angular Best Practices: Revisit Angular best practices, performance tuning, and common UI/UX patterns.

• PNC Values: Understand PNC's core values (Customer Focused, Managing Risk) and prepare examples of how you've demonstrated these in your previous roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at a large financial institution like PNC will be rigorous, with a strong emphasis on both technical depth and risk awareness. Candidates should prepare thoroughly for technical assessments and be ready to articulate their thought process clearly, especially regarding system design and problem-solving.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Kafka: Apache Kafka is a core requirement, implying extensive use for real-time data streaming, message brokering, and event-driven architectures.

• Microservices Frameworks: Technologies like Spring Boot (Java), Node.js (Express), or .NET Core (C#) are common for building microservices.

• Angular: The primary framework for front-end web UI development.

• Java/TypeScript/JavaScript: Core programming languages for back-end and front-end development.

• Git: For version control and collaborative development.

• IDEs: IntelliJ IDEA, VS Code, Eclipse, or similar integrated development environments.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Monitoring Tools: Tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) are likely used for monitoring Kafka, microservices, and application performance.

• APM Tools: Application Performance Monitoring tools to track application health and identify bottlenecks.

• Reporting Dashboards: Tools for creating and consuming dashboards that visualize system health, data processing metrics, and application usage.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly mentioned, PNC will have internal systems for managing customer relationships and internal processes. Proficiency with enterprise-level software and understanding data flow between systems will be beneficial.

• CI/CD Tools: Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or similar for automated build, test, and deployment pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Kafka, Microservices, and Angular points to a modern, distributed technology stack. Candidates should be comfortable working with cloud-native concepts, containerization (even if not explicitly listed, it's common in microservices), and robust monitoring and logging practices essential for operational stability.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focused: All technology decisions and developments should ultimately serve the customer's needs, whether internal users or external clients. This means prioritizing reliability, usability, and security.

• Managing Risk: This is paramount in financial services. Developers are expected to be acutely aware of security vulnerabilities, data integrity, and compliance requirements, embedding these considerations into their work.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: The on-site environment and the nature of complex software projects necessitate strong teamwork, open communication, and a willingness to support colleagues.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages learning, adapting to new technologies, and refining processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness is likely fostered.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Engineers will work closely with architects, product owners, business analysts, and potentially compliance officers to ensure solutions meet diverse needs and are robust.

• Process Review & Feedback: Regular code reviews and design discussions are standard, promoting knowledge sharing and quality assurance.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing best practices, lessons learned from incidents, and new technological insights through presentations, documentation, or informal channels.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Managing Risk" value is a critical differentiator for roles in the financial sector. Operations professionals must demonstrate a deep understanding of security and compliance implications in their technical work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Distributed Systems: Managing and debugging distributed systems like microservices, especially with high-volume data streams via Kafka, presents inherent challenges in terms of consistency, fault tolerance, and monitoring.

• Legacy System Integration: As a large, established bank, there may be a need to integrate new microservices and Kafka-based solutions with existing legacy systems, which can be complex and require careful planning.

• Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to strict financial regulations (e.g., data privacy, security standards, auditability) while developing agile solutions requires a balanced approach and constant vigilance.

• Keeping Pace with Technology: The rapid evolution of technologies in microservices, cloud, and stream processing requires continuous learning and adaptation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Kafka Training: Opportunities to gain deeper certifications or specialized training in Kafka ecosystem tools (e.g., Kafka Streams, ksqlDB, Confluent Platform).

• Cloud Certifications: Support for obtaining certifications in major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), which are highly relevant for microservices deployment.

• Microservices Architecture Workshops: Internal or external training sessions focused on advanced microservices design patterns, resilience strategies, and operational best practices.

• Leadership Development Programs: For high-potential individuals, PNC offers programs to develop leadership and management skills.

• Industry Conferences: Attendance at key technology conferences related to software engineering, Kafka, or microservices to stay abreast of industry trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in regulated industries. The growth opportunities emphasize continuous learning and specialization, crucial for maintaining relevance in the quickly evolving tech landscape and for advancing within PNC's operational technology structure.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Technical Design: "Design a real-time fraud detection system using Kafka and microservices. Discuss your architecture, data flow, scalability considerations, and how you'd handle false positives/negatives."

  • Preparation: Focus on event-driven architecture, Kafka topics for different event types, microservices for specific detection logic, and strategies for handling high throughput and low latency.

• Kafka Scenarios: "How would you ensure exactly-once processing in a Kafka consumer? What are common strategies for Kafka topic management and partitioning for optimal performance?"

  • Preparation: Review Kafka's transactional APIs, idempotent producers/consumers, and best practices for scaling and managing Kafka clusters in production.

• Microservices & Angular Integration: "Describe how you would build an Angular front-end to interact with a set of microservices, focusing on API design, state management, and error handling."

  • Preparation: Discuss RESTful API design, GraphQL, using services in Angular to fetch and manage data, and techniques for creating a responsive and robust UI.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Risk Management: "Describe a time you had to balance delivering a feature quickly with ensuring it met security or compliance requirements. How did you approach this?"

  • Preparation: Prepare examples that demonstrate your understanding of risk assessment and mitigation, and how you integrate security/compliance into your development process.

• Customer Focus: "How do you ensure your technical decisions align with customer needs, even when working on back-end systems like Kafka or microservices?"

  • Preparation: Connect technical choices to business outcomes and user experience, even for seemingly "invisible" infrastructure components.

• Teamwork: "Tell me about a challenging situation you faced working with a team. How did you resolve it?"

  • Preparation: Use the STAR method to highlight your communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each portfolio piece, clearly articulate the problem, your solution (detailing the technologies like Kafka, microservices, Angular), your specific contributions, the results achieved (quantified if possible), and lessons learned.

• Technical Depth: Be prepared to dive deep into the technical aspects, explaining why certain choices were made (e.g., why Kafka over another messaging system, specific microservice design patterns).

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize how your work contributed to business objectives, operational efficiency, or improved user experience. For this role, focus on data flow reliability, system scalability, and UI usability.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about trade-offs, alternatives considered, and potential improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Software Engineer role at PNC, interviewers will be looking for not just technical skill but also maturity, a strong understanding of operational impact, and a deep awareness of risk and compliance within the financial services context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Operations-aligned Software Engineering position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply directly through the PNC careers portal via the provided URL.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience with Kafka, microservices, and Angular prominently. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "event-driven architecture," "real-time data streaming," "scalable microservices," "responsive UI development"). Quantify your achievements with metrics whenever possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your expertise in Kafka, microservices, and Angular development. Prepare a concise presentation or documentation for each, focusing on the technical challenges, your solutions, and the impact.

• Prepare for Technical Interviews: Practice coding problems, review system design principles for distributed systems, and refresh your knowledge of Kafka, microservices, and Angular best practices. Be ready to discuss your portfolio projects in detail.

• Research PNC: Understand PNC's business, its position in the financial industry, and its stated values (Customer Focused, Managing Risk). Prepare to discuss how your skills and experience align with these.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.