Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Principal Software Engineer jobs in Illinois are in strong and steady demand, concentrated in enterprise software, financial technology, healthcare technology, and cloud infrastructure, with openings at every level from senior engineer stepping into a principal track through distinguished principal roles. Chicago is by far the largest hiring hub, joined by Schaumburg and Naperville as significant suburban centers where established technology employers maintain engineering operations. Companies like Motorola Solutions, Baxter International, and Discover Financial Services have long-standing Illinois presences and consistently hire at the principal level, with the most in-demand specialties including distributed systems, platform engineering, and full-stack architecture. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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We offer a flexible working policy that supports a healthy balance between personal and professional well-being. This role requires in-office presence on Tuesdays & Thursdays to collaborate, connect, and learn from peers - while also maintaining the flexibility for meaningful work-life balance.
Being a Principal Software Engineer at iManage Means…
You will play a critical role in driving complex technical initiatives, spanning requirements, design, build, and delivery, on a team responsible for iManage's core platform. This role is tailor-made for someone who wants real ownership of the entire SDLC. You will partner directly with product management, design, and research to help shape not just how we build software, but what we build. You will bring a broad ownership mindset to this role, enhancing a platform used by knowledge workers across the world.
iM Responsible For…
- Owning technical initiatives end to end, from understanding the problem and requirements through design, architecture, implementation, and delivery, with minimal day-to-day oversight
- Operating with a product mindset: understanding why something matters to the customer and the business, not just executing a ticket
- Designing and implementing modern, cloud-native systems that help iManage Work scale to meet current and future demand
- Collaborating within cross-functional engineering teams as well as peer teams to build an integrated solution
- Staying hands-on enough to remain technically credible, including applying AI tools thoughtfully as part of daily engineering work
- Communicating, documenting, and presenting to technical and business audiences
- Guiding and mentoring engineers, influencing technical direction across the team and peer teams, and helping establish patterns and practices that enable the organization to take on more ambitious work
iM Qualified Because I Have…
- A demonstrated record of owning complex technical initiatives from problem definition through delivery, including work driven independently with minimal oversight
- Hands-on experience in Java, microservices, and event-driven architectures, built through delivering real production systems
- Experience designing and delivering cloud-native systems at scale, with Azure preferred
- The ability to think critically about how architectural patterns apply to a scenario, and the skills to articulate the benefits of applying those patterns
- A practical, applied understanding of AI in the engineering workflow: comfortable using AI coding tools effectively, and able to explain and stand behind whatever you ship
- Comfort operating with ambiguity, taking ownership across multiple areas, and adapting to changing priorities; experience in consulting or startup environments is a plus
- A bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field
- Proficiency with relational and NoSQL database systems
- Experience with the Linux platform as a development and runtime environment
- Knowledge of secure coding and design practices, including threat modeling, is a plus
- Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and build management; use of Docker and Kubernetes is a plus
Don't meet every qualification listed above? Studies show that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet all qualifications. At iManage, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment, and encourage everyone to show up as their full authentic selves. We welcome those that come with a growth mindset and a hunger for learning; so, if you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification we encourage you to apply anyways!
iM Getting To…
- Join a supportive, experienced team with an inclusive, encouraging, and vibrant culture.
- Have flexible work hours that allow me to balance my ‘me time’ with my work commitments.
- Collaborate in a modern open plan workspace, with a gaming area, free snacks, drinks and regular social events.
- Focus on impactful work, solving complex, real challenges utilizing the latest technologies and protocols.
- Own my career path with our internal development framework. Ask us more about this!
- Learn new skills and earn certifications with access to unlimited courses in LinkedIn Learning.
- Join an innovative, industry leading SaaS company that is continuing to grow & scale!
iManage Is Supporting Me By...
- Creating an inclusive environment where I can help shape the culture not just by fitting in, but by adding to it.
- Providing a market competitive salary that is applied through a consistent process, equitable for all our employees, and regularly reviewed based on industry data.
- Rewarding me with an annual performance-based bonus.
- Offering comprehensive Health/Vision/Dental/Life Insurance, and a 401k Retirement Savings Plan with a company match up to 4%.
- Giving access to HealthJoy, a healthcare concierge service, to help me maximize my health benefits.
- Granting enhanced leave for expecting parents; 20 weeks 100% paid for primary leave, and 10 weeks 100% paid for secondary leave.
- Providing me with a flexible time off policy to take the time off that I need. Be it for vacation, volunteering, celebrating holidays, spending time with family, or simply taking time to recharge and reset.
- Caring for my mental health and well-being with multiple company wellness days and free access to the Healthy Minds app for mindfulness, meditation and more.
About iManage…
iManage is dedicated to Making Knowledge WorkTM. Over one million professionals across 65+ countries rely on our intelligent, cloud-enabled, secure knowledge work platform to uncover and activate the knowledge that exists inside their business content and communications.
We are continuously innovating to solve the most complex professional challenges and enable better business outcomes; Our work is not always easy but it is ambitious and rewarding.
So we’re looking for people who love a challenge. People who are happiest when they’re solving problems and collaborating with the industry’s best and brightest. That’s the iManage way. It’s how we do things that might appear impossible. How we develop our employees’ strengths and unlock their potential. How we find meaning in everything we do.
Whoever you are, whatever you do, however you work. Make it mean something at iManage.
iManage provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Learn more at: www.imanage.com
Please see our recruitment privacy statement for more information on how we handle your personal data.
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See All 21 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsPrincipal Software Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Software Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Manufacturing
- Agriculture & Farming
- Staffing & Recruiting
- Distribution & Wholesale
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal software engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
- Ten or more years of professional software engineering experience with demonstrated technical leadership
- Deep expertise in at least one major backend language such as Java, Go, or C++
- Proven ability to define system architecture and drive technical direction across engineering teams
- Experience with large-scale distributed systems, cloud platforms such as AWS or Azure, and microservices
- Strong cross-functional communication skills and experience mentoring and leveling up engineers
Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a principal software engineer in Illinois?
Principal software engineer is not a licensed or state-regulated profession in Illinois, so there is no state board or exam required. The typical path begins with a computer science or software engineering degree, followed by years of progressively senior individual contributor work, then a transition into technical leadership roles such as staff or senior engineer. Illinois employers, particularly in Chicago's financial technology and enterprise software sectors, generally promote to principal level based on demonstrated system design experience, cross-team influence, and delivery of large-scale technical initiatives rather than any single certification.
How much do principal software engineers make in Illinois?
Principal software engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $132,110 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $80,980 for the lowest 10% to over $194,740 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire principal software engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring principal software engineers in Illinois right now include Northrop Grumman, CVS Health, and Chamberlain, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Illinois's concentration of enterprise technology companies, financial institutions, and major healthcare organizations in and around Chicago makes it one of the more active states for senior engineering talent.
Which Illinois cities have the most principal software engineer jobs?
The cities with the most principal software engineer openings in Illinois are Chicago, Rolling Meadows, and Oak Brook. Chicago dominates because it is home to a dense cluster of financial technology firms, trading platforms, and large enterprise software companies, while suburban markets like Schaumburg and Naperville draw openings from established hardware and healthcare technology employers that have maintained long-term engineering campuses in those corridors.
Are there remote principal software engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 67% of principal software engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how broadly distributed the work can be for senior engineers operating at an architectural level. The portions of the role most commonly offered remotely include system design, code review, and cross-team technical consultation, while on-site expectations tend to apply mainly to roles with heavy stakeholder or executive interaction.
How can I get hired as a principal software engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is to first secure a software engineer or associate software engineer role and build toward the principal level over time. Illinois employers such as Motorola Solutions, Discover Financial Services, and major Chicago-area financial technology firms run new-graduate programs and rotational engineering tracks that place candidates without senior experience into structured development pipelines. Moving laterally from adjacent roles such as software architect, technical lead, or senior backend engineer is also a common bridge. Building a portfolio that demonstrates system design decisions, architecture documentation, or open-source technical leadership gives Illinois candidates a meaningful edge at the point of promotion or external application.
Where can I find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to principal software engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings across industries and experience levels. Search the available roles, find the ones that fit your background and preferences, and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 21 Principal Software Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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