Principal Software Engineer
Company : KJ's Market
Location : Hickory, NC, 28602
Job Type : Full Time
Date Posted : 11 January 2026
Overview
The Principal Software Engineer at Alex Lee will develop highly performing, robust, scalable, and maintainable software, and as needed, mentor other IT team members. This position is expected to participate in application development and integration activities across internal systems and 3rd party/cloud-based systems. This role is instrumental in developmental activities related to transitioning from legacy platforms to newer technologies. You collaborate with cross-functional teams, document system designs, and report on project status. Continuous improvement and adoption of the best practices are essential to your success as a Principal software engineer. Activities include, but are not limited to, development in ADABAS Natural, JCL, SQL, SSIS, SSRS, and web service integration as well as providing oversight to team members on various integration and development activities.
Responsibilities
1. Technical Leadership:- Design, develop, debug and support development initiatives involving but not limited to ADABAS Natural, JCL, COBOL, SSIS, SSRS and T-SQL. - Lead development tasks and projects related to Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services including projects to transition from legacy platforms to newer technologies.- Holds accountability as a Designated Responsible Individual (DRI), mentoring engineers across products/solutions, working on-call to monitor system/product/service for degradation, downtime, or interruptions.- Serves as a subject matter expert for your assigned component, providing mentorship and expertise to build knowledge and capabilities within engineering teams.- Plays an active role in maintaining an inclusive and positive culture through active participation in team discourse, providing mentorship for junior team members, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement- Actively schedules and attends code reviews to maximize quality, security, and maintainability of all software.- Quickly identify and resolve complex technical issues and recommend and implement permanent robust solutions.- Lead IT testing processes within project and application wide testing to help ensure design requirements are met and standards compliance.2. Collaboration and Cross-Functional Teams:- Partners with leverages cross-functional teams determine user requirements and drive project plans, releases, and overall development.- Collaborates with peers across the organization on projects that turn opportunity into results.3. Documentation and Transparency:- Documents system designs, processes, and architecture for transparency and future reference, complying with standards developed by architecture teams.- Reports on project status, challenges, and results to stakeholders.4. Continuous Improvement and Best Practices:- Proactively seeks new knowledge and adapts to new trends, technical solutions, and patterns to improve the availability, reliability, efficiency, observability, and performance of products while sharing knowledge with other engineers.- Ability to manage competing priorities according to business need.- Serve as mentor to IT team members and contributes to the continual improvement of the team’s quality standards and engineering processes..
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.• 8+ years software engineering experience including but not limited to the following technologies/skills: o ADABAS Natural, JCL, and web service integration. o SQL experience with a minimum of 3 years Relational Database development focused on SQL Server. o Proficient skills developing SSIS / SSRS packages, or similar ETL and reporting tools.• Responsible for on-call duties to provide application support during off hours. • Agile experience, including daily standups/scrums, sprint planning, sprint reviews, retrospectives and daily peer code reviews. Proficiency in these areas is important, especially at the Principal Software Engineer level and above, where there is an expectation to lead others and engage in these agile ceremonies effectively.• Soft skills: problem solving, effective time management, willingness to learn, seeking assistance as needed, openness to feedback from multiple perspectives via Pull Request reviews, and the ability to peer review other team members.• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.• Strong self-motivation and organizational skills.• Demonstrated ability to context switch between multiple concurrent efforts.• Ability to quickly assess a need or problem and assign responsibility and priority.• Self-sufficiency and excitement for working in a fast paced, results-driven environment.
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Frequently asked questions
At KJ's Market, the Principal Software Engineer spearheads transitioning legacy platforms to cutting-edge technologies, ensuring scalable, maintainable software. This involves integrating with cloud and third-party systems, which positions the engineer as a pivotal figure in modernizing critical business applications in Hickory, NC.
Candidates must excel in Adabas Natural, JCL, COBOL, SQL Server integration services (SSIS), and reporting services (SSRS). Expertise in legacy-to-modern system migration and mentoring junior engineers is highly valued within Hickory's tech landscape to maintain robust enterprise software.
Beyond coding, this role demands mentoring teams, owning development projects, and serving as a subject matter expert. The Principal Software Engineer drives quality through code reviews and leads agile ceremonies, reflecting a hybrid of senior technical authority and strategic project guidance.
Hickory offers a growing tech ecosystem with increasing demand for integration specialists experienced in legacy systems. Its moderate cost of living coupled with emerging IT hubs makes it appealing for engineers seeking impactful leadership roles in established organizations like KJ's Market.
While Hickory's market is less saturated compared to metropolitan areas, candidates face competition from firms modernizing legacy systems. Demonstrated expertise in SQL Server and legacy integrations can set applicants apart in this region’s evolving software engineering job scene.
KJ's Market cultivates continuous learning through mentorship roles, active participation in code reviews, and leading cross-functional projects. They emphasize adopting best practices and encourage engineers to stay current with evolving technologies, fostering professional growth within a collaborative culture.
Yes, proficiency in agile practices like daily standups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives is essential. The role requires not only participation but also leadership in these ceremonies to coordinate development efforts and ensure timely delivery of complex software projects.
Salaries generally range from $115,000 to $140,000 annually, reflecting the seniority and specialized skills required. Compensation may vary based on experience with legacy system modernization and expertise in SQL Server integration, aligning with Hickory’s cost of living and industry standards.
KJ's Market offers a unique blend of hands-on legacy system modernization and team mentorship within a mid-sized company setting, contrasting with the high-paced, often more segmented roles in bigger cities. Hickory’s environment fosters deeper cross-functional collaboration and impact visibility.
The Principal level entails strategic ownership of complex integration projects, mentoring responsibilities, and acting as a designated responsible individual for system uptime. Unlike associate or senior roles, it demands leading agile processes and driving architectural improvements across platforms.