Principal Software Engineer - 90405385 - Washington
Washington, DC, US, 20001 Chicago, IL, US, 60607 Wilmington, DE, US, 19801 Philadelphia, PA, US, 19104
Your success is a train ride away!
As we move America’s workforce toward the future, Amtrak connects businesses and communities across the country. We employ more than 20,000 diverse, energetic professionals in a variety of career fields throughout the United States. The safety of our passengers, our employees, the public and our operating environment is our priority, and the success of our railroad is due to our employees.
Are you ready to join our team?
Our values of ‘Do the Right Thing, Excel Together and Put Customers First’ are at the heart of what matters most to us, and our Core Capabilities, ‘Building Trust, Accountability, Effective Communication, Customer Focus, and Proactive Safety & Security’ are what every employee needs to know and do to be most impactful at Amtrak. By living the Amtrak values, focusing on our capabilities, and actively embracing and fostering diverse ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, together we will honor our past and make Amtrak a company of the future.
Job Summary
Work Environment: Work will be onsite in Washington DC, Wilmington DE, Philadelphia PA or Chicago IL.
The Principal Systems Engineer, Hire to Retire, provides subject matter expertise and technical leadership across SAP SuccessFactors Cloud applications, SAP HCM Payroll and Benefits, and SAP S/4HANA processes. The role serves as a technical lead and point of escalation for complex initiatives, including system enhancements, integrations, and modernization efforts such as S/4HANA conversion activities.
This position is responsible for the analysis, design, development, integration, and enhancement of HR technology solutions supporting Amtrak’s end-to-end Hire to Retire processes. The engineer will play a key role in ongoing support and innovation of SuccessFactors modules, SAP HCM Payroll/Benefits, and related S/4HANA capabilities.
Essential Functions
- Lead the development, optimization, and effective use of SAP SuccessFactors Cloud applications, SAP HCM Payroll and Benefits, and S/4HANA functionality to deliver efficient HR processes and actionable insights.
- Serve as the technical lead for HR modernization initiatives including S/4HANA implementation or conversion, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and integration standards.
- Own and guide the full development lifecycle, including requirement validation, solution design, configuration, development, and rigorous unit/integration testing.
- Develop and document technical specifications, design documents, and system architecture artifacts reflecting as-built solutions.
- Partner with business stakeholders, functional analysts, architects, security teams, and developers to provide expert guidance on SAP HR technologies and integration patterns.
- Conduct or contribute to sizing and scoping of SAP HCM, SuccessFactors, and S/4HANA technical requirements.
- Develop and support solutions across SAP HR platforms—on-premise HCM Payroll/Benefits, cloud-based SuccessFactors, and embedded S/4HANA processes.
- Provide Tier-3 technical support, troubleshooting platform issues, performance tuning, coordinating patches/releases, resolving integration failures, and addressing audit or compliance requirements.
- Oversee or collaborate with third-party implementation partners and technical resources delivering services to Amtrak.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 7 years of relevant work experience.
- Experience across SAP HR technologies, including SuccessFactors, SAP HCM modules such as Payroll and Benefits.
- Experience supporting or participating in SAP S/4HANA implementation or conversion projects, especially related to payroll and other HR transformations.
- Experience with SAP SuccessFactors, SAP HCM Payroll/Time/Benefits modernization initiatives and migrations to EC Payroll/S/4HANA.
- Broad, hands-on experience across systems development, systems analysis, integration frameworks, and SAP HR platforms.
- Experience managing or coordinating third‑party technical teams.
- Excellent troubleshooting and platform diagnostic skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience.
- Plus 9 years of relevant work experience.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Deep expertise in web, cloud, and mobility with strong knowledge of core internet technologies
- Excellent documentation and communication skills, including articulating complex architectures effectively
- Highly proficient in algorithms, data structures, design patterns, and programming languages
- Expertise in frontend, backend, mobile app development, or cloud platform services
- Extensive experience with Agile methodologies, ability to work under deadlines, and understanding of business operations and systems requirements processes
The salary/hourly range is $124,600.00 – $161,352.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee’s assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee’s base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position and/or long-term incentive plan compensation. In addition to your salary, Amtrak offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, and vision plans; health savings accounts; wellness programs; flexible spending accounts; 401K retirement plan with employer match; life insurance; short and long term disability insurance; paid time off; back-up care; adoption assistance; surrogacy assistance; reimbursement of education expenses; Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility; Railroad Retirement sickness and retirement benefits; and rail pass privileges. Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:166095
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
You power our progress through your performance.
We want your work at Amtrak to be more than a job. We want your career at Amtrak to be a fulfilling experience where you find challenging work, rewarding opportunities, respect among colleagues, and attractive compensation. Amtrak maintains a culture that values high performance and recognizes individual employee contributions.
Amtrak is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Amtrak positions requires a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verification, a criminal history check and a pre-employment drug screen.
Candidates who test positive for marijuana will be disqualified, regardless of any state or local statute, ordinance, regulation, or other law that legalizes or decriminalizes the use or possession of marijuana, whether for medical, recreational, or other use. Amtrak's pre-employment drug testing program is administered in accordance with DOT regulations and applicable law.
In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR § 40.25), Amtrak is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Amtrak to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.
In accordance with federal law governing security checks of covered individuals for providers of public transportation (Title 6 U.S.C. §1143), Amtrak is required to screen applicants for any permanent or interim disqualifying criminal offenses.
Note that any education requirement listed above may be deemed satisfied if you have an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Amtrak is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race/color, to include traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions, such as lactation), national origin/ethnicity, disability (intellectual, mental and physical), veteran status, marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, genetic information, citizenship or any other personal characteristics protected by law.