Engineering Lead (Java/Microservices) - Vice President

Citi • Tampa, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Lead (Java / Microservices) is a senior level position responsible for establishing and implementing new or revised application systems and programs in coordination with the Technology team. The overall objective of this role is to lead applications systems analysis and programming activities. This pivotal role blends deep technical leadership with strong analytical and business understanding. You will be responsible for leading the technical direction of critical applications, while also engaging closely with business stakeholders to define requirements, analyze processes, and ensure technical solutions align perfectly with business objectives. This role demands a leader who can bridge the gap between technical execution and business strategy, driving both innovation and successful delivery.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive experience in software development, with a primary focus on backend systems and enterprise application delivery.
• 5+ years in a senior or lead backend Java development role, with a strong emphasis on the Spring Boot ecosystem.
• 3+ years of demonstrated leadership in architecting, designing, and guiding the development of complex, scalable, and high-performance enterprise-level backend applications.
• Proven experience in translating complex business requirements into technical designs and architectural blueprints for backend services.
• Expert-level proficiency in Java, including advanced concepts such as multi-threading, concurrency, performance optimization, and memory management.
• Hands-on expertise with the Spring ecosystem, including Spring Boot for rapid application development, Spring Cloud for building distributed systems (e.g., service discovery, configuration management, circuit breakers), and Spring Security for implementing robust authentication and authorization.
• Extensive experience (5+ years) in designing, building, and consuming robust, secure, and high-throughput RESTful APIs and SOAP Web Services (JAX-RS/JAX-WS).
• Good understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, event-driven architecture, and API-first design principles.
• Proven, hands-on experience with OpenShift/Kubernetes for deploying, managing, and scaling containerized applications in production environments.
• Proficiency with modern CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, Tekton) and a strong commitment to DevOps practices, including automated testing, continuous integration, and continuous delivery.
• Expert-level knowledge of Git, including advanced branching strategies (e.g., GitFlow), pull requests, and code review processes.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a talent for debugging complex distributed systems and ensuring long-term architectural integrity.
• Outstanding communication (written and verbal), interpersonal, and mentoring skills, with the ability to lead a development team, influence technical direction, and collaborate effectively with stakeholders.
• Strong leadership capabilities combined with a strategic mindset to align technical solutions with long-term business goals.
• Experience in the financial services industry is a significant advantage.
• Bachelor’s degree/University degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field or equivalent experience
• Master’s degree preferred

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in Messaging Systems (Kafka, RabbitMQ, IBM MQ, etc.)
• Deep understanding of the Linux Ecosystem.
• Experience with enterprise scheduling tools (e.g., Autosys).
• Experience with API Management platforms (e.g., Apigee, API Gateway).
• Proficiency with APM Tools (Dynatrace, AppDynamics) for monitoring and performance optimization.
• Experience with Caching Technologies (Hazelcast, Redis, Memcached) for high-performance systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, architecture, and hands-on development of highly scalable, resilient, and performant full stack applications using Java (backend) and Angular (frontend).
• Provide technical leadership and strategic direction to development teams, ensuring alignment with overall enterprise architecture and business objectives.
• Drive best practices in software development, including code quality, testing, security, performance optimization, and maintainability across the full SDLC.
• Champion the adoption of modern technologies, architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, event-driven), and cloud-native solutions (OpenShift, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Mentor and develop senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and innovation within the team.
• Lead complex troubleshooting, performance tuning, and root cause analysis for critical production issues.
• Contribute to the evolution of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Act as a subject matter expert and provide technical guidance across multiple projects.
• Act as a primary liaison between technology teams and business stakeholders, translating complex business needs and strategic goals into clear, actionable technical requirements and user stories.
• Conduct in-depth business process analysis, identifying pain points, inefficiencies, and opportunities for technological improvement and automation.
• Define and document functional and non-functional requirements, use cases, and process flows, ensuring comprehensive understanding across development and business teams.
• Facilitate requirements gathering workshops, interviews, and brainstorming sessions with diverse stakeholder groups.
• Perform gap analysis between current state and desired future state, proposing innovative solutions and recommending optimal system designs.
• Evaluate technical feasibility and business impact of proposed solutions, providing insights and recommendations to both technical and business leadership.
• Ensure that delivered solutions meet business expectations, provide measurable value, and adhere to regulatory and compliance standards.

Benefits

• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• wellness programs
• paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior