Lead Application Development Engineer (Hybrid)

American Family Insurance•Boston, MA

4d•$131,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Join American Family Insurance as a Lead Applications Development Engineer and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our technology landscape. In this role, you'll provide technical vision and leadership while remaining hands-on with Java development and RESTful API development architecting scalable solutions that deliver meaningful business impact. You'll have the opportunity to help drive the team's evolution by leveraging emerging technologies such as Claude AI and cloud-native platforms, modernizing legacy applications, and leading critical system migrations to modern data center and cloud environments. Beyond building innovative solutions, you'll guide and mentor teammates, introduce new ways of working, and champion best practices that enhance the team's effectiveness, efficiency, and long-term success. Collaborating across teams, you'll help create high-quality software that powers exceptional experiences for our customers and the business. You will report to the Engineering Delivery Manager. Role not eligible for sponsorship. #LI-Hybrid Position Compensation Range: $131,000.00 - $220,000.00 Pay Rate Type: Salary Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographic work location. Relocation support is offered for eligible candidates.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience analyzing and understanding complex software and systems.
Demonstrated experience communicating technical information to technical and non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated experience developing and delivering multiple solution design approaches to meet customer needs.
Demonstrated experience developing complex software and systems using one or more programming languages.
Demonstrated experience analyzing requirements and estimating project size, scope, and work effort for software solutions.
Demonstrated experience providing technical guidance, mentorship, and leadership to less experienced staff.
Extensive knowledge and understanding of RESTful software development standards, methodologies, and best practices.
Extensive knowledge and understanding of infrastructure technologies, operating systems, and the interconnectivity between infrastructure platforms and software tools.
Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Solid knowledge and understanding of application architecture principles and design alternatives.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field
Extensive experience in application development with strong proficiency coding, analysis and design in Java and modern Java-based frameworks such as Spring Boot and Spring
Experience using Claude - code reviews, analysis and troubleshooting.
Demonstrated experience leading technical design, development, and implementation efforts across complex software solutions
Experience building and supporting API-First(RESTful and SOAP) services, and service-oriented or microservices-based application architectures
Familiarity with cloud-enabled technologies and platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools supporting continuous integration and continuous delivery
Knowledge of containerization and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
Strong understanding of software engineering best practices, including object-oriented design, design patterns, code reviews, and automated testing
Experience working with DB2 and NoSQL databases
Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues in development, test, and production environments
Experience mentoring engineers, providing technical guidance, and supporting team development
Strong collaboration and communication skills with the ability to partner effectively across engineering, product, architecture, and business teams
Experience working in Agile environments and contributing to iterative delivery practices
Experience in the insurance, financial services, or other highly regulated industry is preferred
Passion for delivering scalable, secure, and reliable technology solutions that improve customer and business outcomes.

Responsibilities

Drive Technical Strategy and Solution Design: Serve as a trusted technical expert during project planning, helping define resource needs, required skills, timelines, tools, and technologies.
Evaluate and contribute to proof-of-concept initiatives that validate innovative solutions and reduce project risk.
Translate business goals, requirements, and use cases into scalable technical designs and actionable development plans.
Architect High-Quality Solutions: Analyze complex system requirements and design robust, efficient, and maintainable solutions.
Identify and manage system dependencies, ensuring seamless integration across platforms and applications.
Partner with stakeholders and technical teams to validate architectural decisions and drive best practices.
Solve Complex Technical Challenges: Provide advanced Java coding expertise and hands-on support for high-risk features, critical initiatives, and complex technical issues.
Guide teams through architectural and development challenges by recommending effective solutions and implementation strategies.
Champion Quality and Continuous Improvement: Lead and participate in testing activities, including unit testing and system integration testing, to ensure high-quality deliverables.
Facilitate development reviews, walkthroughs, and knowledge-sharing sessions that strengthen team capabilities.
Mentor team members by sharing technical expertise, best practices, and problem-solving approaches.
Promote Collaboration and Operational Excellence: Collaborate with cross-functional partners to optimize system workflows, data utilization, and business processes.
Document design decisions, estimates, technical assumptions, code modules, and performance metrics to maintain organizational standards and support future scalability.
Ensure technology solutions align with business objectives while improving efficiency, reliability, and user experience.