Software Engineer Lead - Back End / Java, Spring Boot, Kafka

PNC•Strongsville, OH

2d•$86,250 - $143,750•Onsite

About The Position

As a Lead Backend Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and lead the delivery of scalable, high-performance backend services that power mission-critical applications. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and Apache Kafka, with a passion for building distributed systems, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence. In this role, you will collaborate with architects, product managers, and cross-functional engineering teams to define technical solutions, establish best practices, and deliver highly reliable, secure, and scalable software platforms.

Requirements

Strong expertise in Java (Java 11/17+).
Extensive experience developing applications using Spring Boot and the Spring ecosystem.
Hands-on experience designing and implementing Kafka-based event-driven architectures.
Strong understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
Experience building and consuming REST APIs.
Proficiency with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL.
Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
Strong understanding of software design patterns, object-oriented design principles, and clean coding practices.
Experience with source control systems such as Git.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
University / college degree, with 3+ years of relevant / direct industry experience. Certifications are often desired. In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, job specific certification(s), and experience (including military service) may be considered.
Customer Focused - Knowledgeable of the values and practices that align customer needs and satisfaction as primary considerations in all business decisions and able to leverage that information in creating customized customer solutions.
Managing Risk - Assessing and effectively managing all of the risks associated with their business objectives and activities to ensure they adhere to and support PNC's Enterprise Risk Management Framework.

Nice To Haves

Apache Kafka
Application Development
Back-End Development
Business Management
Customer Solutions
Design
Group Problem Solving
Java
Process Improvements
Release Management
Software Solutions
Spring Boot
User Experience (UX) Design

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and implementation of enterprise-scale backend applications and microservices.
Architect and build event-driven systems using Apache Kafka and modern distributed system patterns.
Develop RESTful APIs and backend services using Java and Spring Boot.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to software engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and coaching.
Drive application architecture decisions, ensuring scalability, reliability, maintainability, and performance.
Partner with product management and business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.
Define and promote software engineering best practices, coding standards, and development processes.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues while continuously improving system observability and resiliency.
Collaborate with DevOps teams to implement CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native deployment strategies.
Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to the overall technology stack.
Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and technical roadmap development.
Ensure security, compliance, and operational excellence across backend platforms.
Creates and leads the technical design and development of software solutions.
Proposes & designs software solutions to address complex business needs. Prepares technical and procedural documentation required.
Facilitates complex problem resolution.
Provides technical guidance and support to colleagues. Reviews coding, testing, and documentation of software.
Applies modern principles, methodologies and tools to advance business initiatives and capabilities.

Benefits

medical/prescription drug coverage (with a Health Savings Account feature)
dental and vision options
employee and spouse/child life insurance
short and long-term disability protection
401(k) with PNC match
pension and stock purchase plans
dependent care reimbursement account
back-up child/elder care
adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement
educational assistance, including select programs fully paid
a robust wellness program with financial incentives
maternity and/or parental leave
up to 11 paid holidays each year
9 occasional absence days each year, unless otherwise required by law
between 15 to 25 vacation days each year, depending on career level; and years of service