Specialist, Software Engineer - Java/Angular

Nationwide Mutual Insurance•Columbus, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Nationwide Retirement Solutions is looking for a software engineer to help support the Paradox line. This will be a hybrid role based out of the Columbus, OH office. The team comes into the office on Mondays and Tuesdays. This role involves full-stack web development in the Paradox stack, requiring strong Angular experience for the front end (RSC front end, Angular upgrades, Bolt UI components) and solid Java backend skills with REST APIs (RPLink / DCdirect services, RSC Java services), including defensive coding and null-safety in complex flows. The engineer will also be responsible for test automation and quality ownership, including building and maintaining UI test automation (Cypress required; familiarity with Playwright or similar preferred), owning regression suites and Jenkins-backed pipelines, and designing tests for edge-case scenarios. Additionally, the role requires production debugging and SRE-aligned skills, including defect analysis and troubleshooting using Splunk, New Relic, and FullStory, and experience with SLO/SRE-tagged incidents and batch failures. Security and risk remediation, including fixing security findings in Java services and navigating security epics, is also a key part of the role. The engineer will need domain and systems knowledge to work across RSC participant & plan sponsor experiences and underlying DCdirect services, with a strong understanding of API interaction patterns. The role requires comfort operating as a developer who owns testing, writing detailed defect cards, reproduction steps, and impact statements in Jira. Proven experience in Agile/Jira delivery, working through feature epics and strategic defect work, and strong collaboration with various teams are essential. This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization, and Nationwide does not participate in the Stem OPT Extension program.

Requirements

Strong Angular experience (RSC front end, Angular upgrades, Bolt UI components)
Solid Java backend skills with REST APIs (RPLink / DCdirect services, RSC Java services), including defensive coding and null-safety in complex flows
Hands-on experience building and maintaining UI test automation (Cypress required; familiarity with Playwright or similar preferred)
Comfort owning regression suites and Jenkins-backed pipelines (Paradox regression jobs, monthly regression epics)
Ability to design tests that cover edge-case plan scenarios, data issues, and complex tax/withdrawal rules (online withdrawals, enrollment, MIRP/OLE, ProAccount flows)
Strong defect analysis and troubleshooting using Splunk, New Relic, and FullStory, including reproducing issues in lower envs and validating fixes in prod
Experience working on SLO/SRE-tagged incidents and batch failures (New Retirement batches, enrollment failures, RSC calling retired services, etc.)
Comfort owning high-severity production defects end-to-end: impact analysis, root cause write-ups, mitigation, and permanent fix
Experience fixing Contrast / Archer security findings in Java services (e.g., rplink-rest) and navigating security epics and risk cards
Ability to learn and work across RSC participant & plan sponsor experiences (online enrollment, onboarding, withdrawals, MIP/MIRP/OLE, ProAccount, MyIRP) and underlying DCdirect (RPLink) services
Strong understanding of API interaction patterns (Apigee proxies, retirement-plans / retirement-accounts services, document-access APIs) and how UI, middleware, and mainframe data interact
Comfortable operating as a developer who owns testing (no dedicated testers): writing detailed defect cards, reproduction steps, and impact statements in Jira
Proven experience in Agile/Jira delivery, working through feature epics (Next Best Action, MIRP/OLE Continuous Improvement, Online Withdrawals) and strategic defect work
Strong collaboration with PO, UX, BAOs, SRE, data teams and comfort joining cross-line initiatives and strategic defect/OPS conversations
Proficiency in one or more programming language such as Java, C++, Python, JavaScript
Strong knowledge of software development lifecycle
Proven ability to tackle complex business and development problems
Ability to thrive in a team environment

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Playwright or similar
Bolt design system experience (Nationwide Bolt components and styling) and how Bolt changes impact both UI and Cypress tests
Prior work on RSC / Paradox or adjacent RS lines (Groundskeepers, Essentials, Vitamix, etc.), especially around participant digital experience
Experience with Safari / iOS test automation (WebKit plugin for Cypress, Playwright Safari runs) to close known browser coverage gaps
Familiarity with GitHub / repo migrations and CI for RSC repos (RSC GitHub migration waves, Jenkins → GitHub workflows)
Comfort working with ServiceNow incidents, RS Weekly Defect flows, and strategic defect round-robin into Paradox
Background in retirement plan domain (RMD, DIA/QDIA, ProAccount, hardship/UE withdrawals, loan rules, tax/withholding rules) to shorten ramp time
Insurance/financial services industry knowledge a plus

Responsibilities

Full-stack web development in the Paradox stack
Strong Angular experience (RSC front end, Angular upgrades, Bolt UI components)
Solid Java backend skills with REST APIs (RPLink / DCdirect services, RSC Java services), including defensive coding and null-safety in complex flows
Test automation & quality ownership
Hands-on experience building and maintaining UI test automation (Cypress required; familiarity with Playwright or similar preferred)
Comfort owning regression suites and Jenkins-backed pipelines (Paradox regression jobs, monthly regression epics)
Ability to design tests that cover edge-case plan scenarios, data issues, and complex tax/withdrawal rules (online withdrawals, enrollment, MIRP/OLE, ProAccount flows)
Production debugging & SRE-aligned skills
Strong defect analysis and troubleshooting using Splunk, New Relic, and FullStory, including reproducing issues in lower envs and validating fixes in prod
Experience working on SLO/SRE-tagged incidents and batch failures (New Retirement batches, enrollment failures, RSC calling retired services, etc.)
Comfort owning high-severity production defects end-to-end: impact analysis, root cause write-ups, mitigation, and permanent fix
Security & risk remediation
Experience fixing Contrast / Archer security findings in Java services (e.g., rplink-rest) and navigating security epics and risk cards
Domain & systems knowledge
Ability to learn and work across RSC participant & plan sponsor experiences (online enrollment, onboarding, withdrawals, MIP/MIRP/OLE, ProAccount, MyIRP) and underlying DCdirect (RPLink) services
Strong understanding of API interaction patterns (Apigee proxies, retirement-plans / retirement-accounts services, document-access APIs) and how UI, middleware, and mainframe data interact
Comfortable operating as a developer who owns testing (no dedicated testers): writing detailed defect cards, reproduction steps, and impact statements in Jira
Proven experience in Agile/Jira delivery, working through feature epics (Next Best Action, MIRP/OLE Continuous Improvement, Online Withdrawals) and strategic defect work
Strong collaboration with PO, UX, BAOs, SRE, data teams and comfort joining cross-line initiatives and strategic defect/OPS conversations
Analyzes, solutions, develops, tests, debugs, documents and deploys software according to standards in an agile environment
Applies secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities
Uses DevSecOps practices, tooling and techniques
Drives continuous improvement and learning through ongoing training, practice and innovation
Manages medium to large project priorities, deadlines and deliverables proactively
May perform other responsibilities as assigned