Technical Lead

Security Benefit Business Services / Everly Life•Topeka, KS

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Security Benefit is hiring a Technical Lead for its Firm & Advisor Onboarding (FAO) and Annuity & Mutual Fund Custodial (AMFC) teams. These teams manage firm and advisor onboarding, business submissions through eApp platforms including Firelight/Affirm and AnnuityNet/AN4, and transaction and replacement settlement through DTCC and custodial partners. The Technical Lead owns the technical approach for making the teams’ product and platform roadmaps achievable. The role is responsible for architecture, technical feasibility, Enabler Epics, engineering quality, and technical risk—not roadmap ownership, quarterly planning accountability, business stakeholder relationships, or delivery facilitation. The position reports to the Senior Manager, Platform Engineering and may be based in Topeka, Kansas; Overland Park, Kansas; or remotely for the right candidate. Security Benefit works a hybrid schedule, with flexibility to work remotely and on-site. The Technical Lead partners with Product Managers or Platform Leads, Business Systems Analysts, Delivery Managers, vendor engineering teams, and other Tech Leads. Occasional hands-on development may be needed for prototypes, technical spikes, vendor evaluations, or to unblock difficult problems, but the primary focus is architecture, feasibility, and engineering quality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 8 years of experience in software engineering or technical leadership, including significant prior hands-on development experience.
Demonstrated experience owning technical architecture and design decisions for vendor-built or third-party platforms and their integrations.
Experience creating and sequencing Enabler Epics, or equivalent technical work breakdowns, to establish the architectural runway for business-facing work.
Experience assessing technical feasibility and managing technical risk across the project lifecycle, from early discovery through delivery.
Track record of identifying and advocating for technical-debt remediation and partnering with a Product Manager or Platform Lead on sequencing.
Experience setting engineering standards, conducting code reviews, and guiding a team’s implementation decisions.
Experience serving as the primary technical partner to vendor engineering teams.
Experience partnering with a Business Systems Analyst on technical accuracy of requirements.
Working knowledge of full-stack, cloud-native architecture, including TypeScript/React, REST integration, SQL/data, and AWS, sufficient to guide design decisions and communicate credibly with engineers and vendors.
Comfort collaborating directly with external vendor and distributor engineering teams as a technical peer.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with DTCC transaction networks and processes, such as Replacement Processing/RPL, Attachment API, Carrier-to-Carrier replacement, and scheduled releases.
Experience with annuity eApp or point-of-sale platforms such as Firelight or AnnuityNet.
Insurance, annuity, retirement, or custodial/transfer-of-assets domain experience, including familiarity with firm and advisor onboarding, eApp submission, and DTCC-based settlement and replacement processing.
Experience operating within a scaled agile or product/platform operating model, such as SAFe or a similar Portfolio-to-Product/Platform-to-Team structure.
Financial services or other regulated-industry experience.

Responsibilities

Own technical architecture and design decisions across eApp platforms, DTCC transaction networks, and internal onboarding and custodial platforms, ensuring alignment with platform-organization standards.
Partner with the Product Manager or Platform Lead to decompose Initiatives into Epics, provide sizing estimates, and create Enabler Epics that establish the architectural runway for Business Epics.
Own technology evaluation and governance for the teams’ tools and integrations, partnering with the Platform Lead on enterprise-wide platform decisions.
Serve as the primary technical partner to eApp, DTCC, and other vendor engineering teams.
Identify technical debt and advocate for remediation, partnering with the Product Manager or Platform Lead on roadmap sequencing.
Set engineering standards, conduct code reviews, and guide technical implementation decisions throughout each Iteration.
Assess technical feasibility and manage risk from Portfolio Flow intake through delivery, identifying opportunities and constraints early and confirming feasibility before Initiatives are approved.
Attend Backlog Refinement and Iteration Planning to validate feasibility and add technical acceptance criteria; validate technical quality at Iteration reviews and resolve technical blockers.
Finalize the Enabler Epic list ahead of Quarterly Planning, provide Business Epic sizing estimates, and present and advocate for Enabler Epics at QPE, ensuring prerequisite Enablers are sequenced correctly.
Surface technical dependencies and architecture risks at Cross-Team Sync and consult with other Tech Leads on cross-team architecture, standards, and shared infrastructure.
Mentor engineers through code review, pairing, and technical coaching, and serve as a go-to technical resource.
Occasionally engage in hands-on development, including prototyping, spikes, or unblocking difficult technical problems.

Benefits

Competitive salary and annual incentive bonuses.
33 days of paid time off, including PTO, holidays, Volunteer Day, and days of significance.
Paid parental leave after 90 days of service.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) with company match.
Profit Sharing & Savings Plan.
Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care.
Life Insurance.
Educational assistance.
Associate assistance programs for personal and professional well-being.