Lead API Developer

The Applications Development Senior Programmer Analyst is an intermediate level position responsible for participation in the establishment and implementation of new or revised application systems and programs in coordination with the Technology team. The overall objective of this role is to contribute to applications systems analysis and programming activities.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct tasks related to feasibility studies, time and cost estimates, IT planning, risk technology, applications development, model development, and establish and implement new or revised applications systems and programs to meet specific business needs or user areas
• Monitor and control all phases of development process and analysis, design, construction, testing, and implementation as well as provide user and operational support on applications to business users
• Utilize in-depth specialty knowledge of applications development to analyze complex problems/issues, provide evaluation of business process, system process, and industry standards, and make evaluative judgement
• Recommend and develop security measures in post implementation analysis of business usage to ensure successful system design and functionality
• Consult with users/clients and other technology groups on issues, recommend advanced programming solutions, and install and assist customer exposure systems
• Ensure essential procedures are followed and help define operating standards and processes
• Serve as advisor or coach to new or lower level analysts
• Has the ability to operate with a limited level of direct supervision.
• Can exercise independence of judgement and autonomy.
• Acts as SME to senior stakeholders and /or other team members.
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.

Recommended Qualifications:

• 5-8 years of relevant experience
• Experience in systems analysis and programming of software applications
• Experience in managing and implementing successful projects
• Working knowledge of consulting/project management techniques/methods
• Ability to work under pressure and manage deadlines or unexpected changes in expectations or requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree/University degree or equivalent experience

This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Lead Java API Developer with 12+ years of hands-on expertise to design, develop, and maintain high-performance, mission-critical backend systems and microservices. The ideal candidate champions engineering excellence, modern design patterns, and leverages cutting-edge AI-assisted engineering tools to enforce code quality, security, and full test coverage.

Key Responsibilities

Architect, build, and deploy robust RESTful APIs and event-driven microservices.

Enforce strict coding standards, design patterns, modular architecture, and CI/CD best practices.

Leverage AI-powered developer tools to automate test generation, optimize code sanctity, and achieve 100% code coverage.

Lead code reviews, mentor junior and mid-level developers, and drive technical roadmaps.

Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Architects, and cross-functional teams in an Agile environment.

Must-Have Qualifications & Skills

Core Technical Depth:

12+ years of hands-on software development using Java (Java 17/21), Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Hibernate/JPA.

Proven track record designing enterprise-grade RESTful APIs with OpenAPI/Swagger specifications.

Software Craftsmanship & Clean Code:

Deep understanding of SOLID principles, Clean Architecture, Design Patterns, and concurrency/multithreading.

AI-Driven Quality & Testing:

Hands-on experience integrating AI-assisted coding and testing tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, LLM-based test generation) to guarantee 100% code coverage and ensure code sanctity, mutation testing, and vulnerability prevention.

Mastery of testing frameworks: JUnit 5, Mockito, Testcontainers, and integration test suites.

Data & Messaging:

Strong database expertise with both RDBMS (PostgreSQL, Oracle) and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra).

Experience with messaging/event streaming platforms (Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ).

Agile SDLC & DevOps:

Extensive experience in Agile/Scrum development life cycles, sprint planning, and backlog grooming.

Proficiency with Git, CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Tekton), Docker, and Kubernetes/OpenShift.

Desired / Nice-to-Have Skills

Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and serverless architectures.

Familiarity with API Gateways, Service Mesh, and distributed caching (Redis, Hazelcast).

Experience with static code analysis & governance tools (SonarQube, Snyk, Checkmarx).

Background in financial services, high-throughput transaction processing, or distributed ledger architectures.

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Job Family Group:

Technology

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Job Family:

Applications Development

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Time Type:

Full time

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Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

 

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