Lead API Software Developer (Lead Software Developer)

Provides technical leadership for the architecture, design, development, governance, security, implementation, and support of enterprise APIs and integrations. Leads complex API initiatives across the full SDLC, establishes reusable standards and API-first practices, and guides developers, project teams, and business partners in delivering secure, scalable, reliable solutions. Evaluates technologies and integration approaches, resolves complex technical issues, and drives quality, observability, documentation, and continuous improvement across the API portfolio.

• Leads complex API and software development initiatives across the full SDLC, contributing directly to architecture, design, implementation, testing, deployment, troubleshooting, and production support to ensure successful delivery.
• Serves as the technical lead across multiple projects, providing hands-on development, technical direction, code and design reviews, work delegation, coaching, and mentoring to developers in collaboration with the Manager.
• Designs, develops, and continuously improves secure, scalable enterprise APIs, application integrations, and reusable patterns that support internal platforms, external partners, and third-party systems.
• Champions API-first and contract-first practices by defining clear, consumer-focused RESTful API contracts using standards such as OpenAPI/Swagger and separating API definitions from backend implementation.
• Provides technical leadership and recommendations for API architecture, governance practices, standards, and the adoption of a centralized, audit-ready API catalog and reusable API library.
• Establishes and enforces API lifecycle controls covering design, testing, approval, deployment, versioning, documentation, deprecation, and retirement to maintain quality and consistency.
• Designs defense-in-depth API security using enterprise IAM, OpenID Connect, JWT, mutual TLS, gateway controls, PII encryption, audit logging, threat modeling, and automated security testing in the delivery pipeline.
• Develops and supports API enablement capabilities—including developer portals, documentation, SDKs, and sandbox environments—to accelerate adoption and manage APIs as products across free, partner, and enterprise access tiers.
• Implements API observability through structured logging, distributed tracing, usage and performance metrics, service-level objectives, and proactive alerting to improve reliability and incident response.
• Partners with business units, security, risk, compliance, architecture, and vendors to translate requirements into technical solutions, design integrations and automations, and evaluate build-versus-buy and hybrid gateway strategies.
• Plans and coordinates project delivery by prioritizing requests, developing estimates, assigning work, managing schedules and dependencies, and applying Agile/Scrum practices to meet commitments.
• Evaluates existing applications, integrations, development processes, and emerging technologies to identify performance, automation, standardization, and modernization opportunities across the IT organization.
• Defines and reports project status, API governance metrics, and KPIs—including standards compliance, approval cycle time, catalog adoption, reliability, usage, and security defect trends—to management and stakeholders.
• Serves as senior technical resource and project lead, developing estimates, budgets, resources, managing project schedules, deliverables and status reporting to meet approved scope and timelines.