Java backend & microservices applications development manager, vice president

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

As a bank with a brain and a soul, Citi creates economic value that is systemically responsible and in our clients’ best interests. As a financial institution that touches every region of the world and every sector that shapes your daily life, our Enterprise Operations & Technology teams are charged with a mission that rivals any large tech company. Our technology solutions are the foundations of everything we do from keeping the bank safe, managing global resources, and providing the technical tools our workers need to be successful to designing our digital architecture and ensuring our platforms provide a first-class customer experience. We reimagine client and partner experiences to deliver excellence through secure, reliable, and efficient services.

Our commitment to diversity includes a workforce that represents the clients we serve from all walks of life, backgrounds, and origins. We foster an environment where the best people want to work. We value and demand respect for others, promote individuals based on merit, and ensure opportunities for personal development are widely available to all. Ideal candidates are innovators with well-rounded backgrounds who bring their authentic selves to work and complement our culture of delivering results with pride. If you are a problem solver who seeks passion in your work, come join us. We’ll enable growth and progress together.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Java Backend Development Lead to spearhead the design, development, and deployment of our AI-powered platforms. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with a strong background in Java and a passion for artificial intelligence. You will lead a team of skilled engineers, architect scalable and resilient backend systems, and work closely with data scientists to integrate machine learning models that deliver unparalleled value to our users.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Lead, manage, and mentor a team of backend developers in a fast-paced, Agile environment. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Architectural Design: Architect and design robust, scalable, and high-performance backend services and APIs using Java, Spring Boot, and microservices principles. Ensure systems are secure, reliable, and ready for future growth.
• AI Integration: Collaborate with data scientists and machine learning engineers to seamlessly integrate and deploy AI/ML models into our production environment. Design APIs and data pipelines to support real-time inferencing and model retraining.
• Full-Lifecycle Development: Oversee the entire software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering and technical design to coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
• Code Quality & Best Practices: Champion and enforce best practices for code quality, unit testing, integration testing, and CI/CD. Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to the team.
• Strategic Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, stakeholders, and other engineering teams to define technical requirements, set priorities, and ensure timely delivery of features.
• Innovation & Research: Stay current with emerging trends and technologies in backend development, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Drive innovation by prototyping new ideas and evaluating new tools.

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional experience in backend software development, with a strong command of Java.
• 3+ years of experience in a technical leadership or lead developer role, with a proven track record of successfully delivering complex projects.
• Extensive experience with the Spring Framework, particularly Spring Boot, for building microservices.
• Solid understanding of microservices architecture, containerization (Docker), and orchestration (Kubernetes).
• Proficient in designing and building RESTful APIs and event-driven systems.
• Strong experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Cassandra).
• Experience with message brokers such as Apache Kafka or RabbitMQ.
• Strong understanding of software development principles, design patterns, and Agile methodologies.

Beneficial Skills & Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in developing applications that consume or interact with AI/ML models.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) and their AI/ML services.
• Basic knowledge of Python and common machine learning libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn).
• Experience with MLOps principles and tools for model deployment and monitoring.
• Knowledge of data processing frameworks like Apache Spark or Apache Flink.
• Experience with search and analytics engines like Elasticsearch.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and strong communication skills.
• A passion for building intelligent systems and a desire to make an impact.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Familiarity with industry standards and best practices relevant to financial services technology environments.

What We Offer

At Citi, senior leaders are given the platform, resources, and organizational reach to make a real impact. This role offers the opportunity to shape technology strategy at scale, lead talented engineering teams, and contribute to outcomes that matter across a global financial institution.

A hybrid working model with 3 days in the office and 2 days working remotely, giving you structure alongside meaningful flexibility.

Strategic ownership of a high-visibility engineering function within Citi's Operations Servicing organization, with direct influence on how applications are built and governed.

Access to Citi's global network of technology teams, enabling cross-border collaboration and exposure to enterprise-scale challenges.

Ongoing learning and development opportunities, including access to emerging technologies such as AI-assisted development tooling and modern cloud-native architectures.

Competitive compensation and financial wellbeing benefits commensurate with a senior leadership position.

Wellbeing and family support programs designed to help you sustain performance over the long term.

Apply now to take on a senior engineering leadership role at Citi where your technical depth and people leadership will directly shape the future of our applications development capability.