Lead Backend Developer

Citigroup Inc.; Dublin; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi Dublin is seeking a visionary Lead Backend Developer (Vice President level) to drive architectural design and hands-on delivery of mission‑critical backend systems powering custody, fund accounting, and asset servicing.

You will guide a team of developers, setting standards and collaborating with stakeholders to translate business goals into robust technical solutions using Java, Kafka, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in Applications Development or similar roles.
• Proven track record leading teams and delivering complex backend systems.
• Experience with event-driven architectures and real-time data processing.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design and implementation of scalable backend services.
• Hands-on development in Java and cross‑stack components.
• Define coding standards, testing strategies, and CI/CD practices.

Skills

Technical leadership

Mentorship

Architectural design

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Apache Kafka

Java

Job description

Team/Role Overview

Are you looking for a career move that will put you at the heart of a global financial institution?

Shape your career with Citi in Dublin. By joining Citi, you will become part of a global organisation whose mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress.

Citi has had a presence in Ireland since 1965; it was one of the first foreign banks to open an office in the country and is the Citibank Europe Plc Headquarters.

The role

Citi’s Investor Services division is seeking a visionary and experienced back‑end engineering leader to join our team as a Vice President. This is more than a development role; it’s a senior‑level position where you will be responsible for establishing and implementing mission‑critical application systems, shaping the future of our technology landscape in coordination with a global team.

As a Lead Backend Developer, you will be at the forefront of designing, developing, and deploying the next‑generation applications that power our custody, fund accounting, and asset servicing clients.

You will act as a technical authority, guiding a team of talented developers while remaining hands‑on with a cutting‑edge technology stack including Java, Kafka, Docker, and Kubernetes.

What you’ll do

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Lead the architectural design and implementation of complex, scalable, and resilient full‑stack applications. Serve as a trusted advisor and coach to mid‑level developers and analysts, allocating work and providing the technical guidance, mentorship, and code reviews needed to build a high‑performing team.
• Development: Engage in hands‑on development across the entire technology stack, utilizing Java for backend services.
• Architectural Governance: Provide deep expertise in advanced application programming, ensuring all application designs adhere to the overall architecture blueprint. Develop and enforce standards for coding, testing, debugging, and implementation to build best‑in‑class software.
• Event‑Driven Architecture: Design and implement sophisticated, real‑time data processing solutions using Apache Kafka and related streaming technologies to handle the demands of a global financial market.
• DevOps & Cloud‑Native Excellence: Champion and implement best practices for containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes). Design, build, and maintain CI/CD pipelines to ensure the rapid and reliable delivery of software.
• Strategic Partnership & Solutioning: Partner with multiple management teams and business stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of functions. Identify and define necessary system enhancements to deploy new products and process improvements, translating business goals into robust technical solutions.
• Complex Problem‑Solving: Resolve a variety of high‑impact problems and projects through in‑depth evaluation of complex business processes, system flows, and industry standards, developing innovative and durable solutions.
• Risk Management & Compliance: 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 and adhering to the highest ethical standards.

Technical Skills & Experience

• Experience: 7+ years of relevant experience in Applications Development or systems analysis, with a proven track record in a technical leadership role.
• Messaging & Streaming: Proven experience with Apache Kafka for building event‑driven architectures and real‑time data pipelines.
• Containerization & Orchestration: Demonstrable, hands‑on experience with Docker for containerizing applications and Kubernetes for orchestration in a production environment.

Leadership & Professional Qualities

• Leadership: Demonstrated leadership and project management skills, with experience in managing and implementing successful projects.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Deep subject matter expertise in at least one core area of applications development, with a comprehensive knowledge of how areas of business, architecture, and infrastructure integrate to accomplish business goals.
• Adaptability: Ability to adjust priorities quickly and thrive in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.
• Communication: Consistently demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Financial Domain Knowledge: Prior experience in FinTech or a large financial institution is highly preferred.
• Investor Services Experience: Specific domain expertise in investor services, including Custody, Fund Accounting, Transfer Agency, or Asset Servicing, is a significant advantage.
• Cloud Platforms: Experience with public cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Azure.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree/University degree or equivalent experience.
• Master’s degree preferred.

What we can offer you

By joining Citi Dublin, you will not only be part of a business casual workplace with a hybrid working model (up to 2 days working at home per week), but also receive a competitive base salary (which is annually reviewed) and enjoy a whole host of additional benefits that support you (and your family) to be well, live well and save well. Discover more here.

Alongside these benefits Citi is committed to ensuring our workplace is where everyone feels comfortable coming to work as their whole self every day. We want the best talent around the world to be energised to join us, motivated to stay, and empowered to thrive.

Sounds like Citi has everything you need? Then apply to discover the true extent of your capabilities.

Equal Opportunity and Accessibility

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.

If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi.

View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.