AVP, Principal Software Engineer

Synchrony; Kolkata District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Synchrony is seeking an AVP, Principal Software Engineer (L11) to lead the API Engineering team within the Data Architecture & Analytics group in CTO. You will oversee design, architecture and delivery of real-time data solutions across enterprise systems in a cloud environment.

The role requires strong data warehousing, API development, and leadership capabilities, with a focus on scalable, low-latency data services and AI-ready platforms.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in data warehousing and enterprise data lake architectures.
• 4+ years SQL proficiency with Python/PySpark; AWS EMR, S3, Athena.
• Proven leadership experience mentoring a technical team.
• Experience with AI/ML readiness for data/API platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data / analytics / cloud engineers, ensuring best practices in data development, testing and deployment.
• Conduct in-depth data analysis to uncover insights, trends, and anomalies that support business decisions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including BI, data science, and business stakeholders to understand data needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Guide the team in architecting solutions involving AWS cloud components such as EMR, S3, Athena, and Lake Formation.
• Support data lineage, cataloging, and metadata management efforts using tools like Apache Atlas; stay updated on emerging technologies and suggest improvements to the data platform architecture.

Skills

Data warehousing

API development

Python/PySpark

Leadership

AWS cloud

Tools

AWS EMR

S3

Athena

Lake Formation

Apache Atlas

Job description

Role Title : AVP, Principal Software Engineer (L11)

Company Overview

Synchrony (NYSE: SYF) is a leading consumer financing company that has been at the heart of American commerce and opportunity for nearly a century. Synchrony delivers credit and banking products that empower tens of millions of consumers to improve their financial lives and access what matters most. Leveraging innovative solutions that are shaping the future of retail commerce, Synchrony supports the growth and success of some of the nation’s most respected brands, alongside hundreds of thousands of small and midsize businesses, including health and wellness providers. Committed to excellence in service and culture, Synchrony is proud to be named as #3 as a Great Place to Work in India and is honored to be ranked the #1 Best Company to Work For in the U.S. by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work. For more information, visit www.synchrony.com.

Organizational Overview

This role will be part of the Data Architecture & Analytics group in CTO organization.

The API Service team specializes in provisioning REST APIs for real time interactions with Enterprise Data Lake supporting business decision-making by designing and delivering resilient, scalable, secure and low latency solutions using cutting edge tools and cloud technologies.

The team leverages Java Spring Boot Microservice architecture with built-in advanced solutions to accomplish stability while maintaining performance across multiple platforms that provide actionable insights across various business functions. Through collaboration with cross-functional teams, the API team ensures seamless deployment and optimization of real time solutions in the Cloud Foundry.

Role Summary/Purpose

This is a people manager role. As an AVP, Principal Software Engineer, you will play a vital role leading the API Engineering team with design, architecture and implementing solutions for the products that help our clients/partners manage their finances on the go. You would be responsible for the technical success of the project while fostering a collaborative, efficient, and growth-oriented environment within the development team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data / analytics / cloud engineers, ensuring best practices in data development, testing and deployment.
• Conduct in-depth data analysis to uncover insights, trends, and anomalies that support business decisions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including BI, data science, and business stakeholders to understand data needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Guide the team in architecting solutions involving AWS cloud components such as EMR, S3, Athena, and Lake Formation.
• Support data lineage, cataloging, and metadata management efforts using tools like Apache Atlas; stay updated on emerging technologies and suggest improvements to the data platform architecture.

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Minimum 6+ years of Expertise in Data Warehousing and Enterprise Data Lake architectures; strong understanding of API development in complex large-scale environments.
• Minimum 4+ years of Strong SQL proficiency (complex and optimized queries for large-scale analysis/transformation) and hands-on experience with Python/PySpark; AWS EMR, S3, and Athena.
• Proven people leadership: ability to lead and mentor a technical team, perform code reviews, and enforce engineering best practices.
• Good understanding of AI/ML readiness for modern data/API platforms: ability to incorporate AI-assisted engineering practices (e.g., prompt-driven coding support, AI-based code review/testing assistance) and apply responsible AI principles (privacy, security, and bias awareness) while building/operating data services.

Desired Skills/Knowledge

• Experience with metadata management and governance tooling such as Apache Atlas and cloud-native data engineering practices; familiarity with Lake Formation governance capabilities.
• AI engineering exposure: experience integrating or supporting AI/ML workloads on data platforms (e.g., feature preparation pipelines, model inference enablement, or MLOps-style operationalization) and using AI-assisted developer tooling to improve engineering productivity and quality.
• Experience with Agile project management methods and practices; AWS (or other cloud) certifications.

Eligibility Criteria

• Minimum 6+ years of software development experience, with a strong understanding of various programming languages, frameworks, and technologies, and API development in complex large-scale environments.
• Minimum 2+ years in a leadership role (e.g., team lead, senior developer, or architect), managing or mentoring a team of developers.

Work Timings

Work Timings: 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM IST

This role qualifies for Enhanced Flexibility offered in Synchrony India and will require the incumbent to be available between 06:00 AM Eastern Time 11:30 AM Eastern Time (timings are anchored to US Eastern hours and will adjust twice a year locally). This .