Lead Java Developer – Vice President

Citi; Chennai; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi in Chennai, India seeks an experienced Applications Development Tech Lead Analyst to drive design, development, modernization, and support of enterprise applications. You will guide solution architecture, mentor teams, and leverage AI-powered tools to accelerate delivery and improve software quality.

The role requires deep expertise in Core Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, Kafka, and cloud technologies, with a focus on scalable, resilient, cloud-native systems and strong engineering

Qualifications

• 13+ years of application development experience.
• Strong expertise in Core Java, Spring Boot and REST APIs with Microservices.
• Solid SQL/RDBMS and cloud platforms knowledge.
• Deep understanding of distributed systems, scalability, resiliency, and performance optimization.
• Experience with architecture reviews, governance, and mentoring engineers.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and modernization of cloud-native applications using Core Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, and Kafka.
• Drive architecture decisions across multiple projects and domains.
• Provide technical leadership, governance, and mentoring for engineering teams.
• Collaborate with business, architecture, and technology teams to define solution strategies.
• Advance engineering best practices, CI/CD, observability, and automation.
• Leverage AI-powered tools to accelerate delivery and improve quality across the SDLC.
• Act as SME and advisor to stakeholders and leadership, managing technology risks and Citi policies.

Tools

Core Java

Spring Boot

REST APIs

Microservices

Kafka

Cloud Platforms

Multithreading

SQL / RDBMS

Distributed systems

Performance optimization

CI/CD

GitHub Copilot / AI tools

Job description

The Applications Development Tech Lead Analyst is responsible for leading the design, development, modernization, and support of enterprise applications while driving technical strategy, engineering excellence, and delivery across multiple initiatives. The role requires deep expertise in Core Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, Cloud technologies, Kafka, and distributed systems, along with modern AI-first software engineering practices.

The successful candidate will serve as a technical leader and trusted advisor, guiding solution architecture, mentoring engineering teams, and leveraging AI-powered engineering tools to accelerate delivery and improve software quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of scalable, resilient, and cloud-native applications using Core Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, and Kafka.
• Drive architecture and technical design decisions across multiple projects and application domains.
• Provide technical leadership for complex engineering initiatives, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and engineering standards.
• Partner with business, product, architecture, and technology teams to define solution strategies and deliver outcomes.
• Lead performance optimization, resiliency improvements, security reviews, and production stability initiatives.
• Establish and promote engineering best practices for coding, testing, CI/CD, observability, and automation.
• Utilize AI-powered coding assistants and engineering agents (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Devin AI) to improve development efficiency, code quality, and developer productivity.
• Apply Context Engineering and AI-first development practices to effectively leverage coding agents throughout the SDLC.
• Mentor senior and junior engineers and drive technical skill development across teams.
• Act as a recognized SME and technical advisor for stakeholders, architects, and engineering leadership.
• Assess technology risks, drive remediation strategies, and ensure compliance with Citi policies and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

• 13+ years of application development experience.
• Strong expertise in:
• Core Java
• Spring Boot
• REST APIs & Microservices
• Multithreading & Concurrency
• Collections Framework
• Transaction Management
• SQL / RDBMS
• Cloud Platforms
• Kafka
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, scalability, resiliency, and performance optimization.
• Experience driving technical design, architecture reviews, and engineering governance.
• Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives across teams.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate independently and influence technical direction across organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and cloud-native platforms.
• Familiarity with observability, monitoring, and SRE practices.
• Experience using GitHub Copilot, Devin AI, or similar coding agents.
• Understanding of Context Engineering, prompt design, and Agentic SDLC practices.
• Strong knowledge of secure software development and application security.

Job Family Group: Technology

Job Family: Applications Development

Time Type: Full time

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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