Senior Architect - Java and Generative AI - Vice President

Citi; Chennai; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi is seeking an Applications Development Technology Lead Analyst to coordinate and lead senior-level software development efforts. You will champion Java-based microservices, modern architectures, and large language model integration, while guiding cross-functional teams to deliver scalable solutions.

The role emphasizes architecture adherence, risk-aware decision making, and mentorship of junior engineers in a globally distributed environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on software development experience with mastery of Java (Java 17/21).
• Experience with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, reactive programming and scalable microservices architectures.
• Deep knowledge of Large Language Models (transformers) and related architectures.
• Advanced prompt engineering techniques to produce deterministic structured outputs.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Tekton) and GitOps patterns.
• Expertise in container orchestration using Kubernetes/OpenShift and cloud platforms (AWS/GCP).
• Strong skills in distributed messaging (Kafka/Confluent Kafka, IBM MQ).
• Proficiency with relational and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Redis).
• Security focus: OAuth2/OIDC, mTLS, Vault, and threat/vulnerability scanning.
• Proven technical leadership and agile delivery capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead applications systems analysis and programming activities in coordination with Technology teams.
• Define system enhancements to deploy new products and process improvements.
• Provide expert guidance on architecture and ensure adherence to blueprint.
• Develop standards for coding, testing, debugging, and deployment.
• Mentor mid-level developers and analysts, allocating work as needed.
• Assess risk in business decisions and ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to meet business goals.
• Escalate, manage and report control issues with transparency.

Skills

Java

Microservices

LLM & Architecture

Prompt Engineering

Cloud-Native & Containers

Event-Driven Architecture

Databases & Storage

CI/CD & DevOps

Security & Vaults

Technical Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree / University degree or equivalent

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

OpenShift

Kubernetes

Docker

Helm

AWS

GCP

Kafka

Confluent Kafka

IBM MQ

PostgreSQL

Oracle

MongoDB

Redis

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

Job description

The Applications Development Technology Lead Analyst is a senior level position responsible for establishing and implementing new or revised application systems and programs in coordination with the Technology team. The overall objective of this role is to lead applications systems analysis and programming activities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with multiple management teams to ensure appropriate integration of functions to meet goals as well as identify and define necessary system enhancements to deploy new products and process improvements
• Resolve variety of high impact problems/projects through in-depth evaluation of complex business processes, system processes, and industry standards
• Provide expertise in area and advanced knowledge of applications programming and ensure application design adheres to the overall architecture blueprint
• Utilize advanced knowledge of system flow and develop standards for coding, testing, debugging, and implementation
• Develop comprehensive knowledge of how areas of business, such as architecture and infrastructure, integrate to accomplish business goals
• Provide in-depth analysis with interpretive thinking to define issues and develop innovative solutions
• Serve as advisor or coach to mid-level developers and analysts, allocating work as necessary
• 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, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency.

Recommended Qualifications

• Core Java & Microservices Architecture: 10+ years of hands‑on software development experience with mastery of Java (Java 17/21), Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, reactive programming, and designing scalable, fault‑tolerant microservices architectures.
• Deep LLM & Architecture Understanding: Comprehensive knowledge of Large Language Models (transformer architectures, tokenization, context windows, embeddings, fine‑tuning vs. prompt‑tuning trade-offs) across major frontier and open‑source models.
• Advanced Prompt Engineering: Proven experience designing, testing, and optimizing complex system prompts using structured techniques (Few‑Shot, Chain‑of‑Thought, ReAct) to reliably produce deterministic, structured outputs (JSON/Pydantic/XML)
• Cloud‑Native & Container Orchestration: Extensive experience architecting and containerizing applications using Red Hat OpenShift / Kubernetes (K8s), Docker, and Helm, with solid exposure to hybrid and public cloud infrastructure (AWS / GCP).
• Event‑Driven Architecture & Messaging: Deep practical experience implementing distributed, event‑driven systems using Apache Kafka / Confluent Kafka, IBM MQ, and pub/sub patterns for real‑time, low‑latency transaction processing.
• Enterprise Data & Storage Systems: Strong proficiency with modern DBaaS environments, relational databases (PostgreSQL, Oracle), NoSQL data stores (MongoDB), and distributed caching solutions (Redis), including schema design and performance optimization.
• CI/CD Automation & Modern DevOps: Demonstrated expertise in continuous integration and automated deployment pipelines (Lightspeed / Tekton / Harness / Jenkins / GitHub Actions), automated test frameworks (JUnit, Testcontainers), and GitOps delivery models.
• Enterprise Security & Secrets Management: Strong adherence to enterprise security governance, OAuth2/OIDC, mTLS, HashiCorp Vault secrets management, and automated vulnerability scanning (SonarQube, Checkmarx, Snyk).
• Technical Leadership & Agile Delivery: Proven leadership capabilities to guide cross‑functional engineering teams, drive technical blueprints, enforce rigorous code review standards, mentor junior engineers, and translate complex business requirements into robust solution architectures.

Education

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

This job description provides a high‑level review of the types of work performed. Other job‑related duties may be assigned as required.

Job Family Group

Technology

Job Family

Applications Development

Time Type

Full time

Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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.