Lead Software Engineer

Empower; Greenwood Village (CO); On-site; USD 114,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision and life保险

401(k) retirement plan with company 6%

Tuition reimbursement

Casual work environment

Paid time off + holidays

Volunteer time

BRGs and inclusion programs

Job summary

Empower seeks a Lead Software Engineer to design, develop, and deliver scalable backend enterprise applications. You will lead engineering teams to build microservices with Spring, Kafka, and modern architectures, driving technical direction and code quality.

You will mentor engineers, champion TDD/BDD practices, and collaborate across product and security teams to ensure high availability and performance in Java 11+ environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS/Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of professional software development, incl. 2+ years in lead/mentorship.
• Strong Java expertise (11+).
• Experience with Spring/Spring Boot and RESTful services.
• Deep microservices and distributed systems knowledge.
• Proven Kafka real-time streaming development experience.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Proficiency in TDD/BDD practices and modern testing.
• Solid software design patterns and architecture understanding.
• Git and CI/CD expertise, plus leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of microservices using Spring/Spring Boot.
• Architect and build real-time streaming apps with Kafka.
• Define technical strategy and oversee full SDLC from requirements to deployment.
• Mentor engineers and conduct design/code reviews for quality.
• Champion TDD and BDD practices across teams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for secure, scalable software.
• Drive best practices in system design, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Optimize performance and reliability of applications.
• Guide architectural decisions aligned with business goals.

Skills

Java 11+

Spring Experience

Microservices

Apache Kafka

TDD/BDD

Leadership

SQL/NoSQL

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Hibernate/JPA

Git

CI/CD

Docker/Kubernetes

RESTful APIs

Job description

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time, including CPT/OPT.

We are looking for a highly skilled Lead Software Engineer with strong expertise in backend technologies and modern architectures to design, develop, and deliver scalable, high-performance enterprise applications. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in Java 11+, SQL/NoSQL databases, Spring ecosystem, microservices, and real-time streaming applications with Apache Kafka, along with a solid understanding of TDD and BDD practices. This role also requires proven leadership capabilities to guide engineering teams and influence technical direction.

What You Will Do

• Lead the design and development of microservices-based architectures using Spring and Spring Boot.
• Architect and build real-time streaming applications using Apache Kafka.
• Define technical strategy and oversee the full software development lifecycle, from requirements to deployment.
• Mentor and guide engineers, conducting design and code reviews to ensure high standards.
• Champion TDD and BDD practices, ensuring code quality and maintainability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable software.
• Drive adoption of best practices in system design, testing, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Optimize performance of applications and resolve complex technical issues.
• Ensure systems are built for high availability, scalability, and maintainability.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and align technical initiatives with business goals.

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of professional software development experience, including 2+ years in a lead/mentorship role.
• Strong expertise in Java (Java 11 or later).
• Solid hands-on experience with Spring, Spring Boot, and RESTful web services.
• Deep understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Proven experience in building real-time streaming applications with Apache Kafka.
• Strong experience in SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or similar) and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra, etc.).
• Proficiency in Hibernate, JPA, and ORM concepts.
• Strong understanding and application of TDD and BDD methodologies.
• Solid understanding of software design patterns and system architecture.
• Experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD practices.
• Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and leadership skills

What Will Set You Apart

• Knowledge of gRPC for high-performance service-to-service communication.
• Knowledge of AWS technologies (EC2, RDS, S3, Lambda, etc.).
• Experience with containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies.

This job operates in a professional office environment.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications of the job. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. You will be evaluated in part based on your performance of the responsibilities and/or tasks listed in this job description. You may be required to perform other duties that are not included on this job description. The job description is not a contract for employment, and either you or the employer may terminate employment at any time, for any reason, as per terms and conditions of your employment contract.

What We Offer You

We offer an array of diverse and inclusive benefits regardless of where you are in your career. We believe that providing our employees with the means to lead healthy balanced lives results in the best possible work performance.

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• Retirement savings – 401(k) plan with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%), financial advisory services, potential company discretionary contribution, and a broad investment lineup
• Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
• Business-casual environment that includes the option to wear jeans
• Generous paid time off upon hire – including a paid time off program plus ten paid company holidays and three floating holidays each calendar year
• Paid volunteer time — 16 hours per calendar year
• Leave of absence programs – including paid parental leave, paid short- and long-term disability, and Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)
• Business Resource Groups (BRGs) – BRGs facilitate inclusion and collaboration across our business internally and throughout the communities where we live, work and play. BRGs are open to all.

Base Salary Range

$114,000.00 - $165,300.00

The salary range above shows the typical minimum to maximum base salary range for this position in the location listed. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. Sales positions are eligible for sales incentives, and in some instances a bonus plan, whereby total compensation may far exceed base salary depending on individual performance. Actual compensation offered may vary from posted hiring range based upon geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer.

Equal opportunity employer

• Drug-free workplace

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age (40 and over), race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, religion, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.

***For remote and hybrid positions you will be required to provide reliable high-speed internet with a wired connection as well as a place in your home to work with limited disruption. You must have reliable connectivity from an internet service provider that is fiber, cable or DSL internet. Other necessary computer equipment, will be provided. You may be required to work in the office if you do not have an adequate home work environment and the required internet connection.***

Job Posting End Date at 12:01 am on: 09-10-2026