Lead Software Engineer

Appian; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Flexible time off

Parental leave

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Life insurance

Job summary

Appian, headquartered in McLean, VA, seeks a Lead Software Engineer to drive architecture and feature delivery across data layers, services, and UI. You will shape scalable, high-performance systems and mentor teams while delivering AI-powered insights within the platform.

The role emphasizes collaboration across teams, ownership of complex deliverables, and hands-on coding in a fast-paced, in-office environment five days a week at the McLean campus.

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science or related field with 7+ years experience or MS with 5+ years.
• Experience building interactive web UIs with TypeScript/React.
• Experience leveraging modern AI coding tools and agentic workflows.
• Proven track record collaborating with contacts outside your area and influencing team culture.
• Strong Java fundamentals - Spring Framework, Hibernate/JPA, interface-first architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead feature development and architectural decisions using spec-driven workflows.
• Write software in a full-stack web and mobile environment with strong data structures knowledge.
• Ensure availability, latency, scalability, and efficiency through reliable software.
• Contribute to performance analysis and system tuning for high-volume workloads.
• Design and implement features end-to-end across Liquibase/JPA schemas, Spring/Java services, and React/TypeScript components.
• Build and extend LLM copilot pipelines, prompt workflows, and rich data visualizations.
• Mentor engineers to improve velocity and quality; conduct design reviews and share best practices.

Skills

Java fundamentals

Spring Framework

Hibernate/JPA

TypeScript/React

AI tooling

Mentoring

Education

B.S. in Computer Science

M.S. in Computer Science

Tools

Liquibase

SAIL system rules

JPA

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

Lead Software Engineer

ABOUT THE TEAM

Imagine building the analytics layer that thousands of business users rely on to understand their data. At Appian, we don’t just ship features, we build the reporting, charting, and AI-powered insights engine at the heart of the Appian platform. Our work spans from interactive chart builders and drag-and-drop dashboards to LLM-powered copilots that generate KPIs and insight summaries from process data. If you want to work across the full stack, from database schema design to chart components to AI prompt pipelines, this is the role. This role is based at our headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As a Lead Software Engineer working on the Appian platform, your mission will be to ensure Appian is always fast, scalable, and up to whatever tasks our customers configure it to do. Your scope extends from the high-performance data layer to the cross-platform user interface to the design tools used to create it. You’ll work on complex issues where analyzing situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors. You will exercise judgment in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria to obtain results. As a technical leader, you will be expected to influence team dynamics positively, model strategic communication, actively mentor peers, and collaborate with key partners across and outside your immediate domain.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead feature development and architectural decisions using spec-driven workflows while keeping the platform modern and scalable
• Leverage deep knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and design patterns to write software in a full-stack web and mobile environment
• Manage availability, latency, scalability, and efficiency by engineering reliability into software and systems
• Contribute heavily to software performance analysis and system tuning, ensuring our analytics engine and data layers operate at peak efficiency under high-volume workloads
• Design and implement features end-to-end across Liquibase/JPA schemas, Spring/Java services, SAIL system rules, and React/TypeScript components
• Build and extend LLM copilot pipelines, prompt workflows, and rich data visualization experiences like chart widgets and dashboard builders
• Conduct thorough design and code reviews, model best practices, and actively mentor engineers to increase team proficiency and development velocity
• Communicate complex designs clearly across teams and contribute high-quality technical content

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• B.S. in Computer Science or related (7+ years experience) or M.S. in Computer Science or related field (5+ years of experience)
• Proven track record in high-volume, critical production service environments
• Experience building interactive web UIs with TypeScript/React (or similar component frameworks)
• Experience leveraging modern AI coding tools and agentic workflows to accelerate development, improve spec generation, and automate boilerplate tasks
• Proven track record of collaborating with key contacts outside your immediate area of expertise and influencing team culture
• Demonstrated history of guiding less experienced engineers with empathy and taking full ownership of complex deliverables
• Strong Java fundamentals - Spring Framework, Hibernate/JPA, interface-first architecture, dependency injection

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Hands-on experience building or integrating LLM pipelines, prompt workflows, and AI copilot services into customer-facing products
• Experience setting up custom agent harnesses, context configuration files (e.g., AGENTS.md, custom linters), or spec-driven execution workflows
• Experience with data visualization libraries (Highcharts, D3, Chart.js) and state management patterns (Redux)
• Strong UI/Full-Stack foundation using React, TypeScript, and functional UI principles
• Familiarity with process mining, analytics, or business intelligence platforms

The base salary range represents a good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance. In addition, Appian provides generous benefits offerings that include a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, wellness programs, flexible spending accounts, health savings account contributions, an employee referral bonus program, and learning and development resources. Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation, commission, bonus, or benefit plans.

Base Salary Range $150,000—$300,000 USD

Tools and Resources Training and Development

During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First-Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.

Growth Opportunities

Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.

Community

We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

Benefits

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Benefits may include health coverage, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support, life and disability insurance, an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), a retirement/pension plan, wellness dollars, tuition reimbursement, family-forming benefits and more. Benefits vary by country—please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

About Appian Appian provides AI automation for the most important business processes at the world’s largest organizations. Our platform is known for its unique power, reliability, and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and have proven expertise in enterprise operations. For more information, visit appian.com.

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Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail]. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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