Lead Software Engineer-Debit Card

mtb; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

M&T Bank is seeking a senior technical leader to write code and guide the team's design and requirements gathering for large modernization programs. You will architect API and middleware solutions, ensure SDLC compliance, and coach engineers across the bank's systems integration efforts.

You will own technical decisions, review designs and pull requests, drive performance, security, and resiliency practices, and collaborate with architecture, infrastructure, and external partners to deliver

Qualifications

• Expert level coding and architecture with modernization project experience.
• Coach and mentor team members on best practices and design reviews.
• Lead API, middleware, and system integration design across large programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical design and architecture discussions for large-scale modernization efforts, driving API, middleware, and system integration solutions.
• Review and approve solution designs, proposals, and PRs while overseeing execution via change management processes.
• Design and facilitate peer reviews, coach others on code quality and engineering best practices.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance to engineering teams and resolve complex issues to ensure successful modernization and integration initiatives.
• Oversee source control activities and ensure smooth merging into production deployment paths.

Skills

API development

Middleware design

System integration

Technical leadership

SDLC governance

Job description

Overview

Responsible at the expert level for writing code and leading the team's technical requirements gathering and solution design activities. This role provides technical leadership for large-scale modernization initiatives, including the design and delivery of API and middleware solutions that integrate internal banking systems with third-party payment processing platforms. Completes work following banking technology standards and contributes to the overall stability and resiliency of banking technology within the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) while coaching others and guiding key technical decisions.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and coach other team members while also working independently on applications within the boundaries of approved Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) processes, including identification and recommendation of metrics to solve business needs and minimize risks to the Bank through clean and resilient code.
• Lead technical design and architecture discussions for large-scale modernization efforts, driving the development of scalable API, middleware, and system integration solutions that support business and technology objectives.
• Review and approve solution designs, technical proposals, and pull requests while overseeing execution through established change management processes.
• Design and facilitate peer review processes and coach others on code reviews, code quality, engineering best practices, and continuous improvement.
• Author organized, clean, efficient, and secure source code at the expert level in a minimum of one programming language and moderate proficiency in a minimum of one other language while coaching team members on appropriate data structures, algorithms, and integration patterns to solve complex business problems.
• Provide hands‑on technical guidance to engineering teams, helping resolve complex technical issues and ensuring successful implementation of modernization and integration initiatives.
• Oversee source control management activities of team members and perform the merging of code developments into the production deployment path.
• Review testing methodologies, integration testing strategies, and code coverage to ensure comprehensive testing and high‑quality delivery of API, middleware, and payment processing solutions.
• Drive implementation adherence with patterns and practices for performance testing, resiliency, observability, security, and optimization within their domain.
• Review and approve requirement plans on behalf of the team in alignment with delivery partners and ensure requirement completeness, accuracy, technical feasibility, and alignment with enterprise architecture standards.
• Serve as a key partner across engineering, architecture, infrastructure, and third‑party integration teams to deliver complex technology solutions and drive continuous improvement across organizational boundaries.
• Contribute technical requirements and design recommendations in support of the delivery and maintenance of business‑critical applications, integration services, and payment technology platforms.
• Understand and effectively communicate architecture, modernization roadmaps, project progress, technical risks, and implementation challenges to business and technical stakeholders.
• Lead technical decision‑making and establish engineering standards that promote scalability, maintainability, resiliency, and secure software development practices.
• Contribute ideas and recommendations to the team's application architecture, integration strategy, engineering practices, and technology patterns, presenting solutions at architecture peer groups and architecture review board meetings within their domain.
• Coordinate with enterprise architecture, infrastructure, security, and external technology partners to ensure successful delivery of integrated solutions.
• Present team accomplishments and technical solutions at internal meetings and contribute to internal knowledge sharing through presentations, documentation, and blog posts.
• Understand and adhere to the Company's risk and regulatory standards, policies, and controls in accordance with the Company's Risk Appetite. Identify risk‑related issues needing escalation to management.
• Promote an environment that supports a culture of belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
• Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable.
• Complete other related duties as assigned.

Scope of Responsibilities

• Acts as a senior technical leader responsible for guiding engineering teams through the design, development, and implementation of complex business and technology solutions. Provides expertise in application modernization, API development, middleware technologies, enterprise system integration, and payment processing platforms while influencing technical direction and engineering best practic