Senior Backend Principal Developer

Citigroup Inc.; Jersey City (NJ); On-site; USD 142,320 - 213,480; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision coverage

401(k)

Paid time off

Job summary

Citigroup Inc. is looking for a Senior Backend Principal Developer in Jersey City. This senior role involves designing backend services within a digital experience platform, ensuring robust performance and security. Candidates should have 6-10 years of extensive backend software development experience and leadership capabilities. The role offers a competitive salary and diverse benefits including health insurance and 401(k).

If you're passionate about technical leadership and backend architectures, this opportunity could be perfect for you.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years of experience in backend software development.
• Proven experience as Principal or Lead Developer.
• Expert in Java backend programming.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of backend services.
• Provide technical leadership and architectural direction.
• Mentor senior developers and champion best practices.

Skills

Java backend programming

Distributed systems

Microservices architectures

RESTful API design

Identity and access management (IAM)

Cloud-native development

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Master’s Degree preferred

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Unix

Oracle

Job description

The Senior Backend Principal Developer is a senior level position responsible for developing a robust collection of connected and complementary technical solutions that deliver an enterprise scale framework that serves hundred-thousands of clients and millions of web requests every day. The platform establishes an interconnected experience for both internal and external users by seamlessly integrating existing applications.

Key Responsibilites:

• As a Senior Backend Principal Developer, you will be a hands‑on technical leader responsible for the design, architecture, and implementation of critical backend services within this integrated digital experience platform. Your expertise will drive the development of highly scalable, secure, and resilient solutions.
• Technical Vision & Leadership: Provide technical leadership and strategic direction for backend development, influencing architectural decisions and technology choices.
• Hands‑on Development: Design, develop, and maintain high‑performance, fault‑tolerant backend services and APIs using modern programming languages and frameworks. This includes core components for user authentication, authorization, content routing, and data integration.
• Architectural Stewardship: Lead the definition and evolution of backend architecture, ensuring alignment with principles of scalability, security, reliability, and maintainability in a federated system.
• Security: Implement and enforce robust security measures, including single sign‑on (SSO), centralized entitlements, and adherence to cyber defense standards across all backend components.
• Performance Engineering: Optimize backend systems for speed and efficiency, incorporating caching strategies, asynchronous processing, and efficient data access patterns.
• Integration Design: Architect and implement solutions for integrating diverse Content Provider applications into the unified platform via HTTPS‑based interfaces.
• Mentorship & Best Practices: Mentor senior developers, conduct in‑depth code reviews, and champion best practices in software engineering, including design patterns, testing methodologies, and operational excellence.
• Troubleshooting & Problem Solving: Serve as a subject matter expert for complex production issues, leading root cause analysis and resolution efforts for critical backend services.
• Collaboration: Partner closely with product management, front‑end teams, architects, and infrastructure teams to translate business requirements into technical solutions and deliver features end‑to‑end.
• Compliance: 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:

• 6‑10 years of extensive experience in backend software development, with significant experience in architecting and leading complex, large‑scale enterprise platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in a Principal or Lead Developer role, with a strong track record of technical leadership and hands‑on contribution.
• Expert‑level proficiency in modern Java backend programming language and associated frameworks.
• Deep understanding and practical experience with distributed systems, microservices architectures, and RESTful API design.
• Proven experience with identity and access management (IAM) solutions, including SSO protocols (e.g., OAuth2, OpenID Connect) and fine‑grained authorization.
• Solid experience with cloud‑native development principles, containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and cloud adoption (GCP and AWS).
• Strong knowledge of database technologies, including both relational and NoSQL databases.
• Exceptional problem‑solving and analytical skills, with the ability to tackle ambiguous problems and drive solutions.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, capable of influencing technical decisions and collaborating effectively across diverse teams.
• Hands‑on experience with the other backend technologies: Unix, Oracle, various caching solutions and AI adoption. Good knowledge of frontend integration is a plus: ReactJS, Content Security Policy, adopting corporate design system, ADA compliance.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree / University degree or equivalent experience
• Masters Degree preferred

Salary and Benefits:

$142,320.00 - $213,480.00

In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage, 401(k), life, accident and disability insurance, and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

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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