Staff Software Engineer- Payroll Platform

UKG; Lowell (MA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

UKG is seeking a Technical Strategy & Architecture lead to define and drive the technical vision and modernization strategy of Payroll platforms. This role involves establishing architectural standards, driving engineering excellence, and mentoring engineers while evaluating innovative technologies like AI.

A Bachelor's degree and over 10 years in software engineering, with proficiency in Java and cloud technologies, are essential. The job requires 3 days a week presence in the Lowell office.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant experience designing and operating large-scale distributed systems.
• Expert-level proficiency in Java and modern backend architecture patterns.
• Strong experience with React, TypeScript, and modern web application architectures.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive long-term technical vision, architecture, and modernization strategy for Payroll platforms.
• Mentor senior and emerging engineers across the organization.
• Lead resolution of complex production incidents and conduct root cause analysis to improve resilience.

Skills

Java

React

TypeScript

Microservices

Cloud-native technologies

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

SQL

NoSQL

Azure

AWS

Google Cloud Platform

Job description

Technical Strategy & Architecture

Define and drive the long-term technical vision, architecture, and modernization strategy for Payroll platforms and services. Lead the design and evolution of highly scalable, resilient, secure, and maintainable distributed systems. Establish architectural standards, engineering best practices, and technical governance across multiple teams. Evaluate emerging technologies, including AI and Generative AI solutions, and drive adoption where they create measurable business value. Serve as a technical leader across engineering teams, influencing architecture and engineering decisions beyond immediate team boundaries. Partner with Engineering Managers, Product Leaders, Architects, and Principal Engineers to align technical strategy with organizational priorities. Lead technical discovery, proof‑of‑concepts, and platform initiatives that span multiple products and services. Drive engineering excellence through technical reviews, architecture assessments, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Software Engineering Excellence

Contribute hands‑on development for complex and business‑critical initiatives. Champion software quality, observability, performance, security, and operational excellence throughout the software development lifecycle. Establish standards for testing, automation, deployment, and production readiness. Lead resolution of complex production incidents and conduct root cause analysis to improve platform resilience.

AI and Innovation

Identify and implement opportunities to leverage AI technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning, and intelligent automation. Partner with product and engineering teams to incorporate AI‑powered capabilities into payroll products and internal engineering workflows. Evaluate AI governance, security, scalability, and operational considerations for enterprise adoption.

Mentorship & Talent Development

Mentor senior and emerging engineers across the organization. Foster a culture of technical excellence, innovation, inclusion, and continuous learning. Influence hiring, onboarding, technical career development, and succession planning.

DevOps & Operational Ownership

Champion end‑to‑end ownership from requirements through production operations. Drive improvements in reliability, observability, deployment automation, and service health. Define and monitor key operational metrics and service‑level objectives (SLOs).

Collaboration & Communication

Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to engineering, product, and executive stakeholders. Build consensus across teams and drive alignment on technical direction and priorities. Represent engineering in strategic planning discussions and cross‑functional initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant experience designing and operating large‑scale distributed systems.
• Expert‑level proficiency in Java and modern backend architecture patterns.
• Strong experience with React, TypeScript, and modern web application architectures.
• Deep understanding of microservices, event‑driven systems, APIs, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Extensive experience with SQL and NoSQL databases and large‑scale data architectures.
• Strong expertise in cloud‑native technologies and platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Proven experience leading architectural initiatives across multiple teams or product areas.
• Experience implementing observability, reliability engineering, and operational excellence practices.
• Familiarity with AI technologies, Generative AI, LLM platforms, AI‑assisted development tools, and enterprise AI adoption strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and mentor engineers at all levels.
• Experience designing and operating enterprise payroll, HCM, financial, or highly regulated systems.
• Experience with AI platform integration, Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, agentic frameworks, or machine learning systems.
• Experience leading cloud modernization or large‑scale platform transformation initiatives.
• Knowledge of security, compliance, privacy, and governance requirements for enterprise SaaS platforms.
• Experience contributing to open‑source projects, technical communities, or industry conferences.
• Track record of driving innovation and delivering measurable business impact through technology investments.
• Passion for fostering diverse, inclusive, and high‑performing engineering teams.
• Hybrid model: 3 days per week in the Lowell office is required.