Senior Software Engineer, Tech Lead

Unlocking Developer Potential: A Review of the Server-Side Tech Lead Opportunity at Citi

For ambitious technologists seeking to make a tangible impact on a global scale, Citi presents a compelling opportunity for a Server-Side Tech Lead. This role is centered on the development of a next-generation Developer Experience (DevEx) platform, a critical initiative aimed at streamlining the daily workflows of 50,000 engineers worldwide. If you're passionate about building robust, scalable systems that empower fellow developers, this position warrants your close consideration.

Key Advantages for Candidates:

• High-Impact, Greenfield Development: You'll be instrumental in shaping a "greenfield" platform from its nascent stages. This offers a rare chance to influence architectural decisions, choose technologies, and build systems that will define the future of developer productivity within a colossal organization.
• Significant Developer Empowerment: The core mission of this role is to save engineers valuable time, translating to substantial cost savings for Citi. As a Tech Lead, your contributions will directly enhance the efficiency and job satisfaction of a vast engineering community.
• Startup-like Agility within a Global Bank: The Development Enablement team operates with a "startup inside a global bank" ethos. This means embracing innovation, rapid experimentation, and fast shipping cycles, all while benefiting from the stability and resources of a leading financial institution.
• Cutting-Edge Technology Stack: The role emphasizes modern technologies such as Kotlin, Kafka, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Docker, and Kubernetes. This provides an excellent platform to hone and expand your skills in high-demand areas of server-side development. The inclusion of AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Cognition.ais Devin further signals a commitment to leveraging advanced technologies.
• Clear Progression and Ownership: The "What you'll do in your first year" section provides a well-defined roadmap, outlining achievable milestones. This structure allows for tangible progress, early wins, and a clear path towards full ownership of the backend infrastructure and data pipelines.
• Collaborative and Autonomous Environment: You'll be part of a "small, autonomous team" with broad impact. This structure fosters close collaboration, shared ownership, and the ability to drive significant change without bureaucratic hurdles.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Citi offers a competitive salary, a generous annual leave allowance, performance-related bonuses, private medical care, life insurance, and a pension plan, alongside other valuable employee benefits and learning resources.

Key Considerations for Your Career Path:

• Scale of Impact: While the team is small, the impact is immense. Candidates should be comfortable operating at a large scale and understand the complexities involved in building systems for tens of thousands of users.
• Architectural Acumen: This role demands strong architectural thinking, particularly in designing for near real-time requirements and integrating disparate systems. A deep understanding of trade-offs (e.g., Consistency vs. Availability, Partition Tolerance) will be crucial.
• Technical Leadership and Collaboration: Beyond technical prowess, the role requires strong leadership to align the team, collaborate with diverse stakeholders (product, design, UI engineers), and gain consensus on technical decisions. Positive feedback from colleagues is a key performance indicator.
• API Design and Integration: A significant portion of the work involves building and consuming RESTful APIs, with a focus on well-defined OpenAPI contracts and performant endpoints. Experience in this area is essential.
• Embracing Financial Services Context: While the role focuses on developer tooling, it's within the context of a global financial institution. Candidates should be prepared for the rigor and compliance considerations inherent in this industry.
• Adaptability and Continuous Learning: The "startup inside a bank" environment implies a need for adaptability and a proactive approach to learning new tools and techniques as the platform evolves.

This Server-Side Tech Lead position at Citi represents an exciting opportunity for seasoned professionals to contribute to a transformative initiative. It's a role that offers the chance to build cutting-edge technology, empower a massive engineering workforce, and advance your career within a dynamic and supportive environment. If you possess a strong server-side engineering background and a passion for developer enablement, this could be your next significant career move.