Job Specifications
Lead Software Engineer – Retirement Strategies
Location: Hybrid – Newark, NJ
Type: Contract-to-Hire
Pay Rate: $65–$75/hour (W2). C2C is not allowed.
A major financial services firm is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join its Retirement Strategies Technology team. This is a contract-to-hire opportunity for a hands-on technical leader who thrives on solving complex problems, delivering impactful solutions, and driving innovation at scale.
You will collaborate with a cross-functional team of product owners, designers, engineers, and delivery experts to build enterprise-grade platforms that power next-generation retirement solutions.
What You'll Do:
Design and build high-quality, scalable applications using modern coding practices, design patterns, and architectural principles
Develop well-documented, efficient, and standards-compliant code
Partner with product owners and tech leads to define technical design and understand business needs
Write unit, integration, and functional automation tests to support quality delivery
Investigate and resolve issues identified through QA or user feedback
Mentor and support junior engineers while embedding learning and innovation into day-to-day development
Tackle complex problems requiring thoughtful analysis and creative solutions
Code using Python, Java, JavaScript and frameworks such as React, Spring Boot, Node.js
What You Bring:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
Strong experience with Agile methodologies and Test-Driven Development (TDD)
Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
A continuous learning mindset and the ability to coach others
Solid understanding of business operations and how to align technology to deliver value
Technical Expertise in Several of the Following:
Languages & Frameworks:
Python, Java, JavaScript, C#
React, Spring Boot, Node.js, Flask, Django
Java services with Spring, Maven, microservices, multi-threading, concurrency
Data & Streaming:
NoSQL & relational databases
Data streaming (SQS, Kinesis)
API Development:
REST, SOAP, JSON, XML, JDBC, MySQL
API management tools (Kong, Apigee)
Service-oriented architecture (SOA)
Testing & DevOps:
Unit, interface, end-user, and automated testing
Accessibility and secure coding best practices
GitHub, Bitbucket, Jenkins, and other DevOps tools
Security:
Web app security, authentication, authorization
SSL, JWT, SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect
Cloud & SDLC:
AWS Core Services (compute, storage, DB, IAM, analytics)
Monitoring, logging, and full software development lifecycle (SDLC)
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
Strong background in AWS cloud-native development
Familiarity with architecture patterns and design thinking
Financial or insurance industry experience (required)
People leadership experience (a plus)
Exposure to AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot)