Lead Software Engineer

DescriptionKforce has a client in Englewood, CO that is seeking an experienced Lead Software Engineer to support large-scale modernization initiatives across critical banking technology platforms. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who can translate complex architectural strategies into secure, scalable, production-ready solutions. The Lead Software Engineer will partner closely with architects, engineering teams, and business stakeholders to guide technical decisions, resolve complex engineering challenges, and improve delivery outcomes.Key Responsibilities:* Partner with architects and engineering teams to translate solution designs into practical implementation strategies* Lead technical decisions across complex modernization and application development efforts* Design, develop, and support scalable, secure, and resilient applications, services, and APIs* Provide hands-on engineering support through coding, code reviews, troubleshooting, testing, and implementation* Review application designs, source code, and delivery plans to improve quality, reliability, maintainability, and security* Collaborate across engineering, product, architecture, and platform teams to deliver technically sound solutions* Identify and mitigate technical risks, dependencies, and implementation gaps before they affect delivery* Provide practical guidance through proofs of concept, technical reviews, and development support* Support modernization efforts involving cloud-native platforms, APIs, microservices, event-driven architectures, and enterprise integrations* Promote engineering excellence through automation, observability, resiliency, security, testing, and operational best practices* Mentor engineers and contribute reusable patterns, standards, and technical guidance across teamsRequirements* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience* Eight or more years of software engineering experience building and supporting enterprise applications* Five or more years of hands-on development experience using Java and Spring Boot* Demonstrated experience delivering complex technical solutions across multiple teams or systems* Experience partnering with architects and technical leaders on large-scale initiatives* Strong ability to analyze complex systems, evaluate tradeoffs, troubleshoot issues, and solve difficult technical problems* Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder-management skillsPreferred Qualifications:* Strong expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and modern backend development* Experience designing and building APIs, microservices, distributed systems, and event-driven architectures* Experience with Kafka or similar messaging technologies* Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, cloud-hosted applications, and containerized deployments* Experience with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, Oracle, or Microsoft SQL Server* Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and engineering automation* Knowledge of observability, monitoring, resiliency, security, and operational excellence* Familiarity with OpenAPI, Swagger, and API-first development* Experience supporting critical banking or financial-services platforms* Ability to influence technical direction without formal management authorityJob TypeContractCompensation42 - $57