Lead Software Engineer

Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures. Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard. We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: Do good. Be good. Make good. Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position. Role Summary The Product Domain Technical Lead plays a pivotal role within the Product & Inforce organization, driving major Product Launch initiatives and shaping technical solutions across the product ecosystem. This is a hands-on technical leadership role that requires deep expertise in life and annuity products, application architecture, and integration frameworks. As a key member of cross-functional SCRUM teams, you will collaborate with Product Managers, Scrum Masters, Developers, and Quality Engineers across global locations. You will ensure the delivery of end-to-end technical solutions for complex business needs within a dynamic environment. This position provides an opportunity to contribute directly to product modernization and innovation initiatives. This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you are in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Technical Leadership & Delivery Provide hands-on technical leadership for Product Domain initiatives, including design, development, integration, and implementation. Translate business and product requirements into detailed technical designs and specifications aligned with enterprise architecture standards. Evaluate technology options and trade-offs to ensure feasibility, scalability, and performance of solutions. Drive the adoption of AI-assisted coding, refactoring, and documentation practices to enhance productivity and reduce legacy maintenance overhead. Drive end-to-end solution delivery, from architecture through deployment and support. Collaboration & Stakeholder Management Partner with Product Owners and Business Stakeholders to align technology strategy with product vision and business goals. Build strong trust-based relationships across departments to drive alignment and innovation. Work closely with Architects and IT teams to define, implement, and maintain standards, processes, and roadmaps for the Product domain. Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient resource utilization and timely delivery of initiatives. Process Improvement & Innovation Identify opportunities for application modernization, rationalization, and transformation toward a simplified, modern system platform. Lead process re-engineering and technology implementation initiatives to optimize operational efficiency. Identify opportunities to apply Generative AI for knowledge extraction, documentation creation, and code migration from legacy systems. Support strategic financial developments for new product launches, ensuring technology enablement aligns with financial and regulatory objectives. Governance & Quality Ensure that technical solutions meet business requirements and comply with architecture, security, and quality standards. Manage estimation, cost, and scheduling for all domain-related solutions and projects. Oversee the release management and testing processes to ensure high-quality delivery. Establish best practices for AI governance, model validation, and responsible AI usage within Mainframe Product development. Communicate effectively across organizational levels, providing clear updates and guidance on project progress and risks. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience). 15+ years of experience in Full System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Expertise in IBM Mainframe technologies: COBOL, JCL, SQL, CICS, DB2, VSAM, ISPF/PDF, FILE-AID, MVS, Endevor. Proven experience in Life and Annuity Product systems, particularly on Vantage Policy Administration Platform: 15+ years of Product domain experience preferred. 7+ years leading teams on Vantage systems preferred. Strong conceptual and analytical skills with the ability to design and build complex algorithms. Demonstrated success leading in matrixed, outsourced environments, leveraging influence and collaboration. Experience in managing third-party IT suppliers cost-effectively. Familiarity with Agile methodologies and iterative delivery processes highly desired. Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills with a proactive, adaptive mindset. Key Competencies Strategic Thinking and Technical Vision Leadership in Cross-Functional Teams Architecture and Integration Design Agile and DevOps Practices Career Path This role offers a clear progression toward an Applications Domain Head position within the Product & Inforce organization, providing opportunities for strategic leadership and enterprise impact. Benefits Your benefits start day one and are flexible and customizable to your and your family’s specific needs. Check out the BENEFITS of a Career at National Life! Base Pay Range . The base pay range for this position is the range National Life reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors, including: prior experience and job-related knowledge; education, training and certificates; current business needs; and market factors. The final salary or hourly wages offered may be outside of this range based on other reasons and individual circumstances. Additional Compensation and Benefits . The total compensation package for this position may also include a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in National Life’s discretionary annual incentive programs, subject to the rules governing such programs. If hired, the employee will be in an “at-will position” and National Life reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. #J-18808-Ljbffr