Lead API & Governance Engineer

We are partnering with a client to hire a Lead API Platform & Governance Engineer to drive the design, development, and governance of enterprise-wide API platforms. This role combines hands-on backend engineering with technical leadership, owning API standards, platform strategy, and modernization initiatives across a large organization. This opportunity is well suited to a senior API leader who enjoys building scalable platforms, setting engineering standards, and influencing technical direction at an enterprise level. Key Responsibilities Define and lead enterprise API standards, reference architectures, design patterns, and lifecycle governance Design and build scalable, secure API services and shared platform components, contributing hands-on and through technical review Architect cloud-native, API-first platforms using microservices, event-driven patterns, containers, service mesh, and API gateways Establish governance for API versioning, deprecation, migration, observability, and operational maturity Drive modernization initiatives and reusable patterns to support AI-ready and intelligent system integrations Partner with enterprise architects and senior engineering leaders to align execution with long-term strategy Mentor engineers and technical leads on API design, security, and platform best practices Evaluate and guide selection of API gateways, integration platforms, observability tools, and developer enablement solutions Ensure API security, compliance, and adherence to industry standards Stay current on emerging technologies and assess practical enterprise adoption Required Experience & Skills Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field 15+ years of experience in software engineering, platform development, and enterprise delivery Deep expertise in API-first architecture, microservices, event-driven systems, and modernization strategies Strong hands-on backend development experience (Java, Python, .NET/C#, Node.js, or TypeScript) Extensive experience building APIs using REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and asynchronous messaging Solid grounding in Domain-Driven Design, microservices, and enterprise integration patterns Proven experience with API gateways, service mesh technologies, Docker, and Kubernetes Experience with messaging and integration platforms (e.g., Kafka, Apache Camel, or managed equivalents) Experience working with SQL and NoSQL databases Familiarity with DevOps practices including CI/CD, infrastructure-as-code, and cloud automation Strong knowledge of API and cloud security (OAuth, JWT, mTLS, rate limiting, Zero Trust, OWASP API risks) Experience with observability and monitoring platforms (e.g., OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Grafana, OpenSearch) Proven ability to mentor engineers, influence across teams, and drive consistent technical outcomes Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders Experience supporting audits, risk assessments, and compliance initiatives Nice to Have Exposure to emerging interaction protocols such as MCP, A2A, or ACP Compensation: $180,000-200,000 Salary is based on a range of factors that include relevant experience, knowledge, skills, other job-related qualifications. #J-18808-Ljbffr Soni