Lead Senior AI Developer

Partnering with Aquent Talent, a pioneering financial services institution is revolutionizing its core technology infrastructure and enhancing critical financial systems. This is an unparalleled opportunity to make a profound impact, contributing to an organization that empowers individuals to shape their careers, fostering innovative thought and creative problem-solving to challenge the status quo and transform the finance industry. You will be at the forefront of this evolution, directly shaping platforms that safeguard the financial security of millions, driving forward a significant technical transformation that will redefine the future of finance.

About the Company

Join a leading financial services institution dedicated to empowering individuals through innovative technology and a steadfast commitment to financial security. This organization is currently undergoing a significant technical transformation, modernizing its core infrastructure and enhancing its critical financial systems. Be a part of a culture that champions innovative thought, creative problem-solving, and a relentless drive to challenge the status quo, transforming the finance industry.

About the Role

Are you an exceptional AI developer ready to lead the charge in innovation and redefine what's possible in financial technology? We're seeking a visionary Tech Lead to drive the integration of cutting-edge AI technology into complex financial domains. In this pivotal role, you won't just build; you'll lead the modernization of core technology infrastructure and develop intelligent systems that directly impact millions of people's financial security. Your expertise will be instrumental in shaping the future of our platforms, making a tangible difference in the lives of our customers and contributing to a significant technical evolution. This is your chance to design from scratch, mentor future leaders, and revolutionize how we leverage AI to deliver unparalleled financial solutions.

What You'll Do

• Lead AI-focused workflows across the System Development Life Cycle, including implementation, refactoring, unit testing, regression support, code reviews, scripting, automation, troubleshooting, and documentation.
• Apply expert engineering judgment and validation, leveraging AI assistance for common development tasks such as code suggestions, test generation, review support, and automation scripts, always ensuring correctness and quality.
• Drive the adoption of AI-assisted development practices to reduce context switching and accelerate delivery across typical engineering workflows.
• Act as a Tech Lead, mentoring and grooming junior developers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
• Design and architect systems from scratch in greenfield environments, bringing visionary solutions to life.
• Establish team-level practices for effective AI-assisted development, leveraging agentic workflows, spec-driven development (translating low-level design artifacts into structured specifications that guide AI-assisted implementation), custom instructions, and prompt engineering.
• Contribute significantly to IT transformations and system modernization initiatives, migrating legacy platforms to distributed, modern architectures.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12+ years of professional software engineering experience in actively developing large-scale software using Java, Spring framework, cloud development, and Web Services supporting high volume transactions in a highly available environment.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with AI/ML implementation and production deployment.
• 6+ years of experience working with containers and microservices in the cloud.
• 6+ years of experience in cloud deployment in a continuous integration and continuous delivery model (CI/CD).
• 5+ years of experience with major cloud platforms.
• 5+ years' experience working with relational and NoSQL databases.
• 2+ years prior experience in IT Transformations and system modernization initiatives from legacy to distributed platforms.
• Hands-on experience with Large Language Models.
• Demonstrated exposure to, or hands-on experience with, AI coding assistants used across day-to-day engineering workflows in the SDLC.
• Practical familiarity with AI-powered development tools within IDE/CLI-style workflows.
• Working knowledge of agentic workflows, spec-driven development, and custom instructions and prompt engineering, with the ability to establish team-level practices for effective AI-assisted development.
• Domain Expertise: Understanding of financial market operations and capabilities.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills; proven ability to communicate and lead other engineers in a collaborative environment.
• Execution Focus: Collaborative mindset coupled with a bias for action to effectively engage with fellow developers, Architects, and adjacent teams.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, a related degree, OR related practical experience.
• Good knowledge of messaging technologies.
• Experience in the Financial Services industry.
• Experience in Test Driven Development, QA Automation and Quality mindset and behaviors.
• Proficient in developing architectural and design diagrams, functional and technical specifications, and automated test processes.
• Willingness to learn all aspects of the tech stack and document.
• Ability to research and document production and test environments along with architecture and design work.
• Knowledge of Agile methodology and experience in an Agile working environment.
• Experience with project management and collaboration tools.

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.

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