Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer

210751282

T16:45:30+00:00

Glasgow

Software Engineering

Full time

VP, Lead Software Engineer (Backend/AWS + React | AI-first Tooling & Automation)

Role summary

We're seeking a VP-levelLead Software Engineer with a strong backend engineering profile to lead the design and delivery of scalable, secure, cloud-native services onAWS , paired withReact UI experience to ensure seamless end-to-end execution within aregulated financial services environment . You'll raise the bar on reliability and operational excellence, and drive anAI-first engineering paradigm -embedding AI tooling and automation into daily development while maintaining strict adherence to regulatory, compliance, and risk management standards.

What you'll do

• AI-first SDLC : standardize AI-assisted workflows for coding, test creation, code review, documentation, debugging, and incident response-ensuring all AI tooling usage complies withfirm-wide governance, model risk management, and data privacy policies .
• Lead backend architecture and delivery owning core services onAWS and partnering closely onReact UI implementation.
• Own technical strategy : define target backend/cloud architecture, engineering standards, and near-/long-term roadmaps aligned with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and risk appetite.
• Design and build scalable backend systems on AWS (APIs, event-driven services, data integration, identity/security patterns, performance and cost controls) that meetfinancial industry standards for data integrity, auditability, and resilience .
• Ensure strong React implementation : contribute to UI architecture where needed, guide reusable patterns, and ensure the front end cleanly integrates with backend contracts.
• Automate engineering hygiene : CI/CD improvements, quality gates, dependency management, and developer self-service to reduce toil and increase throughput while maintainingaudit trails and change management controls .
• Drive production excellence : observability, resiliency, SLOs, incident management, and post-incident learning with measurable improvements aligned tobusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) standards .
• Collaborate with risk, compliance, and information security teams to ensure all engineering practices meet regulatory expectations (e.g., SOX, GDPR, SEC/FINRA, OCC guidelines).
• Mentor and grow engineers : coach technical depth (especially backend/AWS), strengthen ownership, and develop future tech leads within a financial services context.
• Stay hands-on in critical backend components and high-impact design decisions, especially where scale, security, data sensitivity, or regulatory compliance are at stake.

What success looks like (first 3-6 months)

*Roll outAI-first engineering workflows that measurably improve developer velocity and code quality, with appropriategovernance guardrails for AI usage in a regulated environment .

• Improve delivery throughput by clarifying backend priorities, reducing blockers, and introducing measurable execution metrics-while maintaining compliance with change management and release governance.
  
  *Reinforce or modernizeAWS backend architecture with secure, scalable defaults and clear service/API standards that satisfyinternal audit and regulatory review .
  
  *Improve production readiness: stronger monitoring/logging/alerting and faster recovery through better runbooks and automation, aligned tofirm-wide SLA and BC/DR expectations .

Required qualifications

*Proven experience leading delivery ofproduction backend systems (as lead engineer / tech lead / engineering lead) infinancial services , preferably within aninvestment bank or capital markets environment .

*Strong expertise inAWS (cloud-native architecture, security, scalability, reliability, and cost awareness) within aregulated industry context .

*Strong backend fundamentals: API design, distributed systems concepts, data modeling, integration patterns-with experience handlinghigh-volume, low-latency, and mission-critical financial workloads .

*SolidReact experience sufficient to guide UI architecture and ensure high-quality integration with backend services.

• Deep understanding of financial services technology landscape : familiarity with trading systems, risk platforms, client onboarding, regulatory reporting, or similar banking domains.
  
  *Demonstrated ability to set technical direction across engineers and influence stakeholders, includingtechnology risk, compliance, and business partners .
  
  *Strong engineering craft: testing strategy, CI/CD, observability, and operational excellence within acontrolled, auditable environment .

Preferred qualifications

*DemonstratedAI tooling adoption (coding assistants, LLM-enabled workflows) with measurable impact on quality/velocity, ideally within agovernance-conscious environment .

• Investment banking or markets technology experience (e.g., front-office tools, middle/back-office platforms, trade lifecycle, market data, or client-facing portals).
  
  *Track record of buildingautomation for developer productivity (pipelines, templates, self-service, guardrails) in alarge-scale enterprise or financial institution .
  
  *Familiarity with event-driven architectures and asynchronous patterns on AWS, particularly forreal-time financial data processing or transaction workflows .
  
  *Experience modernizing legacy systems incrementally withincomplex, regulated environments (migration strategies, strangler patterns, dual-running).
  
  *Strong security mindset (threat modeling, least privilege, secrets management,encryption at rest/in transit for sensitive financial data ).

J.P. Morgan is a global leader in financial services, providing strategic advice and products to the world's most prominent corporations, governments, wealthy individuals and institutional investors. Our first-class business in a first-class way approach to serving clients drives everything we do. We strive to build trusted, long-term partnerships to help our clients achieve their business objectives....