[Hiring] Senior Staff Microservices Engineer - API Banking & Integration @Ignite Banking

Role Description

Ignite Banking is seeking a Senior Microservices Engineer with deep experience in API development, APIGEE, and IBM DataPower to support the delivery of next-generation open finance and digital banking platforms. This role sits within our API Banking & Integrations team, working directly with client architecture and engineering teams to design and build modern, scalable integration solutions. This is a hands-on development lead role — you will be expected to actively design, build, and deliver microservices and APIs, while also guiding technical direction and setting standards across engagements. This is not a purely oversight or architecture role; success in this position requires strong engineering execution paired with the ability to lead by example.

This is not a traditional development role — this individual will operate as a front-line consultant (“tip of the spear”), leading early-stage technical execution across multiple engagements. You will be expected to bring both strong engineering capability and a consultative mindset, helping clients navigate complex transformation initiatives. This role is remote, however, strong preference will be given to candidates located in Charlotte or Raleigh, NC, who are open to working onsite with clients several days per week as engagement needs require.

Key Responsibilities

• API & Microservices Development
  • Design, develop, and maintain Java-based microservices (Spring Boot) supporting digital banking and open finance use cases
  • Build and expose APIs through APIGEE, including proxy configuration, policies, authentication, shared workflows, and routing
  • Develop reusable service patterns for system-to-system integrations across banking platforms
  • Implement API contracts, validation logic, and transformation layers (JSON/XML)
• API Gateway & Integration Layer
  • Design and implement API gateway solutions using APIGEE and IBM DataPower
  • Configure API proxies, security policies (OAuth2, mTLS), rate limiting, and traffic management
  • Support migration and modernization from legacy integration patterns to API-first architectures
• Cloud & Platform Engineering
  • Deploy and manage microservices in Azure cloud environments, including Kubernetes (AKS)
  • Work with DevOps teams to support CI/CD pipelines and containerized deployments
  • Ensure secure connectivity, certificate management, and network integration across environments
• Consulting & Client Engagement
  • Act as a lead technical contributor in client engagements, helping shape solution direction early
  • Work directly with client architects, engineering teams, and stakeholders to define and refine integration approaches
  • Translate business and architectural requirements into practical, scalable technical solutions
  • Provide guidance on best practices for API design, integration strategy, and platform modernization
• Testing, Debugging & Performance
  • Build and execute unit, integration, and performance tests
  • Troubleshoot distributed systems using logs, tracing, and monitoring tools
  • Optimize services for performance, resiliency, and scalability in real-time environments

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building Java-based microservices (Spring Boot)
• Strong experience designing and implementing REST APIs
• Hands-on experience with APIGEE (proxies, policies, API products, developer apps, security)
• Experience with IBM DataPower in API gateway or integration roles
• Strong understanding of API design, JSON/XML, and service orchestration
• Experience deploying services in Azure environments
• Working knowledge of Kubernetes (AKS) and containerized applications
• Familiarity with secure service-to-service communication (OAuth2, mTLS)
• Prior experience working in a consulting or professional services environment
• Ability to operate independently in client environments with limited direction
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and business stakeholders
• Comfortable leading early-stage technical work and shaping solution direction
• Experience working within banking or financial services environments
• Familiarity with digital banking platforms, core banking integrations, or open banking architectures
• Understanding of enterprise integration patterns and modernization strategies

Preferred Skills

• Experience modernizing legacy integration platforms into API-first architectures
• Exposure to event-driven or distributed system design patterns
• Familiarity with observability tools (App Insights, Splunk, Dynatrace, etc.)

What Success Looks Like

• You quickly establish credibility with client engineering teams
• You operate independently while maintaining alignment with architecture
• You deliver high-quality, production-ready microservices and APIs
• You help clients move from legacy integration patterns to modern API-driven ecosystems
• You contribute to both delivery and growth across multiple engagements

Who You Are

• A consultative engineer — not just a developer
• Comfortable being the first technical resource on the ground in a new engagement
• Able to balance hands-on execution with strategic thinking
• Strong ownership mindset with a bias toward action
• Thrive in fast-paced, high-visibility environments