Lead Forward Deployment Engineer: Security & Modernization

Project description The project is focused on improving the security, release reliability, maintainability, and operational resilience of business-critical banking applications. Forward Deployed Engineers will conduct targeted, hands-on engagements with development teams that are facing challenges with vulnerability remediation, automated testing, legacy technology, production stability, or achieving a safe and rapid release cadence. The role combines senior software engineering, DevOps, SRE, test automation, application security, and legacy modernization. Approximately 70% of the work involves hands-on coding and configuration. The technical scope includes building effective automated test suites, remediating security vulnerabilities, performing dependency and reachability analysis, upgrading Java and NPM runtimes, modernizing Spring and legacy middleware applications, improving CI/CD pipelines, containerizing applications, automating deployments, and introducing standard observability and resilience patterns. The Expert FDE is expected to lead complex engagements, work directly with development and client stakeholders, define the technical remediation approach, implement critical changes personally, and enable client teams to maintain the improved engineering practices.

Must have The role demands extensive years of hands-on software engineering experience, with a focus on developing and maintaining production applications. Candidates must actively write and configure code, not merely oversee architecture or management tasks. Expertise in Java and JVM-based development is essential, while strong TypeScript skills are valued for Node.js-centric projects. Proficiency with the Spring ecosystem and modernizing Java enterprise applications is required. The candidate should demonstrate recent personal involvement in coding, debugging, and reviewing production code. Hard skills include practical experience in Test-Driven Development across multiple testing frameworks, with a solid understanding of various testing types such as unit, integration, and regression tests. The role involves creating automated test suites integrated within CI/CD pipelines, along with designing release automation and quality gates. Strong knowledge of secure coding practices, vulnerability remediation, and dependency risk management is necessary, including the ability to analyze application impacts before applying security fixes. Experience upgrading runtimes, frameworks, libraries, container platforms like Docker or OpenShift, and managing Linux environments—preferably Red Hat Enterprise Linux—is also important. Familiarity with build tools such as Maven, Gradle, or npm, advanced Git workflows, and comprehensive production-debugging techniques is expected. Candidates should understand application observability, exception handling, and production readiness, as well as fundamental distributed and critical system engineering principles. Soft skills focus on demonstrated ownership of complex technical work through all stages, from design to production handover. Strong client-facing communication is essential, including leading technical discussions, constructively challenging unsafe practices, and explaining trade-offs to diverse stakeholders. The ability to coach engineers and implement sustainable engineering standards without excessive customization is critical. Responsible and active use of AI coding tools to enhance engineering, testing, and delivery outcomes is also expected.- Hard skills:- Java/JVM and optionally TypeScript development with Spring ecosystem expertise- Test-Driven Development and automated testing within CI/CD frameworks- Secure coding, vulnerability management, and dependency risk analysis- Runtime, framework, library upgrades, and container platform management- Linux system administration, build tools, Git workflows, and production debugging- Application observability and distributed system engineering principles- Soft skills:- End-to-end ownership of technical projects- Effective client communication and technical leadership- Coaching and sustainable standards implementation- Proficient use of AI-assisted development tools