Core Responsibilities 1. Plans and implements security patches, schema governance execution, and major platform capabilities for the Supergraph platform serving >3 billion requests/month. Designs, implements, and deploys federation patterns, subgraph architectures, and router configurations to meet business needs across Vanguard subdivisions. Identifies and implements opportunities for performance optimization, resiliency improvements, and platform expansion.
2. Provides expert-level technical support for complex federation issues across the Supergraph ecosystem. Diagnoses and troubleshoots the most complex incidents involving Apollo Router, federated subgraphs, and cross-service query execution. Leads incident response efforts and coordinates with subdivision teams during production issues. Maintains comprehensive technical knowledge of GraphQL federation, Apollo tooling, and distributed systems patterns.
3. Develops technical standards and contributes to schema governance. Evaluates schema changes for federation impact, breaking changes, and performance implications. Reviews configuration parameters to optimize query execution, reduce latency, and maximize platform uptime. Tests and evaluates GraphQL tooling and vendor products (Apollo Router, observability platforms, security scanning tools).
4. Elevates code through development, test, and production environments on schedule as part of a "you build it, you run it" culture. Provides follow-up production support and participates in on-call rotation. Submits change control requests and documents changes. Leads CI/CD improvements.
5. Partners with subdivision teams (PI Tech, Workplace, Advice, GIFS) to understand their business requirements and integration needs. Translates business needs into federation patterns, subgraph designs, and API capabilities. Builds trust with teams at different technical maturity levels and tailors support appropriately.
6. Mentors and coaches platform developers on GraphQL federation patterns, debugging techniques, and platform best practices. Pairs with junior team members on complex issues, teaching debugging approaches and building their federation expertise. Troubleshoots and resolves the most complex issues escalated from staff. Provides constructive feedback on code, architecture decisions, and technical approaches. Updates, writes, and maintains technical documentation for the department.
7. Leads technical portions of complex assignments. Performs systems analysis for security remediation and platform expansion initiatives. Helps shape team's work and drives initiatives across multiple team members. Contributes to platform roadmap discussions with Senior Manager and Senior Architect.
8. Escalates technical risks appropriately, even when timelines are tight. Balances listening and speaking in design discussions, asking thoughtful questions to understand trade-offs. Embraces AI-assisted development practices (Claude Code) and stays current on GraphQL federation and distributed systems trends. Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications- Minimum of eight years related work experience.
- Undergraduate degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of training and experience.
Special FactorsSponsorshipVanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.
