Lead Application Development Engineer – Payment Technology

Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience.
  • 10+ years in software engineering, application development, or enterprise solution delivery, including 7+ years with Java, Spring Boot, or comparable backend technologies.
  • 5+ years building and deploying cloud-native applications, ideally on AWS, using microservices, REST APIs, event-driven architecture, and distributed systems.
  • Experience modernizing legacy or high-volume transactional applications; experience in payment platforms or regulated industries is helpful but not required.
  • Familiarity with AWS services, containers, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, automated testing, and observability.

Responsibilities

  • Own technical direction for secure, scalable payment applications from concept through implementation.
  • Modernize legacy solutions with cloud-native, microservices, and event-driven architectures.
  • Transform complex needs into practical solutions by collaborating with various teams.
  • Lead development for high-risk capabilities, resolving integration challenges.
  • Establish engineering excellence in design, testing, and production readiness.
  • Mentor engineers and guide technical decisions linked to customer outcomes.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits for health support.
  • Competitive 401(k) contributions and pension plan.
  • Annual incentive program and 23 days of paid time off per year.
  • Student loan repayment program for financial assistance.
  • Paid family leave to support work-life balance.
Full Job Description
Join American Family Insurance’s Payment Technology team as a Lead Application Development Engineer [TB2.1]and help modernize the secure, scalable applications that power payment experiences across the enterprise. Reporting to the Senior Manager, you will combine hands-on engineering with technical leadership to move legacy solutions to cloud-native architectures and improve customer and business outcomes.
You will partner with product, engineering, architecture, and business teams to design and deliver resilient payment capabilities for American Family Insurance. In this role, you will guide technical decisions, mentor engineers, and apply cloud and AI-enabled practices to strengthen quality, speed, and reliability.

Position Compensation Range:

$131,000.00 - $220,000.00

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographic work location. Relocation support is offered for eligible candidates.

This role does not have approval for sponsorship now or in the futire. This includes H1 transfers, OPT, CPT, F1 Visa and STEM.

Primary Accountabilities - What You’ll Lead

  • Own the technical direction for secure, scalable payment applications—from early concepts and architecture through implementation and production.

  • Shape the future of our payment platform by modernizing legacy solutions with cloud-native, microservices, API, event-driven, and distributed-system patterns.

  • Turn coplex needs into practical solutions by partnering with product, architecture, engineering, and business teams to define designs and delivery plans.

  • Stay close to the code, leading development for complex or high-risk capabilities and solving challenges across integrations and dependencies.

  • Set the standard for engineering excellence across design, testing, security, observability, performance, documentation, and production readiness.

  • Grow the team’s technical capabilities by mentoring engineers, guiding key decisions, and connecting the work to meaningful customer and business outcomes.

Specialized Knowledge & Skills Requirements

  • Demonstrated experience providing customer-driven solutions, support or service

  • Demonstrated experience analyzing and understanding complex software/systems.

  • Demonstrated experience communicating technical information.

  • Demonstrated experience developing different solution-delivery and design approaches and solutions to customers.

  • Demonstrated experience developing complex software/systems using one or more programming language.

  • Demonstrated experience analyzing and estimating project size and work efforts for software solutions.

  • Demonstrated experience providing technical guidance and leadership to less experienced staff.

  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of software development and design standards and methodologies.

  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of infrastructure technologies, operating systems, and the interconnectivity between infrastructure platforms and software tools.

  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of systems development life cycle (SDLC).

  • Solid knowledge and understanding of application architecture and design alternatives.

  • Solid Knowledge and understanding of integration and migration strategies and technologies

Preferred Qualifications

We value skills gained through many paths. If you meet most of these qualifications and are excited about payment technology, we encourage you to apply.

  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience.

  • Approximately 10+ years in software engineering, application development, or enterprise solution delivery, including 7+ years with Java, Spring Boot, or comparable backend technologies.

  • 5+ years building and deploying cloud-native applications, ideally on AWS, using microservices, REST APIs, event-driven architecture, and distributed systems.

  • Experience modernizing legacy or high-volume transactional applications; payment-platform, financial-services, or similarly regulated-industry experience is helpful but not required.

  • Experience with relevant AWS services, containers, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, automated testing, observability, security, and resilient production operations.

  • Ability to turn business needs into scalable technical designs and use approved AI-assisted tools or cloud AI services to improve engineering quality and efficiency.

  • Demonstrated technical leadership through mentoring, architecture and code reviews, stakeholder influence, and delivery of customer-focused business outcomes.

In this HYBRID role, you will work 10 days per month from one of the following office locations: Madison, WI 53783; Boston, MA 02110

Internal candidates are encouraged to apply regardless of location and will be considered based on the needs of the role.


Licenses

  • Not Applicable.

Travel Requirements

  • Up to 10% travel required.

Physical Requirements

  • Work primarily involves sitting and standing for extended periods.

Working Conditions

  • Not Applicable.

Additional Information
  • To ensure a strong start, all employees participate in our New Employee Orientation during their first week.  This experience is held in person at our Madison, WI Headquarters or one of our AmFam core locations to help you connect with our mission, meet key team members and build relationships that support your growth.  At times, sessions may be delivered virtually based on scheduling and availability. 
  • Offer to selected candidate will be made contingent on the results of applicable background checks
  • Offer to selected candidate is contingent on signing a non-disclosure agreement for proprietary information, trade secrets, and inventions
  • Sponsorship will not be considered for this position unless specified in the posting


We provide benefits that support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. You will have access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision and wellbeing benefits that enable you to take care of your health. We also offer a competitive 401(k) contribution, a pension plan, an annual incentive, 9 paid holidays and a paid time off program (23 days accrued annually for full-time employees). In addition, our student loan repayment program and paid-family leave are available to support our employees and their families. Interns and contingent workers are not eligible for American Family Insurance Group benefits.

About American Family Mutual Insurance Company

American Family Mutual Insurance Company Careers

There has never been a better time to explore the job opportunities at American Family Mutual Insurance Company, a leading entity in the insurance sector. This company stands out not only for its robust commitment to clients but also for its dedication to fostering a professional growth environment for its employees.

Work You’ll Do

Join American Family Mutual Insurance Company’s esteemed team to assist in pioneering efforts that drive innovation and leadership in the insurance industry. This is where skills meet challenge and excellence. Transform the landscape of insurance with American Family Mutual Insurance Company, where the culture of growth and leadership goes hand in hand with the pursuit of operational excellence. Lead in a unique position in the market, at the nexus of industry knowledge, professional expertise, and digital innovation. Engage with a nationwide team of business and technology advisors to help clients and the company navigate through transformative initiatives. Collaborate with a diverse group of professionals dedicated to upholding the highest standards of service and innovation in the insurance industry.

Introducing the American Family Mutual Insurance Company Professional Pathways

The team is actively building a leading-edge environment to support some of the most well-known companies and clients in mastering their challenges with innovative insurance solutions.

Do Innovative Work

Be part of a team that stands at the forefront of industry expertise and digital transformation, dedicated to delivering targeted solutions through a depth of consulting experience and innovation that is unparalleled.

Drive Innovation and Growth

Work on a wide range of projects that harness the power of teamwork and the latest technologies to deliver impactful results.

Future-proof Your Career

American Family Mutual Insurance Company offers nearly limitless opportunities to advance your career, supported by unmatched training, development programs, and certification support.

Explore

Discover how American Family Mutual Insurance Company is leading the way in predictive analytics to transform the insurance industry. With advanced tools and strategies, the company helps anticipate client needs and industry shifts.

The American Family Mutual Insurance Company Leadership and Development Initiative

This initiative combines service capabilities, global insights, and joint solution development to help clients and employees alike overcome challenges and lead transformation in their fields.

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Search open positions that match your skills and interests. American Family Mutual Insurance Company seeks passionate, curious, creative, and solution-driven team players for various roles from entry-level to leadership positions. SEARCH AMERICAN FAMILY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY JOBS

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