Job Description:

Strategic Imperative

The Staff Engineer is critical to Prodege's ability to modernize and scale its platform by leading the evolution of large Java-based systems toward more modular, resilient, and maintainable architecture. This role helps shape the next generation of our platform by improving speed, reliability, and engineering leverage, while supporting a more modern, AI-enabled approach to software development. Through strong technical leadership and hands-on influence, the Staff Engineer reduces technical risk, strengthens engineering standards, and drives durable solutions that balance delivery, stability, and cost efficiency.

Primary Objectives:

• Lead architecture modernization and long-term technical direction for large-scale backend systems
• Drive engineering excellence across design, quality, reliability, performance, and observability
• Mentor and elevate engineers and technical leads across the organization
• Partner with product, engineering, and platform teams to define pragmatic architecture roadmaps.
• Improve system scalability, resilience, and cost efficiency through strong technical judgment
• Champion modern engineering practices, including responsible AI-assisted development and platform standards

Qualifications - To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Detailed Job Duties: (typical monthly, weekly, daily tasks which support the primary objectives)

• Lead architecture modernization and long-term technical direction for large-scale backend systems
  
  • Lead the architectural evolution of large Java-based systems, including decomposition of monolithic applications into well-designed services.
  • Identify the right domains and priorities for modernization, balancing business impact with technical risk.
  • Partner with product, engineering, and platform teams to define pragmatic architecture roadmaps.
  • Act as a technical evangelist for long-term platform vision, architecture standards, and modern development practices.
• Drive engineering excellence across design, quality, reliability, performance, and observability
  
  • Establish engineering best practices across design, coding, testing, performance, reliability, and observability.
  • Improve system performance, resilience, and cost efficiency through thoughtful design and operational discipline.
• Mentor and elevate engineers and technical leads across the organization
  
  • Mentor engineers and tech leads, helping elevate technical depth and execution quality across the organization.
• Partner cross-functionally to prioritize modernization efforts and define pragmatic architecture roadmaps
  
  • Identify the right domains and priorities for modernization, balancing business impact with technical risk.
  • Partner with product, engineering, and platform teams to define pragmatic architecture roadmaps.
• Improve system scalability, resilience, and cost efficiency through strong technical judgment
  
  • Improve system performance, resilience, and cost efficiency through thoughtful design and operational discipline.
  • Lead the architectural evolution of large Java-based systems, including decomposition of monolithic applications into well-designed services.
• Champion modern engineering practices, including responsible AI-assisted development and platform standards
  
  • Leverage AI-assisted development where it meaningfully improves velocity and quality, while maintaining strong engineering judgment.
  • Act as a technical evangelist for long-term platform vision, architecture standards, and modern development practices.
  • Establish engineering best practices across design, coding, testing, performance, reliability, and observability.

MUST Haves: (ex: required skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Eight or more (8+) years of software engineering experience, including strong ownership of backend and distributed systems.
• Strong experience building and evolving large-scale Java systems in production
• Proven track record breaking down monoliths into modular services or macroservices
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, APIs, data boundaries, event-driven patterns, and service reliability
• Experience improving performance, scalability, observability, and operational resilience
• Ability to set technical direction and influence teams without direct authority
• Passion for mentoring engineers and raising the engineering bar across the org
• Practical understanding of where AI tools can improve software development workflows
• Strong judgment - knows when to modernize, when to simplify, and how to prioritize what matters most

Nice to Haves

• Experience with Spring / Spring Boot, AWS, Kafka, MySQL, CI/CD, and modern observability tooling
• Experience in high-scale consumer, adtech, martech, fintech, or SaaS environments
• Exposure to modernization of legacy platforms in fast-moving product organizations

Pay Transparency:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $180,000to $230,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include, but are not limited to; the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, the type and length of knowledge and skills for the position, education, training, etc. Prodege is a multi-state employer and final compensation within this range could be impacted by work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.

Prodege Benefits:

Prodege offers a comprehensive benefits package to US Full-time employees including medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD and basic life insurance. Employees receive flexible PTO, as well as paid sick leave prorated based on hire date. US Employees have eight paid holidays throughout the calendar year.