Job Description
We are At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron’s progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Artificial Intelligence, Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, and Software Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. With top clients to boast about, Synechron has a global workforce of 16,850+, and has 60 offices in 20 countries within key global markets. Our challenge We are looking for a highly experienced Java Application Architect III to lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of our enterprise-scale API gateway platform. This role is ideal for a technically deep engineer with extensive hands-on experience in API and gateway solutions, combined with strong architectural influence, standards enforcement, and best practice guidance across multiple teams. Additional Information* The base salary for this position will vary based on geography and other factors. In accordance with law, the base salary for this role if filled within Chandler, AZ is $125k - $150k/year & benefits (see below). The Role Responsibilities: Define an architectural vision and solution architecture that aligns with business strategy, enterprise architecture principles, and technology platform choices. Articulate the solution intent and operating environment, identify primary systems/subsystems and their interfaces, and define non-functional requirements. Ensure solutions are fit for purpose by collaborating with stakeholders and vendors, while assessing the impact of strategic design decisions. Define and enforce API design standards, including RESTful principles, versioning, error handling, and backward compatibility. Lead the architecture and implementation of scalable, secure, and observable API gateway solutions supporting high-throughput, business-critical services. Lead a team of 25+ people in the project. Drive the evolution of API management practices, including onboarding governance, lifecycle management, deprecation, and retirement strategies. Implement and optimize gateway functionalities such as routing, transformation, traffic management, authentication, and policy enforcement. Develop automation scripts and operational workflows using Python to improve platform reliability and efficiency. Design and implement automated API testing frameworks covering functional, integration, regression, and performance validation. Ensure comprehensive observability through metrics, logs, traces, alerting, and SLO-driven monitoring. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including application developers, security, and operations to align architecture with organizational standards. Mentor engineering teams, influence technical decisions, and shape platform-level improvements and best practices. Integrate API gateways with enterprise identity providers and security platforms, ensuring compliance and security. Requirements: Architecting for high throughput, low latency, zero downtime and zero data loss using a microservices architecture Solid software or platform engineering experience. Hands-on experience designing, building, and operating API platforms or gateway solutions in production environments. Deep expertise in API design: RESTful APIs, versioning, backward compatibility, and error-handling patterns. Strong experience with security protocols such as OAuth2, OpenID Connect, JWT, mTLS, and API key management. Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in high-throughput, distributed systems. Advanced proficiency in Java, with experience in API, gateway, or service-oriented architectures. Strong Python skills for automation, tooling, and operational workflows. Extensive experience with designing and implementing automated API testing (functional, integration, regression, performance). Expertise in observability and telemetry, including metrics, logs, traces, alerting, and SLO-driven monitoring. Hands-on experience with Git, code reviews, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code practices. Desired Qualifications:<