Lead Software Engineer II

Description and Requirements
Role Value Proposition:
We are hiring a Full Stack Engineer with strong backend architecture skills, frontend proficiency, and deep experience in cloud-based development. This role involves building scalable systems with a focus on CI/CD, containerization, security, and real-time integrations. You'll work on microservices, authentication/authorization, and network-aware design, while also contributing to UI design and frontend architecture. You'll contribute to the full software development lifecycle with a key focus on integrating AI and Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities into our products.
Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain full stack applications using React, .NET, Node.js, Spring Boot, and Express.js.
• Architect and implement microservices with clean separation of concerns and scalability.
• Design and optimize complex database schemas, including Redis caching, SQL/NoSQL, and data modeling.
• Develop real-time features using WebSockets, SignalR, or Kafka.
• Implement secure authentication and authorization using OAuth2, JWT, and Azure Active Directory (AAD).
• Apply network security best practices including HTTPS, CORS, CSRF, rate limiting, firewall rules, and private endpoints.
• Manage CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins.
• Build and deploy Docker containers and manage infrastructure using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) or Azure App Services.
• Work with Azure Blob Storage, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, and other Azure-native data services.
• Collaborate on UI/UX design, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and responsiveness across platforms.
• Maintain frontend codebases with strong repo management, component reuse, and design system integration.
• Integrate third-party APIs and services with secure and efficient patterns.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on system design, performance tuning, and feature planning.

Required Skills & Experience

• 5+ years of professional experience in full stack development.
• Strong backend development in .NET, Node.js, Spring Boot, and Express.js.
• Proficiency in React.js and modern frontend tooling.
• Experience with UI/UX design principles, responsive layouts, and component libraries (e.g., Material UI, Ant Design).
• Experience with microservice architecture, RESTful APIs, and event-driven systems.
• Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system design.
• Experience with Redis, SQL, and NoSQL databases.
• Familiarity with the core concepts of AI development to integrate with AI workflows using Python libraries like FastAPI, LangChain, and LangGraph.
• Real-time communication using WebSockets, gRPC, or Kafka.
• CI/CD experience with GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, or Jenkins.
• Hands-on experience with Azure cloud services including Azure Active Directory (AAD), Azure Blob Storage, Azure SQL Database, Cosmos DB, Azure App Services, and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
• Strong repo management practices using Git (monorepo/multirepo strategies).
• Understanding of networking fundamentals (DNS, load balancing, firewalls, VPNs).

Additional Tech Stack Exposure (Preferred)

• TypeScript, Next.js, Tailwind CSS
• GraphQL, Apollo Client/Server
• Docker, Kubernetes, Helm
• Terraform, Pulumi (Infrastructure as Code)
• ElasticSearch, RabbitMQ, Kafka
• gRPC, OpenAPI/Swagger

Nice to Have

• Japanese language proficiency is a strong advantage.
• Experience working in agile teams and cross-cultural environments.

About MetLife
Recognized on Fortune magazine's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies" and Fortune World's 25 Best Workplaces™, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world's leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Our purpose is simple - to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values - Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead - we're inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it's #AllTogetherPossible . Join us!
#BI-Hybrid