Project Lead-Java Backend Engineering

Role & responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

The Project/ Chapter Lead Backend development is a hands-on developer role focusing on back-end

development and is accountable for people management and capability development of their

Chapter members. Responsibilities in detail are: 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversees the execution of functional standards and best practices and provide technical

assistance to the members of their Chapter.

• Responsible for the quality of the code repository where applicable.

• Maintain exemplary coding standards within the team, contributing to code base

development and code repository management.

• Perform code reviews to guarantee quality and promote a culture of technical excellence in

Java development.

• Function as a technical leader and active coder, setting and enforcing domain-specific best

practices and technology standards.

• Allocate technical resources and personal coding time effectively, balancing leadership with

hands-on development tasks.

• Maintain a dual focus on leadership and hands-on development, committing code while

steering the chapter's technical direction.

• Oversee Java backend development standards within the chapter across squads, ensuring

uniform excellence and adherence to best coding practices.

• Harmonize Java development methodologies across the squad, guiding the integration of

innovative practices that align with the banks engineering strategies.

• Advocate for the adoption of cutting-edge Java technologies and frameworks, driving the

evolution of backend practices to meet future challenges.

Strategy

• Oversees the execution of functional standards and best practices and provide technical

assistance to the members of their Chapter. 

• Responsible for the quality of the code repository where applicable. 

• Acts as a conduit for the wider domain strategy, for example technical standards. 

• Prioritises and makes available capacity for technical debt. 

• This role is around capability building, it is not to own applications ordelivery. 

• Actively shapes and drives towards the Bank-Wide engineering strategy and programmes to

uplift standards and steer the technological direction towards excellence

• Act as a custodian for Java backend expertise, providing strategic leadership to enhance skill

sets and ensure the delivery of high-performance banking solutions.

Business 

• Experienced practitioner and hands on contribution to the squad delivery for their craft (Eg.

Engineering).

• Responsible for balancing skills and capabilities across teams (squads) and hives in

partnership with the Chief Product Owner & Hive Leadership, and in alignment with the fixed

capacity model.

• Responsible to evolve the craft towards improving automation, simplification and innovative

use of latest market trends.

• Collaborate with product owners and other tech leads to ensure applications meet functional

requirements and strategic objectives

Processes

• Promote a feedback-rich environment, utilizing internal and external insights to continuously

improve chapter operations.

PU

BLI

C

• Adopt and embed the Change Delivery Standards throughout the lifecycle of the product /

service. 

• Ensure role, job descriptions and expectations are clearly set and periodic feedback provided

to the entire team. 

• Follows the chapter operating model to ensure a system exists to continue to build capability

and performance of the chapter. 

• Chapter Lead may vary based upon the specific chapter domain its leading. 

People & Talent

• Accountable for people management and capability development of their Chapter members. 

• Reviews metrics on capabilities and performance across their area, has improvement

backlog for their Chapters and drives continual improvement of their chapter. 

• Focuses on the development of people and capabilities as the highest priority. 

Risk Management

• Responsible for effective capacity risk management across the Chapter with regards to

attrition and leave plans. 

• Ensures the chapter follows the standards with respect to risk management as applicable to

their chapter domain. 

• Adheres to common practices to mitigate risk in their respective domain. 

• Design and uphold a robust risk management plan, with contingencies for succession and

role continuity, especially in critical positions.

Governance

• Ensure all artefacts and assurance deliverables are as per the required standards and

policies (e.g., SCB Governance Standards, ESDLC etc.). 

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• Ensure a comprehensive understanding of and adherence to local banking laws, anti-money

laundering regulations, and other compliance mandates.

• Conduct business activities with a commitment to legal and regulatory compliance, fostering

an environment of trust and respect.

Key Stakeholders

• Chapter Area Lead

• Sub-domain Tech Lead

• Domain Architect

• Business Leads / Product owners

Other Responsibilities

• Champion the company's broader mission and values, integrating them into daily operations

and team ethos.

• Undertake additional responsibilities as necessary, ensuring they contribute to the

organisation's strategic aims and adhere to Group and other Relevant policies.

Qualification

Requirements & Skills

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field,

with preference given to advanced degrees.

• 10 years of professional Java development experience, including a proven record in backend

system architecture and API design.

• At least 5 years in a leadership role managing diverse development teams and spearheading

complex Java projects.

• Proficiency in a range of Java frameworks such as Spring, Spring Boot, and Hibernate, and

an understanding of Apache Struts.

• Proficient in Java, with solid expertise in core concepts like object-oriented programming,

data structures, and complex algorithms.

• Knowledgeable in web technologies, able to work with HTTP, RESTful APIs, JSON, and

XML

• Expert knowledge of relational databases such as Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and

experience with NoSQL databases like MongoDB, Cassandra is a plus

• Familiarity with DevOps tools and practices, including CI/CD pipeline deployment,

containerisation technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, and cloud platforms such as

AWS, Azure, or GCP.

• Solid grasp of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) for seamless integration with

backend systems.

• Strong version control skills using tools like Git / Bitbucket with a commitment to maintaining

high standards of code quality through reviews and automated tests.

• Exceptional communication and team-building skills, with the capacity to mentor developers,

facilitate technical skill growth, and align team efforts with strategic objectives.

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail. 

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills. 

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. 

Role Specific Technical Competencies

• Hands-on Java Development

• Leadership in System Architecture

• Database Proficiency

• CI / CD

• Container Platforms Kubernetes / OCP / Podman

Preferred candidate profile

Work location will be Chennai only, however anyone outside Chennai who is willing to relocate can apply.