Job Posting End Date
06-06-2026
Please note the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date.
Job Summary
This role is responsible for engineering and operating the enterprise Kafka platform, which is a strategic, on‑prem data movement backbone. The focus is on platform stability, scalability, data safety, and enablement of producer/consumer teams.
Job Description
Role Overview
We are seeking hands-on software engineers to design, build, and deliver domain microservices on our middleware platform. This dual-responsibility role combines deep technical execution with leadership of third-party development teams. You will architect features, write production code, conduct code reviews, and guide offshore/contractor teams to ensure high-quality delivery. The ideal candidate thrives in a player-coach model: rolling up sleeves to solve complex technical problems while mentoring and directing 3PL teams.
What You'll Do:
Essential Job Functions & Tasks
Design and implement microservices using Spring Boot 3.X+ and Java 21+ on the core middleware framework.
Build REST APIs following OpenAPI 3.0 standards with proper versioning, error handling, and documentation.
Develop integration workflows with z/OS Connect (MACSS), GigaWatt REST APIs, and Kafka event streams.
Implement Hybrid CIS routing logic leveraging the Redis-backed routing engine for account/capability-level decisions.
Write clean, maintainable, testable code with comprehensive unit and integration tests achieving >80% code coverage.
Leverage framework capabilities: OAuth2 security, circuit breakers, structured logging, distributed tracing, secrets management.
Optimize service performance, handle edge cases, and ensure graceful degradation under failure scenarios.
Participate in on-call rotation and respond to production incidents.
Lead and mentor offshore/contractor developers (3-6 engineers) delivering features and user stories.
Conduct architecture and design reviews for work assigned to 3PL teams.
Perform thorough code reviews ensuring adherence to standards, best practices, and framework patterns.
Break down complex features into well-defined technical tasks with clear acceptance criteria.
Provide technical guidance on integration patterns, data modeling, error handling, and testing strategies.
Identify knowledge gaps and provide training on framework capabilities, domain context, and coding standards.
Monitor 3PL team velocity, code quality, and escalate blockers or quality concerns.
Ensure 3PL deliverables meet production readiness criteria before merge.
Implement monitoring, logging, and alerting for features you deliver.
Ensure services meet SLOs for latency, availability, and error rates.
Follow secure coding practices: input validation, secrets handling, PII protection, OAuth2 flows.
Partner with the Lead Software Engineer on service architecture and technical decisions.
Collaborate with product owners and business analysts to refine requirements and clarify acceptance criteria.
Work with QA engineers to define test plans and reproduce/fix defects.
Coordinate with the core framework team to leverage new capabilities or report issues.
Represent the team in technical design discussions and cross-service integration planning.
Contribute to team knowledge base, runbooks, and technical documentation.
Required Skills & Experience
5+ years professional software development experience with Java/Spring Boot or similar enterprise frameworks.
Proven hands-on experience building REST APIs and microservices in production environments.
Strong coding skills with ability to write clean, performant, maintainable code.
Experience leading or mentoring offshore/contractor teams in a player-coach capacity.
Deep understanding of REST API design, JSON, OpenAPI specifications, and API versioning.
Proficiency with Spring Boot ecosystem: Spring Security, Spring Data, Spring Cloud.
Experience with distributed systems concepts: circuit breakers, retries, caching, eventual consistency.
Hands-on experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, and Kubernetes deployments.
Strong code review skills with ability to provide actionable, constructive feedback.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for guiding distributed teams across time zones.
Nice to Have:
Experience integrating with mainframe systems (z/OS, CICS, MQ) or legacy enterprise platforms.
Familiarity with CIS platforms (MACSS, GigaWatt) or utility industry domain knowledge.
Background with Kafka event-driven architecture, CDC patterns, or event sourcing.
Experience with Redis caching, Oracle databases, and SQL query optimization.
Knowledge of OAuth2/OIDC, API gateways (Azure APIM), and API security best practices.
Familiarity with observability tools: Splunk, Dynatrace, Prometheus, Grafana, Jaeger.
Experience with Resilience4j or similar fault tolerance libraries.
Previous experience leading offshore development teams in India, Latin America, or Eastern Europe.
Background working in Agile/Scrum environments with distributed teams.
Desired Certified Credentials
Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE Programmer
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
Spring Professional Certification
Technical Environment
Languages/Frameworks: Java 21+, Spring Boot 3.X, Gradle
Architecture: Microservices, REST APIs, event-driven patterns
Cloud/Infrastructure: Azure, Kubernetes, OpenShift, Helm
Integration: z/OS Connect, GigaWatt REST APIs, Kafka, Oracle GoldenGate CDC, SFTP
Data Stores: Oracle, Redis, Kafka
Observability: Splunk, Dynatrace, Prometheus, Grafana, Jaeger
Security: OAuth2, Azure Key Vault, Azure APIM
DevOps: GitLab/Jenkins, Docker, Helm charts, blue/green deployments
What We're Looking For:
Education requirements are listed below:
Work Experience requirement listed below:
What You'll Get:
Base Salary from $116,255.00 - $151,132.50/year. In addition to a competitive compensation, AEP offers a unique comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees.
At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company — we’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you!
Compensation Data
Compensation Grade:
SP20-009
Compensation Range:
$116,255.00 - $151,132.50
The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S – Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Hear about it first! Get job alerts by email. Log in to your Candidate Home Account today! If you don't have an account, you can create one.
It is hereby reaffirmed that it is the policy of American Electric Power (AEP) to provide Equal Employment Opportunity in all respects of the employer-employee relationship including recruiting, hiring, upgrading and promotion, conditions and privileges of employment, company sponsored training programs, educational assistance, social and recreational programs, compensation, benefits, transfers, discipline, layoffs and termination of employment to all employees and applicants without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, veteran or military status, disability, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. When required by law, we might record certain information or applicants for employment may be invited to voluntarily disclose protected characteristics.
