API Developer Lead

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced API Developer Lead to lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of secure, scalable, and high-performing APIs for telecommunications platforms and enterprise applications.

The ideal candidate combines strong hands-on software development skills with technical leadership experience, particularly in RESTful APIs, microservices, backend development, and enterprise system integration. Experience in the telecommunications industry is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the hands-on development, design, testing, deployment, and maintenance of APIs and backend services.

• Develop and maintain RESTful APIs and microservices using technologies such as Java, Spring Boot, Node.js, or other relevant backend frameworks.

• Provide technical direction, conduct code reviews, and establish coding standards and development best practices.

• Guide and mentor API developers, ensuring high-quality and maintainable code.

• Integrate APIs with internal systems, third-party applications, and enterprise platforms.

• Implement API security, authentication, authorization, and data protection mechanisms.

• Optimize API performance, scalability, availability, and reliability.

• Troubleshoot complex technical issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.

• Collaborate with solution architects, business analysts, QA engineers, DevOps teams, and other stakeholders to deliver API solutions.

• Support API gateway configuration, API lifecycle management, versioning, and documentation.

• Participate in technical planning, effort estimation, sprint planning, and delivery tracking.

• Ensure compliance with enterprise architecture, security, and development standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.

• At least 5 years of experience in software development, API development, or backend engineering, with demonstrated technical leadership experience.

• Telecommunications industry experience is highly preferred.

• Strong hands-on experience developing and maintaining RESTful APIs and microservices.

• Proficiency in backend programming languages and frameworks such as Java with Spring Boot, Node.js, or Python.

• Experience with API management platforms such as Apigee, MuleSoft, Kong, IBM API Connect, or WSO2.

• Knowledge of API security protocols, including OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, JWT, and role-based access control.

• Experience with SQL and/or NoSQL databases, API testing, debugging, and performance optimization.

• Familiarity with Git, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and Agile development practices.

• Experience with message brokers or event-driven integration tools such as Kafka or RabbitMQ is an advantage.

• Strong technical leadership, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Experience

• Developing APIs for telecommunications platforms, including BSS/OSS, billing, CRM, subscriber management, provisioning, or digital channels.

• Leading a team of API developers in an enterprise or high-volume production environment.

• Working with API gateways, middleware, and enterprise integration solutions.

• Experience with cloud platforms, Docker, and Kubernetes.