VP , Software Engineering Manager

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About the Role

LPL Financial is seeking an experienced and visionary VP, Software Engineering Manager to lead the strategic direction, engineering execution, and operational excellence of the firm's API Management ecosystem. This leader will own the enterprise Kong platform and drive large-scale API modernization and migration initiatives across the organization. The ideal candidate will provide leadership for platform engineering teams responsible for API gateway services, developer enablement, API governance, security, observability, reliability, and cloud-native modernization. This role partners closely with Architecture, Product, Infrastructure, Security, and Application Development organizations to accelerate adoption of modern API standards and platforms while ensuring scalability, security, and operational stability.

Responsibilities

• Platform Leadership
  • Own the enterprise Kong API Gateway platform strategy, roadmap, adoption, and operational excellence.
  • Lead engineering teams responsible for Kong Gateway, API management, developer portals, service mesh, API security, and supporting platform services.
  • Ensure platform scalability, reliability, resiliency, and compliance with enterprise standards.
  • Establish platform SLOs, performance metrics, and operational governance.
• API Modernization & Migration
  • Lead enterprise-wide migration efforts from legacy middleware and API gateway technologies to Kong.
  • Develop modernization strategies for APIs, services, and integrations supporting business-critical platforms.
  • Drive standardization of API design, development, governance, and lifecycle management practices.
  • Establish reusable frameworks, tools, and automation capabilities to accelerate API onboarding and migration activities.
• Engineering Excellence
  • Build and lead high-performing teams of engineering managers, software engineers, platform engineers, and architects.
  • Drive adoption of DevSecOps, CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and Site Reliability Engineering principles.
  • Promote engineering best practices, automation, continuous improvement, and operational maturity.
  • Champion developer productivity and platform self-service capabilities.
• Architecture & Technology Strategy
  • Partner with Enterprise Architecture to define API management standards, integration patterns, and modernization roadmaps.
  • Influence strategic technology decisions related to cloud adoption, microservices, service mesh, event-driven architecture, and distributed systems.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend investments that enable long-term business capabilities.
• Security, Risk & Compliance
  • Ensure API platform alignment with cybersecurity, governance, and regulatory requirements.
  • Collaborate with Security teams to implement authentication, authorization, encryption, threat protection, and API security best practices.
  • Drive compliance with internal controls, audit requirements, and financial services regulations.
• Stakeholder Management
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to senior technology and business leaders.
  • Provide executive-level reporting on platform health, migration progress, risks, and operational metrics.
  • Collaborate across multiple technology organizations to prioritize platform investments and modernization initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field.
• 10+ years of technology leadership experience, including leading large engineering or platform organizations.
• 5+ years of experience managing API Management or Integration Platforms at enterprise scale.
• 3+ years experience with Kong Gateway, Kong Enterprise, API Gateway technologies, or similar platforms such as Apigee, AWS API Gateway, Azure API Management.
• 5+ years experience leading large-scale modernization and migration programs.

Preferences

• Deep expertise in AI technologies, EKS, Kafka, and ELK.
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native architectures and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience managing managers and leading geographically distributed teams.
• Versatile with Agile methodology.
• Demonstrated success influencing senior executives and driving enterprise transformation initiatives.

Pay

Pay Range: $167,993.00 - $279,954.00. Actual base salary varies based on factors including relevant skill, prior experience, education, base salary of internal peers, demonstrated performance, and geographic location.

Benefits

LPL offers a highly competitive Total Rewards package designed to support success at work, at home, and at play. Benefits include 401K matching, health benefits, employee stock options, paid time off, and volunteer time off.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest-growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports over 32,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,100 financial institutions. The firm services and custodies approximately $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 8 million Americans. LPL provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools, and practice management services, ensuring advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses.

At LPL, independence means advisors and institution leaders have the freedom to choose the business model, services, and technology resources that allow them to run a thriving business. They have the flexibility to do business their way and manage their client relationships, knowing their clients best.