Lead Engineer, Internal Developer Platform

American Family Insurance
Denver, United States of America
4 days ago

Role details

Contract type
Temporary contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Working hours
Regular working hours
Languages
English
Experience level
Senior
Compensation
$ 52K

Job location

Denver, United States of America

Tech stack

Java
JavaScript
API
Agile Methodologies
Artificial Intelligence
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Proxy Servers
Application Integration Architecture
Application Release Automation
Bash
Computer Programming
Databases
Continuous Integration
Linux
DevOps
Programming Tools
Web Development
Distributed Systems
DNS
Github
Identity and Access Management
Python
Key Management
Networking Basics
Routing
Octopus Deploy
Open Source Technology
Systems Development Life Cycle
Reliability Engineering
Cloud Services
Service Discovery
Software Engineering
Systems Integration
TypeScript
Management of Software Versions
Datadog
Data Logging
Load Balancing
Cloud Platform System
Firewalls (Computer Science)
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
GIT
Cloudformation
Containerization
Gitlab-ci
Kubernetes
Deployment Automation
Enterprise Integration
Bitbucket
GraphQL
Api Design
Terraform
Software Version Control
Dynatrace
Devsecops
Docker
Jenkins
Vulnerability Analysis
Artifactory
Go

Job description

  • To ensure a strong start, all employees participate in our New Employee Orientation during their first week. This experience is held in person at our Madison, WI Headquarters or one of our AmFam core locations to help you connect with our mission, meet key team members and build relationships that support your growth. At times, sessions may be delivered virtually based on scheduling and availability.
  • Offer to selected candidate will be made contingent on the results of applicable background checks
  • Offer to selected candidate is contingent on signing a non-disclosure agreement for proprietary information, trade secrets, and inventions
  • Sponsorship will not be considered for this position unless specified in the posting, Handle inbound customer inquiries via phone, chat, and email (40+ calls/day). Monitor and review vehicle listings for safety and title compliance. Serve as account manager for active transactions, assist with buyer payments and documentation, and process temporary registrations across states. Use CRM and G Suite tools to manage cases and communication. Top Skills: CRMGoogle SuiteGoogle CalendarGoogle DocsGoogle DriveGoogle MeetGoogle SheetsmacOS, Caterpillar

Requirements

  • Proven experience in designing, implementing, and managing an internal developer portal, preferably with Backstage.io.
  • A strong desire to improve the developer experience by creating self-service tools and streamlining workflows.
  • Expertise in developing custom Backstage plugins and customizing the platform using TypeScript, Node.js, and React to meet the unique needs of our developers.
  • Experience configuring and managing the Backstage Software Catalog to provide a unified view of services, documentation, and tooling.
  • Ability to create and maintain software templates using Backstage's Scaffolder to standardize project creation and enforce best practices.

Cloud and Infrastructure Management:

  • Extensive experience with at least one major cloud provider (AWS, GCP) and familiarity with the other. This includes expertise in core services like VPC, IAM, S3, and managed Kubernetes (EKS, GKE).
  • Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles and hands-on experience with tools like Terraform to automate the provisioning and management of cloud resources.
  • Experience with Crossplane.io to manage cloud services and infrastructure through a unified, Kubernetes-native API. This includes creating and managing composite resources to abstract away the complexity of the underlying infrastructure.
  • Strong understanding of containerization technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes, and their ecosystems.

CI/CD & DevOps Mindset:

  • Solid experience with CI/CD principles and proficiency in building and maintaining pipelines using GitLab CI/CD.
  • Experience integrating various tools into CI/CD pipelines to automate builds, testing, and deployments.
  • Proficiency in managing software artifacts and dependencies using JFrog Artifactory. This includes creating and managing repositories and integrating Artifactory with our CI/CD pipelines.
  • A strong scripting and automation skill set using languages like Python, Go, or Bash., * A solid understanding of SRE principles, including Service Level Objectives (SLOs), error budgets, and a focus on reliability, scalability, and performance.
  • Hands-on experience with Datadog for full-stack observability, including setting up monitors, creating dashboards, and using APM for distributed tracing.
  • A proactive approach to identifying and resolving platform issues before they impact developers.
  • Experience in troubleshooting complex, distributed systems and a methodical approach to problem-solving.

Software Development Fundamentals:

  • Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, TypeScript, and JavaScript.

  • Experience with web development fundamentals and API design (REST, GraphQL).

  • A solid understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) best practices, including version control with Git.

  • Demonstrated knowledge of modern SDLC practices and operating models (e.g., Agile, product-based teams, platform-as-a-product).

  • Demonstrated experience delivering and operating cloud platforms in both AWS and GCP, including core services for compute, storage, networking, IAM, and managed Kubernetes.

  • Demonstrated experience designing, building, and operating Kubernetes platforms and tooling (e.g., cluster lifecycle, upgrades, workload onboarding patterns, ingress, service discovery, secrets/config management).

  • Demonstrated experience with Infrastructure as Code and reusable module patterns across cloud providers (e.g., Terraform; CloudFormation as needed), including pipeline integration, versioning, and promotion strategies.

  • Demonstrated experience with CI/CD tooling and practices (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Bitbucket pipelines), including build/test/release automation, artifact management, and environment deployment strategies.

  • Demonstrated experience with GitOps and deployment automation patterns (e.g., Argo CD/Flux where applicable) for Kubernetes and cloud workloads.

  • Demonstrated experience with observability and operational practices (monitoring/alerting, centralized logging, tracing, dashboards, on-call readiness, incident response, runbooks).

  • Demonstrated experience applying SRE/operational metrics and reliability practices (SLIs/SLOs, error budgets, capacity/performance considerations).

  • Demonstrated systems and network fundamentals for cloud environments (VPC/VNet design, DNS, routing, load balancing, proxies/firewalls, certificate/TLS basics).

  • Demonstrated programming/scripting capability in one or more of: Python, Go, Java, Shell/Bash; strong Linux fundamentals.

  • Demonstrated experience integrating services and tools through APIs and secure communication patterns across applications, databases, and platforms.

  • Demonstrated knowledge of DevSecOps practices (secrets management, vulnerability scanning, least privilege, supply-chain controls such as signing/SBOM where applicable, and automated policy enforcement)., * Previous experience in a dedicated Platform Engineering or Developer Experience (DevX) team.

  • Contributions to open-source projects, especially Backstage or other developer tools.

  • Familiarity with securing CI/CD pipelines and implementing secure coding practices.

  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders.

    • A product-oriented mindset, treating the internal developer platform as a product with developers as your customers.

Benefits & conditions

Design, build, and operate an internal developer platform across AWS and GCP. Lead Backstage developer portal development, Kubernetes and IaC foundations (Terraform, Crossplane), CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI/CD), artifact management (JFrog), and observability (Datadog). Drive automation, GitOps, SRE practices, DevSecOps, troubleshooting, and developer experience improvements while collaborating with engineering teams. The summary above was generated by AI This role is responsible for designing, building, and operating cloud platform and DevOps capabilities across AWS and GCP. The engineer will enable reliable, secure, and scalable delivery by developing Kubernetes and Infrastructure-as-Code foundations, building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines, and driving automation, observability, and operational best practices across engineering teams.

Position Compensation Range: $131,000.00 - $220,000.00

Pay Rate Type: Salary

Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographic work location. Relocation support is offered for eligible candidates.

This role has been not approved for sponsorship now or in the future. This also includes current Candidates that have an approved F1 / OPT/ STEM qualification., We provide benefits that support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. You will have access to comprehensive medical, dental, vision and wellbeing benefits that enable you to take care of your health. We also offer a competitive 401(k) contribution, a pension plan, an annual incentive, 9 paid holidays and a paid time off program (23 days accrued annually for full-time employees). In addition, our student loan repayment program and paid-family leave are available to support our employees and their families. Interns and contingent workers are not eligible for American Family Insurance Group benefits.

We are an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws pertaining to non-discrimination, non-harassment and equal opportunity. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law., Remote or Hybrid United States 130K-150K Annually Senior level 130K-150K Annually Senior level Consumer Web * eCommerce * Internet of Things Own and produce developer-facing documentation for DNSid including API references (TypeScript, Python, Go), conceptual guides, integration tutorials, developer portal IA, standards/spec writing, changelogs, and CI-validated code samples. Work closely with SDK engineers and developer advocates to document features pre-release, set style and tooling, and ensure docs are machine- and AI-consumable. Top Skills: A2ACiCrewaiDnsDocusaurusGitGoLangchainLlamaindexLlms.TxtMcpMicrosoft Agent FrameworkMintlifyOauth 2.0OidcOpenai Agents SdkPythonReadthedocsSpiffeSpireTxt RecordsTypescript

What you need to know about the Colorado Tech Scene

With a business-friendly climate and research universities like CU Boulder and Colorado State, Colorado has made a name for itself as a startup ecosystem. The state boasts a skilled workforce and high quality of life thanks to its affordable housing, vibrant cultural scene and unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation. Colorado is also home to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, helping cement its status as a hub for renewable energy innovation.

Key Facts About Colorado Tech

  • Number of Tech Workers: 260,000; 8.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
  • Major Tech Employers: Lockheed Martin, Century Link, Comcast, BAE Systems, Level 3
  • Key Industries: Software, artificial intelligence, aerospace, e-commerce, fintech, healthtech
  • Funding Landscape: $4.9 billion in VC funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
  • Notable Investors: Access Venture Partners, Ridgeline Ventures, Techstars, Blackhorn Ventures
  • Research Centers and Universities: Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, Colorado State University, Mesa Laboratory, Space Science Institute, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Gottlieb Institute

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