Engineering Lead – Backend Architecture (Java, Distributed Systems & Security)

We are the team that created OpenVPN, the industry-standard VPN protocol now used by most commercial VPN providers worldwide. We are looking for a hands-on Team Lead to drive the development of critical security-related cloud services used daily by millions of people around the world.

This role is ideal for a technically strong leader who enjoys shaping distributed systems at scale, enabling engineers to do their best work, and applying modern AI-assisted development practices to improve team productivity and quality.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of 7–10 backend engineers, with clear ownership of delivery, quality, and sustainable execution.

• Drive practical, team-wide adoption of AI-assisted software development, integrating AI tools into everyday workflows such as design, implementation, testing, code review, and incident analysis.

• Own and continuously evolve the architecture of large-scale, security-critical cloud services consisting of 70+ Java-based microservices.

• Act as the primary architectural decision-maker for the team, balancing long-term maintainability, security, and scalability with delivery needs.

• Define and maintain engineering standards and best practices, including clear guidance on effective and responsible use of AI tools.

• Support engineers through coaching, regular feedback, and mentorship, fostering a collaborative, psychologically safe, and high-performing team environment.

• Guide the design and development of web-based management APIs using JSON and REST.

• Collaborate closely with other teams and stakeholders on system design, integration, and deployment.

• Remain hands-on when needed, focusing on architectural validation, complex problem-solving, and high-impact code reviews rather than day-to-day feature delivery.

• Promote high standards in security, reliability, performance, and operational readiness across all owned systems.