Apex Systems
Software Engineer, Back End
Kestra Financial is seeking a passionate and skilled Software Engineer, Back End (P2 level) to join our dynamic Advisor Platform Engineering team in Southwest Austin, TX. This role is ideal for a mid-level engineer who thrives in an Agile environment and is enthusiastic about building scalable, maintainable, cloud-native back-end services. Youll work with cutting-edge Azure technologies (including App Service, Functions, Container Apps, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, and Service Bus), contribute significantly to our API ecosystem, and play a key role in modernizing our financial technology platform. As a P2 Software Engineer at Kestra, youll have the opportunity to design and implement robust RESTful APIs, optimize database performance, and leverage advanced asynchronous messaging patterns. You will tackle features of moderate complexity, always considering scalability, maintainability, and cost in your designs. You'll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including QA, DevOps, front-end engineers, and product managers to deliver high-quality solutions that empower our financial advisors. Working primarily on-site Monday through Thursday at our Encino Trace campus in Southwest Austin (with optional remote Fridays), youll be part of a team that embodies Kestras core values: "Make it Happen," "One Team," and "Serve" principles that guide everything we do. Essential Duties And Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, this individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily: Design, code, test, and deploy scalable, robust back-end services and RESTful APIs using C# and .NET (primarily .NET 8+, with occasional work on legacy .NET Framework 4.x systems). Develop and maintain C# applications, ensuring proper API versioning, status codes, and comprehensive documentation. Create normalized database schemas for SQL Server, write efficient T-SQL queries and stored procedures, optimize indexes, and analyze query plans for performance. Implement and manage asynchronous messaging patterns using Azure Service Bus queues and topics. Build and maintain applications leveraging Azure Cosmos DB, including JSON document storage, querying, and SDK utilization. Write comprehensive unit tests and integration tests to ensure code quality and successful CI/CD pipeline execution; champion CI/CD best practices. Actively participate in all Agile ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, and retrospectives; provide story point estimates for work. Collaborate closely with front-end, QA, DevOps, and Product partners to deliver end-to-end features and resolve issues. Conduct constructive code reviews, providing and receiving feedback to enhance code quality and maintain clean-code standards. Create technical design documents for peer review before implementing significant changes. Troubleshoot and resolve moderately complex production issues, performing root-cause analysis, analyzing stack traces, SQL execution plans, and messaging dead-letters, and contribute to post-mortems. Proactively identify technical debt and suggest refactoring opportunities or performance-tuning initiatives within assigned modules. Mentor junior developers, contribute to knowledge sharing within the team, and guide newer team members in understanding the back-end codebase. Monitor application performance and implement optimizations as needed. Uphold Kestras core valuesMake it Happen, One Team, Servein daily interactions. Knowledge, Skills, And/Or Abilities
To perform this job successfully, individuals should have the following skills and abilities: Required Skills: Proficiency in C# and the .NET framework (experience with .NET 6/7/8+ highly preferred). Strong understanding and practical experience in designing and developing RESTful APIs (routing, versioning, status codes). Solid knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server or Azure SQL, including advanced T-SQL, database design, query optimization, and performance tuning. Experience with Azure cloud services, particularly Azure Service Bus for asynchronous messaging and Azure Cosmos DB (querying, SDK basics) or comparable NoSQL/document stores. Familiarity with core Azure PaaS services relevant to back-end development (e.g., Azure App Service, Azure Functions, Azure Container Apps). Proficiency in writing unit tests and integration tests (e.g., xUnit, MSTest, or similar). Strong understanding of Git-based source control systems and workflows (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub), including pull-request code reviews. Knowledge of CI/CD pipeline concepts and implementation (YAML, GitHub Actions, or Azure Pipelines). Experience with Agile development methodologies (Scrum). Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze stack traces, debug complex issues, and perform root-cause analysis. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively within a team and with non-technical stakeholders. Understanding of software design patterns and best practices. Desired Skills: Experience with Docker containers and containerized applications. Knowledge of older .NET Framework 4.x. Familiarity with Azure monitoring tools like Azure Application Insights and Log Analytics. Experience with API Management platforms (e.g., Azure API Management). Understanding of microservices architecture patterns. Knowledge of other Azure services such as Azure Storage, Azure Data Factory (or other ETL tools), Azure Front Door, or App Gateway. Experience with legacy system modernization, particularly migrating from .NET Framework to .NET 8+. Exposure to front-end or full-stack development (e.g., React/TypeScript). Experience with legacy Team Foundation Server (TFS). Supervisory Responsibilities
No Education And/Or Experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 2-5 years of professional software development experience, primarily focused on building and supporting .NET back-end services. Demonstrated experience building and deploying .NET applications to Azure PaaS (e.g., App Services, Functions, Containers) in a professional environment. History of delivering features in an Agile/Scrum environment, including writing automated tests and participating in code reviews. Experience with financial services, platform engineering, or highly regulated industry (desired). Experience modernizing legacy systems (desired). Certifications, Licenses, Registrations
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) (desired). Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) (desired). Other relevant Microsoft Azure, .NET, or DevOps certifications (desired). Physical Demand
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to sit or stand at a computer workstation for extended periods while using a keyboard, mouse, and multiple monitors. Frequent, repetitive hand-finger motions for typing, writing, and handling small peripherals or cables. Near-vision sufficient to read electronic documents, review code, and distinguish basic on-screen colors (e.g., for UI verification). Clear spoken communication and active listening for in-person and virtual meetings, incident bridges, and phone calls. Ability to walk short distances, navigate a standard office environment, climb one flight of stairs, and stand during white-boarding or presentations. Sit-stand desks and other ergonomic furniture are available upon request. Ability to lift and move equipment or boxed materials weighing up to 20 lbs (e.g., laptops, small servers, office supplies). Hybrid roles: Primary work performed on-site at the Encino Trace campus (Southwest Austin, TX) MondayThursday; optional remote work on Fridays. Fully remote roles: Primary work performed from the employee's home office within approved locations; reliable high-speed internet and an ergonomically safe workspace are required. Participation in overnight or weekend on-call rotations and critical production releases may require work outside standard business hours
Kestra Financial is seeking a passionate and skilled Software Engineer, Back End (P2 level) to join our dynamic Advisor Platform Engineering team in Southwest Austin, TX. This role is ideal for a mid-level engineer who thrives in an Agile environment and is enthusiastic about building scalable, maintainable, cloud-native back-end services. Youll work with cutting-edge Azure technologies (including App Service, Functions, Container Apps, Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, and Service Bus), contribute significantly to our API ecosystem, and play a key role in modernizing our financial technology platform. As a P2 Software Engineer at Kestra, youll have the opportunity to design and implement robust RESTful APIs, optimize database performance, and leverage advanced asynchronous messaging patterns. You will tackle features of moderate complexity, always considering scalability, maintainability, and cost in your designs. You'll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including QA, DevOps, front-end engineers, and product managers to deliver high-quality solutions that empower our financial advisors. Working primarily on-site Monday through Thursday at our Encino Trace campus in Southwest Austin (with optional remote Fridays), youll be part of a team that embodies Kestras core values: "Make it Happen," "One Team," and "Serve" principles that guide everything we do. Essential Duties And Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, this individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily: Design, code, test, and deploy scalable, robust back-end services and RESTful APIs using C# and .NET (primarily .NET 8+, with occasional work on legacy .NET Framework 4.x systems). Develop and maintain C# applications, ensuring proper API versioning, status codes, and comprehensive documentation. Create normalized database schemas for SQL Server, write efficient T-SQL queries and stored procedures, optimize indexes, and analyze query plans for performance. Implement and manage asynchronous messaging patterns using Azure Service Bus queues and topics. Build and maintain applications leveraging Azure Cosmos DB, including JSON document storage, querying, and SDK utilization. Write comprehensive unit tests and integration tests to ensure code quality and successful CI/CD pipeline execution; champion CI/CD best practices. Actively participate in all Agile ceremonies, including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, and retrospectives; provide story point estimates for work. Collaborate closely with front-end, QA, DevOps, and Product partners to deliver end-to-end features and resolve issues. Conduct constructive code reviews, providing and receiving feedback to enhance code quality and maintain clean-code standards. Create technical design documents for peer review before implementing significant changes. Troubleshoot and resolve moderately complex production issues, performing root-cause analysis, analyzing stack traces, SQL execution plans, and messaging dead-letters, and contribute to post-mortems. Proactively identify technical debt and suggest refactoring opportunities or performance-tuning initiatives within assigned modules. Mentor junior developers, contribute to knowledge sharing within the team, and guide newer team members in understanding the back-end codebase. Monitor application performance and implement optimizations as needed. Uphold Kestras core valuesMake it Happen, One Team, Servein daily interactions. Knowledge, Skills, And/Or Abilities
To perform this job successfully, individuals should have the following skills and abilities: Required Skills: Proficiency in C# and the .NET framework (experience with .NET 6/7/8+ highly preferred). Strong understanding and practical experience in designing and developing RESTful APIs (routing, versioning, status codes). Solid knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server or Azure SQL, including advanced T-SQL, database design, query optimization, and performance tuning. Experience with Azure cloud services, particularly Azure Service Bus for asynchronous messaging and Azure Cosmos DB (querying, SDK basics) or comparable NoSQL/document stores. Familiarity with core Azure PaaS services relevant to back-end development (e.g., Azure App Service, Azure Functions, Azure Container Apps). Proficiency in writing unit tests and integration tests (e.g., xUnit, MSTest, or similar). Strong understanding of Git-based source control systems and workflows (e.g., Azure DevOps, GitHub), including pull-request code reviews. Knowledge of CI/CD pipeline concepts and implementation (YAML, GitHub Actions, or Azure Pipelines). Experience with Agile development methodologies (Scrum). Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze stack traces, debug complex issues, and perform root-cause analysis. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively within a team and with non-technical stakeholders. Understanding of software design patterns and best practices. Desired Skills: Experience with Docker containers and containerized applications. Knowledge of older .NET Framework 4.x. Familiarity with Azure monitoring tools like Azure Application Insights and Log Analytics. Experience with API Management platforms (e.g., Azure API Management). Understanding of microservices architecture patterns. Knowledge of other Azure services such as Azure Storage, Azure Data Factory (or other ETL tools), Azure Front Door, or App Gateway. Experience with legacy system modernization, particularly migrating from .NET Framework to .NET 8+. Exposure to front-end or full-stack development (e.g., React/TypeScript). Experience with legacy Team Foundation Server (TFS). Supervisory Responsibilities
No Education And/Or Experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 2-5 years of professional software development experience, primarily focused on building and supporting .NET back-end services. Demonstrated experience building and deploying .NET applications to Azure PaaS (e.g., App Services, Functions, Containers) in a professional environment. History of delivering features in an Agile/Scrum environment, including writing automated tests and participating in code reviews. Experience with financial services, platform engineering, or highly regulated industry (desired). Experience modernizing legacy systems (desired). Certifications, Licenses, Registrations
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) (desired). Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) (desired). Other relevant Microsoft Azure, .NET, or DevOps certifications (desired). Physical Demand
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Ability to sit or stand at a computer workstation for extended periods while using a keyboard, mouse, and multiple monitors. Frequent, repetitive hand-finger motions for typing, writing, and handling small peripherals or cables. Near-vision sufficient to read electronic documents, review code, and distinguish basic on-screen colors (e.g., for UI verification). Clear spoken communication and active listening for in-person and virtual meetings, incident bridges, and phone calls. Ability to walk short distances, navigate a standard office environment, climb one flight of stairs, and stand during white-boarding or presentations. Sit-stand desks and other ergonomic furniture are available upon request. Ability to lift and move equipment or boxed materials weighing up to 20 lbs (e.g., laptops, small servers, office supplies). Hybrid roles: Primary work performed on-site at the Encino Trace campus (Southwest Austin, TX) MondayThursday; optional remote work on Fridays. Fully remote roles: Primary work performed from the employee's home office within approved locations; reliable high-speed internet and an ergonomically safe workspace are required. Participation in overnight or weekend on-call rotations and critical production releases may require work outside standard business hours