Lead Product Software Engineer

We are hiring a Lead Product Software Engineer to provide hands-on technical leadership in the design, development, and operation of business-critical customer and internal applications. This role is for an engineer who can lead complex and ambiguous technical initiatives from initial intent through specification, architecture, implementation, validation, deployment, and production operation.

The lead engineer will champion Agentic Spec-Driven Development (SDD) and Agentic Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC) practices to improve delivery speed, quality, traceability, and engineering effectiveness. The role requires demonstrated experience using AI engineering agents throughout the development lifecycle while establishing appropriate engineering practices, validation, human oversight, architectural integrity, security, and accountability.

The successful candidate will combine deep full-stack technical expertise with strong product thinking, architectural judgment, ownership, and technical leadership. They will remain actively hands-on while amplifying the effectiveness of other engineers and establishing reusable engineering patterns and practices that can be adopted across teams.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead complex product capabilities and technical initiatives end-to-end, from problem definition and specification through architecture, implementation, testing, deployment, production validation, and continuous improvement.
• Champion Agentic Spec-Driven Development (SDD) and Agentic Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC) practices, transforming product intent into executable specifications and establishing effective patterns for leveraging AI agents throughout design, development, testing, review, and delivery.
• Architect and deliver full-stack solutions across Angular/TypeScript user experiences, C#/.NET services, REST APIs, integrations, relational and NoSQL databases, and Microsoft Azure, while remaining actively engaged in hands-on development.
• Provide technical direction and architectural leadership for complex initiatives, making sound trade-offs across speed, security, scalability, reliability, performance, observability, and long-term maintainability.
• Lead the resolution of complex and ambiguous technical problems, including cross-system and production issues, root-cause analysis, and sustainable solutions to recurring or systemic engineering challenges.
• Multiply the effectiveness of engineering teams by creating reusable architectures, components, patterns, automation, standards, and development practices, while mentoring engineers and raising the quality of design and code reviews.
• Collaborate across Product, UX, Architecture, Quality Engineering, DevOps, Operations, and Security to shape technical approaches and translate business objectives into executable engineering strategies.
• Demonstrate ownership and accountability for broader engineering outcomes, proactively identifying technical risks, dependencies, delivery constraints, and opportunities to improve engineering quality, productivity, and developer effectiveness.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Master’s degree is a plus.

Required Experience / Skills:

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, with demonstrated success leading the design and delivery of complex, business-critical applications from concept through production.
• 1+ year of hands-on experience with Agentic Spec-Driven Development (SDD), using specifications and AI agents to drive software design, development, testing, validation, and delivery.
• Deep full-stack development expertise with C#, .NET/ASP.NET Core, Angular, TypeScript, REST APIs, relational and NoSQL databases, and Microsoft Azure.
• Deep understanding of modern application architecture and engineering practices, including API-first design, microservices/distributed systems, design patterns, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, and secure software development.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex and ambiguous technical initiatives, establish architectural direction, make sound technical trade-offs, troubleshoot complex production issues, and deliver scalable, secure, reliable, and maintainable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to raise engineering effectiveness beyond individual contribution through technical leadership, reusable solutions, automation, engineering standards, mentoring, and influence across teams.
• Experience designing and delivering Agentic AI or Generative AI capabilities, such as workflow automation, information extraction, document processing, intelligent assistance, or human-in-the-loop workflows.
• Experience applying Agentic Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC) practices across multiple stages of product development.

TraVEl requirements

Less than 5% travel required annually to other WK offices. 

To maintain a fair and genuine hiring process, we kindly ask that all candidates participate in interviews without the assistance of AI tools or external prompts. Our interview process is designed to assess your individual skills, experiences, and communication style. We value authenticity and want to ensure we’re getting to know you—not a digital assistant. To help maintain this integrity, we ask to remove virtual backgrounds and include in-person interviews in our hiring process. Please note that use of AI-generated responses or third-party support during interviews will be grounds for disqualification from the recruitment process.

Applicants may be required to appear onsite at a Wolters Kluwer office as part of the recruitment process.

Compensation:

Compensation range listed is based on primary location of the position.  Actual base salary offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skills, experience and actual hiring location. Your recruiter can share more information about the specific offer for the job location during the hiring process. 

Wolters Kluwer offers a wide variety of competitive benefits and programs to help meet your needs and balance your work and personal life, including but not limited to: Medical, Dental, & Vision Plans, 401(k), FSA/HSA, Commuter Benefits, Tuition Assistance Plan, Vacation and Sick Time, and Paid Parental Leave. Full details of our benefits are available upon request.