Job Description
Overview:
Experience: 10+ Years
Job Description
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior API Architect / Lead API Engineer to drive the design, governance, and lifecycle management of enterprise-scale APIs. This role focuses on defining and enforcing API standards, improving developer experience, and collaborating across product, engineering, and architecture teams to deliver scalable, secure, and high-performance APIs.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in REST, gRPC, and event-driven API design, strong documentation practices, and hands-on experience with modern microservices architectures.
Key Responsibilities
API Design & Architecture
• Design RESTful, gRPC, and event-driven APIs using industry best practices and standards
• Create API specifications using OpenAPI/Swagger, AsyncAPI, RAML, and related frameworks
• Define API patterns to support scalability, reliability, performance, and backward compatibility
Documentation & Developer Experience
• Create and maintain clear, comprehensive API documentation and usage guides
• Advocate for excellent developer experience, including:
• Versioning strategies
• Error handling standards
• API discoverability and usability
Governance & Standards
• Define and enforce API design standards, style guides, and governance processes
• Ensure consistency and quality across all APIs within the enterprise
• Support full API lifecycle management, including versioning, deprecation, and backward compatibility
Collaboration & Prototyping
• Partner with Product, Engineering, QA, and Architecture teams to gather requirements and translate them into API designs
• Build API prototypes and mock servers to validate designs and collect early feedback
Quality, Security & Reliability
• Collaborate with QA and development teams to ensure APIs are well-tested, secure, and performant
• Apply API security best practices including OAuth2, JWT, API keys, and access controls
• Promote reliability, observability, and testing standards across API platforms
Continuous Improvement
• Stay current with API trends, tools, and technologies
• Drive continuous improvements in API design, tooling, and governance processes
Required Skills & Qualifications
• Formal training or certification in software engineering with 10+ years of hands-on experience
• Deep understanding of:
• RESTful APIs
• gRPC
• Event-driven architectures
• Strong proficiency with API specification and tooling:
• OpenAPI / Swagger
• AsyncAPI
• RAML
• Postman
• Experience with API gateways, API management platforms, and developer portals
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and documentation skills
• Strong understanding of API security best practices
• Experience working in Agile / Scrum environments
• Solid background in microservices architectures
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with AWS, including EKS
• Knowledge of Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and microservices-based systems
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated API testing
• Familiarity with Java-based API platforms
• Contributions to open-source API tools, frameworks, or standards
Essential Skills
• API Design & Governance
• REST / gRPC / Event-Driven APIs
• OpenAPI / Swagger / AsyncAPI
• Microservices Architecture
• API Security (OAuth2, JWT)
• AWS & Cloud-native environments
• CI/CD integration for APIs
Experience: 10+ Years
Job Description
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior API Architect / Lead API Engineer to drive the design, governance, and lifecycle management of enterprise-scale APIs. This role focuses on defining and enforcing API standards, improving developer experience, and collaborating across product, engineering, and architecture teams to deliver scalable, secure, and high-performance APIs.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in REST, gRPC, and event-driven API design, strong documentation practices, and hands-on experience with modern microservices architectures.
Key Responsibilities
API Design & Architecture
• Design RESTful, gRPC, and event-driven APIs using industry best practices and standards
• Create API specifications using OpenAPI/Swagger, AsyncAPI, RAML, and related frameworks
• Define API patterns to support scalability, reliability, performance, and backward compatibility
Documentation & Developer Experience
• Create and maintain clear, comprehensive API documentation and usage guides
• Advocate for excellent developer experience, including:
• Versioning strategies
• Error handling standards
• API discoverability and usability
Governance & Standards
• Define and enforce API design standards, style guides, and governance processes
• Ensure consistency and quality across all APIs within the enterprise
• Support full API lifecycle management, including versioning, deprecation, and backward compatibility
Collaboration & Prototyping
• Partner with Product, Engineering, QA, and Architecture teams to gather requirements and translate them into API designs
• Build API prototypes and mock servers to validate designs and collect early feedback
Quality, Security & Reliability
• Collaborate with QA and development teams to ensure APIs are well-tested, secure, and performant
• Apply API security best practices including OAuth2, JWT, API keys, and access controls
• Promote reliability, observability, and testing standards across API platforms
Continuous Improvement
• Stay current with API trends, tools, and technologies
• Drive continuous improvements in API design, tooling, and governance processes
Required Skills & Qualifications
• Formal training or certification in software engineering with 10+ years of hands-on experience
• Deep understanding of:
• RESTful APIs
• gRPC
• Event-driven architectures
• Strong proficiency with API specification and tooling:
• OpenAPI / Swagger
• AsyncAPI
• RAML
• Postman
• Experience with API gateways, API management platforms, and developer portals
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and documentation skills
• Strong understanding of API security best practices
• Experience working in Agile / Scrum environments
• Solid background in microservices architectures
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with AWS, including EKS
• Knowledge of Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and microservices-based systems
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automated API testing
• Familiarity with Java-based API platforms
• Contributions to open-source API tools, frameworks, or standards
Essential Skills
• API Design & Governance
• REST / gRPC / Event-Driven APIs
• OpenAPI / Swagger / AsyncAPI
• Microservices Architecture
• API Security (OAuth2, JWT)
• AWS & Cloud-native environments
• CI/CD integration for APIs
💡 Quick Summary
Seeking a career-building opportunity? The API Architect / Lead API Engineer position is now open for candidates interested in the IT Engineer & Developer Jobs sector. This role in Chicago offers a professional environment and growth potential.
Requirement Snapshot: Candidates should possess basic communication skills, a proactive attitude, and the ability to work in a team. Experience in IT Engineer & Developer Jobs is a plus.
