Application Engineer - III (AWS & Backend)

About Vanguard
Founded in 1975, Vanguard is one of the world's leading investment management companies. The firm offers investments, advice, and retirement services to tens of millions of individual investors around the globe—directly, through workplace plans, and through financial intermediaries.

Vanguard India

Vanguard’s office in India is a significant milestone in our global expansion. We are committed to establishing an enduring technology center in Hyderabad, Telangana and are excited to be adding talent who will focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), mobile, and cloud-based technologies that drive our business outcomes and deliver a world-class experience for our clients.  

Role Summary

Do you love the challenge and excitement of working with Vanguard's latest technology?  Do you enjoy solving complex technical problems that directly impact some of Vanguard's highest priorities?  Do you want the opportunity to work with technical teams across Vanguard and drive significant business outcomes?

This role provides advanced-level system analysis, design, development, and implementation of secure, always on applications, databases, and other infrastructure, under general direction, and leads backend optimization, data integration, documentation, and secure, scalable architecture aligned with enterprise standards. Provides production support of the developed systems.

A successful candidate has a passion for learning and understanding new technology, enjoys collaborative problem solving with a team of smart, humble engineers, and can work well in an environment with a high degree of autonomy and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Provides advanced-level system analysis, design, development, and implementation of applications, databases, and backend solutions, including integration of third-party products and adherence to software development methodologies, architecture standards, and best practices.
• Enables and maintains CREDaaS capabilities, platforms, and infrastructure, including AWS technologies such as Neptune, Lambda, and CloudFormation, as well as Kong, NGINX, Auth0, Okta, and OPA/Envoy, including production support within the shared ownership model.
• Translates technical specifications into code for complex new and enhancement projects, developing code, testing artifacts, producing reports, and implementing software development techniques that support test automation and continuous delivery.
• Leads backend system optimization and integration efforts, ensuring performance, scalability, and responsiveness while integrating multiple data sources, APIs, and services to streamline data flow and improve overall system efficiency.
• Manages release, deployment, and production support activities, including promoting code through development, test, and production environments, continuous automation, configuration management, change control, consumer migration, complex issue resolution, and root-cause analysis.
• Advocates for and implements engineering best practices for security, data protection, quality, and backend resilience, including participation in design, code, and test inspections throughout the development lifecycle to proactively identify and resolve issues.
• Collaborates with front-end and cross-functional teams to design backend interfaces that support seamless user experiences and creates and maintains detailed backend documentation to improve understanding of system architecture and logic.
• Understands client business functions, technology needs, and applicable Vanguard tools, technologies, applications, databases, and interfacing systems, while complying with Information Technology and Information Security policies and procedures.
• Provides technical leadership and mentorship, resolving elevated issues, mentoring less-experienced crew, sharing development and proactive-support best practices, and participating in special projects and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum 5 years of experience in software development, system integration, database design, and back-end architecture.
• Bachelor’s degree (B.E./B.Tech) in relevant fields such as Computer Science, or a Master’s degree/Diploma in Computer Science.
• Must Have: AWS (ECS, Lambda, Aurora, Neptune, DynamoDB, PostgreSQL), REST/GraphQL, Python/TypeScript, Angular/React, Kong Konnect, OKTA, Auth0, NGINX, Production Support, SRE Exp: Splunk, PagerDuty, Honeycomb, OpenTelemetry.
• Expertise in server-side development, system integration, and API management; strong knowledge of database design, optimization, debugging, and performance tuning.
• Knowledge of Agile, Confluence, JIRA; aptitude for continuous process improvement for process flows/workflows.
• AWS Cloud background. AWS Cloud Practitioner certification preferred.
• Preferred use of AI agents like Claude Code at every stage of the software development lifecycle.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work with cross-functional teams.
  

Location

This role is based in Hyderabad, Telangana at Vanguard India. Only qualified external applicants will be considered.

Our mission

Vanguard adheres to a simple purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.

Our commitment to you 

Vanguard takes the same long-term view of your success—at work and in life—with Benefits and Rewards packages that reflect what you care about, throughout all the phases and stages of your life. Our Total Rewards programs provide you and your loved ones with wellness support for key areas in your life: 

Financial wellness 
We're committed to enabling your financial success and provide competitive offers and programs. 

Physical wellness 
We're committed to providing benefits that support your physical health and wellness. 

Personal wellness 
We're committed to providing resources that help support the full scope of your life. 

How we work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for most of our employees (crew members), designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.