Software Engineer (Java, Python)

About The Company First Citizens Bank is a leading financial institution committed to delivering exceptional banking services through innovative digital solutions. Currently undergoing a bold digital transformation, the bank aims to simplify, consolidate, and modernize its customer experience. With a focus on building a foundational North Star Architecture, First Citizens Bank strives to scale smarter, move faster, and create differentiated experiences in the competitive banking market. The organization is dedicated to reimagining its digital banking platform from the ground up, emphasizing seamless connectivity across channels, supporting growth through advanced technology, and fostering collaborative teams that deliver with speed and purpose. As part of this transformative journey, the bank offers unique opportunities for professionals passionate about shaping the future of banking technology.

About The Role The CIAM & Fraud Principal Software Engineer is a senior-level, hands-on engineering authority responsible for overseeing customer identity and fraud prevention technologies built on the Okta platform. This role is pivotal in ensuring that digital banking journeys are secure, resilient, and fraud-aware, while maintaining an effortless customer experience. Operating across multiple squads, the engineer sets the technical direction, standards, and quality expectations, providing expert guidance during complex design decisions, platform changes, and incident management. The role involves leading critical initiatives such as secure authentication, risk-based decisioning, and integration of fraud signals, all aligned with regulatory and security standards. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence the technical backbone of the bank’s digital infrastructure, ensuring scalability, security, and customer satisfaction in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Qualifications Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field with 10 years of experience in software application development and maintenance, or High School Diploma/GED with 14 years of relevant experience.

Principal or Staff-level engineering experience preferred.

Deep hands-on expertise with Okta Customer Identity Cloud (CIAM), including Identity Engine, Universal Directory, and MFA.

Strong experience in banking or regulated financial services environments.

Proven track record of delivering secure, customer-facing platforms at scale.

Minimum of 5-8 years experience with major programming languages such as Java, Python, or Go.

Extensive knowledge of fraud prevention, risk-based authentication, and secure digital journeys.

Experience working within agile, product-aligned delivery models.

Familiarity with regulatory, audit, and operational risk standards.

Deep expertise in CIAM and fraud-aware identity design.

Strong understanding of Okta architecture, OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML protocols.

Experience with fraud signal integration and risk-based decisioning.

Solid understanding of REST APIs, event-driven architectures, and cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.

Responsibilities Own and uphold the engineering integrity and technical decision-making for CIAM and Fraud platforms built on Okta.

Ensure Okta-based identity solutions balance customer experience, security, fraud prevention, and scalability.

Influence platform roadmaps and priorities through deep domain expertise and strategic insights.

Act as a critical control point for high-risk platform changes impacting customers and regulatory compliance.

Serve as the engineering authority for Customer Identity Cloud implementations, including Identity Engine and MFA configurations.

Define and maintain engineering standards, patterns, and reference implementations specific to CIAM and Fraud detection.

Lead complex engineering initiatives such as OAuth2 / OIDC authentication, adaptive risk-based authentication, MFA step-up, and integration of behavioral risk signals.

Lead resolution efforts for severe production incidents and security vulnerabilities, ensuring minimal impact and rapid recovery.

Collaborate with Architecture, Security, Fraud, and Delivery leadership to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and compliance requirements.

Partner with cross-functional teams to implement API security, zero-trust architectures, and cloud-native solutions.

Mentor and coach senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, resilience, and ownership.

Provide technical leadership across squads, acting as a trusted advisor to senior management and security leaders.

Benefits Competitive salary and comprehensive health insurance plans.

Retirement savings plans with company matching contributions.

Paid time off, holidays, and flexible work arrangements.

Professional development opportunities and continuous learning programs.

Employee assistance programs and wellness resources.

Participation in innovative projects that shape the future of digital banking.

Equal Opportunity First Citizens Bank is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status under applicable law.