Full-Time
Senior Lead Software Engineer
Posted on 11/12/2025
Lumen Technologies
10,001+ employees
Fiber-based telecom services and edge computing
Compensation Overview
$129.6k - $190.1k/yr
Remote in USA
Remote
 Software Engineering (1) |
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- 8+ years professional experience with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, or related field, or equivalent education and experience.
- Significant software engineering experience using modern languages.
- Significant experience with integration technologies including REST and GraphQL Services, micro-services patterns, Open API specifications.
- Understanding of range of enterprise databases including Oracle, SQL Server, Postgres and Graph Databases.
- Ability to write and understand complex SQL queries, relational and non-relational data models.
- Experience with data structuring standards including XML, JSON, and YAML.
- Knowledge of code versioning tools such as Git and GitHub.
- Experience with containerization technologies to include Kubernetes and Docker.
- Effective communication, interpersonal and analytical skills.
- Ability to work in a highly collaborative and empowered environment.
- Self-starter, can-do attitude within a fast-moving business and technical environment.
- Strong problem-solving skills, time management, and oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrated history of software development roles with expanding responsibilities and corresponding successful deliveries over time.
- Schema Design: Architect efficient, scalable schemas for PostgreSQL (e.g., normalized 3NF with covering indexes), balancing read/write performance and HA.
- Database Selection: Choose databases (e.g., Cassandra, PostgreSQL, AWS Aurora, DynamoDB) by analyzing throughput, latency percentiles, and availability requirements
- Application Development: Build high-performance, reliable database applications in Java (e.g., Spring Boot with reactive JDBC) and Go (e.g., goroutines with connection pooling), ensuring sub-millisecond query responses and fault tolerance
- Advanced software engineering using modern software languages and architecture pattern and partner with other dev teams to design, contract, and implement full systems, ensuring database reliability integrates with application logic.
- Migrate legacy systems to modern, performant databases, redesigning inefficient schemas into HA-ready, high-throughput models with minimal disruption and manage database reliability, performance and HA backup strategies
- Refine complex queries with tools like PostgreSQL’s EXPLAIN ANALYZE, Oracle’s OEM, targeting minimal I/O and CPU cost
- Up-to-date knowledge of current trends in software development and cloud native technologies
- Developing enterprise RESTful web services in REST the latest patterns and developing various data persistence frameworks leveraging SQL, Graph and No SQL solutions as appropriate and maintaining and resolving issues in a highly complex integration architecture
- Leveraging CI/CD pipelines as part of DevOps platforms to deliver code into test and production and following up with application owners and solution architects to resolve issues as needed
- Participating in and being a member of a multi-location, global software development team and mentoring others in various technical areas, including business processes implemented in the team's applications and the creation and delivery of designs and solutions in accordance with architectural direction.
- Engagement in all aspects of the software development life cycle, including requirements review, design, coding, code reviews, testing, deployment, and warranty support.
- Collaborating with others in the application of principles, theories, concepts and use of software methodologies, tools, documentation processes, security protocols, and test procedures to successfully deliver projects
- Contributing to design and architecture solutions for telecommunication workflow and order management systems. Assist with evaluation of future state technologies
Lumen Technologies provides telecommunications services over its extensive fiber optic network, serving both business and residential customers. It offers enterprise-grade VPN, Ethernet, and IP services for organizations, and broadband and voice for residential and small-office users. Services run on Lumen’s owned fiber and edge computing infrastructure, delivering high-speed connectivity and cloud-ready capabilities with recurring subscriptions. The company differentiates itself by owning and investing in a nationwide fiber backbone and edge platform to serve diverse customers, and its goal is to expand this network and edge capabilities to meet growing demand for fast, secure connectivity and data-intensive applications while growing recurring revenue.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Monroe, Louisiana
Founded
1968
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- $13B private connectivity deals with Microsoft and Anthropic fuel AI infrastructure revenue.
- Fiber expansion to 47M miles by 2028 drives revenue growth inflection and 30% EBITDA margins.
- AWS Interconnect partnership enables one-click enterprise cloud connections in minutes.
What critics are saying
- AT&T fiber-to-home sale eliminates recurring residential revenue, contracting top line now.
- Third CLO in three years, Jennifer Hodges replacing Hacker on April 22, 2026, disrupts execution.
- Zero buy ratings and $7.68 target trigger stock correction as AI hype fades by 2027.
What makes Lumen Technologies unique
- Lumen's ultra-low-loss intercity fiber network connects 50+ major cities with 25% less optical loss.
- Alkira acquisition pairs cloud-native control plane with Lumen's fiber for hybrid multi-cloud management.
- Largest 400Gbps-enabled network spans 100,000+ route miles across clouds and data centers.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Life Insurance
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Performance Bonus
Company News
How high can Lumen stock go? Shares of telecommunications company Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) are up by over 70 percent in the last 12 months, a number that, at first glance, suggests a high-growth story behind the business. Surprisingly, however, Lumen's business is still struggling with declining revenues and ongoing net losses. What explains this disparity between Lumen's performance and its share prices, and how much higher can Lumen go from here? Lumen's move to strengthen its balance sheet. Debt has been one of the major drags on Lumen's business for quite some time. Earlier this year, however, Lumen completed the sale of its fiber-to-home business to telecom giant AT&T for $5.75 billion, a move that significantly bolstered the company's struggling balance sheet. Lumen applied the majority of the proceeds from this sale to retiring debt, reducing its total debt by $4.8 billion. Although Lumen still owes around $13 billion, nearly double its current market capitalization, the use of cash from the AT&T sale to reduce debt has brought the company's interest expense down by nearly 45 percent and significantly reduced its annual capital expenditures. This puts Lumen in a position to invest in new growth initiatives as it refocuses its business on enterprise customers and the public sector. It's worth noting, however, that the sale will negatively impact Lumen's revenues in the short term. While Lumen is moving more toward business and public sector clients, the sale of the home fiber business will deprive it of at least a portion of the revenues it has generated up to this point. As such, investors may see top-line results pull back more before they can begin to improve. Will data centers salvage Lumen's business? Right now, the most attractive growth catalyst for Lumen is its move into data center connectivity. In mid-2024, Lumen partnered with Microsoft to deliver private connectivity to its data centers, setting Lumen up as a provider for the growing network of AI infrastructure being built across the country. As of early 2026, Lumen had secured almost $13 billion in private connectivity deals and had been selected to expand Anthropic's fiber network, pointing to ongoing success in its pivot toward AI infrastructure. Going forward, Lumen plans to massively expand its fiber network, returning the company to positive revenue growth. By 2028, Lumen hopes to build its network to 47 million fiber miles, with a further increase to 58 million by 2031. Management expects revenue growth to turn around by 2028, with EBITDA margins rising from about 27 percent now to 30 percent by the end of the decade. The pivot toward data centers will include partnerships with several AI leaders and hyperscalers. Lumen envisions an AI-ready network that will meet the needs of enterprise customers as artificial intelligence continues to expand. Unsurprisingly, the move toward AI, in conjunction with balance sheet improvements, has been a major driver of the gains LUMN shares have seen over the past year. Is Lumen a value trap? At a glance, Lumen shares look like they could be undervalued. The stock trades at just 0.6 times trailing 12-month revenues, well below the sector average. With Lumen's move into data center connectivity, future revenue growth could eventually prove to be enough to produce significant returns on LUMN. The market's skeptical valuation, however, is understandable when one considers that Lumen has experienced 28 consecutive quarters of declining revenue and four quarters of declining earnings. While analysts do see some modest upside left in Lumen, their ratings on the stock are quite tepid. The consensus price target of $7.68 would see LUMN rise by just under 10 percent from the most recent price of $6.99, a respectable if not particularly large potential return. However, Lumen lacks even a single buy rating, with all 10 of the analysts covering the stock rating it as a hold. Right now, it may not be fair to say that Lumen is a value trap, but the stock could already be approaching the logical limits of fair pricing. With so much hinging on developments that could still be quite a long way in the future, the market seems to be assigning LUMN a sensibly low valuation that also reflects its potential for a turnaround in another couple of years. Can Lumen go higher from here? With its balance sheet improving and data center connectivity set to provide a much-needed growth catalyst for the business, shares of LUMN have at least the potential to move higher over the coming years. The problem, however, is that the value of Lumen shares seems to be almost totally conditional on a growth turnaround that could still be at least a couple of years out. If Lumen's expected growth from AI networking fails to materialize, the shares could give up quite a bit of the ground they have gained over the last year. For right now, at least, shares of Lumen may have already peaked. While the stock is still up by over 70 percent for the year, it has actually fallen quite a bit from its trailing 12-month peak of nearly $12 per share in November. This may indicate that the market is rethinking the value it assigned LUMN on the strength of the sale of its home fiber business to AT&T and its growing presence in data center networking. LUMN could also be heavily exposed to the possibility of a pullback on AI stocks, given the turn it's currently making toward networking for AI data centers. Overall, it seems likely that LUMN shares could plateau from here until the business can actually begin delivering on some of the promises of its AI networking business. That could put significant further gains for the stock quite a way into the future and make them contingent on the turnaround of a business that has already been struggling for several years. As such, Lumen may not be a particularly attractive stock to buy at the moment, even with its unusual combination of a low valuation and potential AI-driven future growth. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Financhill has a disclosure policy. This post may contain affiliate links or links from its sponsors.
Tidewater, an offshore service vessel operator with over 200 vessels spanning 30 countries, stands out amongst cash-producing stocks with a 26.1% trailing 12-month free cash flow margin. The company has demonstrated strong performance with annual revenue growth of 27.8% over the past five years and improving EBITDA profits. Meanwhile, Lumen Technologies and CME Group face challenges. Lumen's sales have declined 9.7% annually over five years, with its free cash flow margin decreasing by 10.5 percentage points. CME Group, despite a 64.3% free cash flow margin, has posted muted 6% annual revenue growth and earnings per share growth of just 9.6% annually over the past two years, lagging behind peers.
Lumen Technologies named to Fast Company's 2026 list of the World's Most Innovative Companies. March 24, 2026 Company honored for reimagining digital network infrastructure for the AI era DENVER-(BUSINESS WIRE)- Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) is proud to have been named on Fast Company's prestigious list of the World's Most Innovative Companies of 2026, ranked among the top organizations in the Enterprise category for delivering technologies that make other businesses more efficient and effective. This marks the first time Lumen is included on this global list, which recognizes organizations shaping industries and culture through innovation. "This recognition comes as Lumen enters the growth phase of its transformation and reflects our team's work to reinvent Lumen for the AI era," said Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen Technologies. "We've transformed a legacy telecom into a digital networking infrastructure company built for the next generation of innovation - connecting data centers, clouds, enterprises, and AI systems that will power the global economy. Innovation for us isn't just about technology; it's about reimagining what a network can do in the AI economy." As part of its transformation into a digital network services company, Lumen is rapidly expanding its high-capacity fiber network and developing a new generation of programmable network services. The company plans to reach 58 million intercity fiber miles by 2031, connecting the world's fastest-growing digital ecosystems - including AI data centers, hyperscalers, and global enterprises. Central to the company's innovation is Lumen's Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) platform, which has surpassed 2,000 customers and enables the rapid provisioning of secure, high-performance connectivity in minutes rather than months. Through Lumen Connect, a self-service digital portal, customers gain real-time control over how they deploy, manage and scale network services. Together with a growing connected ecosystem of technology partners, Lumen is redefining how networks are designed, delivered, and consumed - building programmable infrastructure required to support real-time data movement, AI workloads, and the next generation of digital applications. Lumen's vision was recently spotlighted at Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Summit, where CEO Kate Johnson spoke about revolutionizing telecom for the AI era. The World's Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company's hallmark franchise and one of its most anticipated editorial efforts of the year. To determine honorees, Fast Company's editors and writers review companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world. "Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is about spotlighting organizations that don't just adapt to change - they drive it," said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "The companies we honor this year are redefining what leadership looks like in 2026, pairing bold ideas with measurable impact and turning breakthrough innovation into real-world value. They are setting the pace for their industries and offering a blueprint for what sustained innovation can achieve." The full list of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies honorees can be found at fastcompany.com. About Lumen Technologies Lumen is unleashing the world's digital potential. ct L ignite business growth by connecting people, data, and applications - quickly, securely, and effortlessly. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen uses the scale of its network to help companies realize AI's full potential. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to its edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, ct L meet its customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, X: lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies and YouTube: /lumentechnologies. Lumen and Lumen Technologies are registered trademarks of Lumen Technologies LLC in the United States. Lumen Technologies LLC is a wholly owned affiliate of Lumen Technologies, Inc. About Fast Company Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc. For more information, please visit fastcompany.com. Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including statements regarding management's expectations with respect to its business, strategy and operations as well as statements identified by words such as "estimates," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "intends," "will," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not promises nor guarantees of future results, are based on its current expectations only and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as updated in its other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by ct L in these statements due to several factors, including those referenced in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Media Contact: [email protected]
Lumen Technologies elevates AI Enablement to c-suite. March 20, 2026 Lumen Technologies has elevated AI enablement to a C-suite level as workforce capability gaps threaten to erode the productivity gains of the technology The convergence of AI and workforce strategy has moved beyond operational consideration to become a boardroom imperative. Lumen Technologies' decision to restructure its Chief People Officer role signals a broader shift in how organisations must approach talent management in an AI-driven economy. Ana White, formerly Chief People Officer at Lumen Technologies, has been appointed to the newly expanded position of Chief People and AI Enablement Officer. The telecommunications company's restructuring of this senior role reflects a strategic acknowledgement that scaling AI capabilities requires fundamental changes to how organisations develop and deploy human capital. The appointment forms part of a wider leadership transition at Lumen as the company repositions itself for enterprise growth. Kye Prigg has been named Chief Commercial Operations Officer, while Chris Stansbury assumes the role of President alongside his existing position as CFO. The changes coincide with the retirements of Mike Glenn, Chair of the Board and Hal Stanley Jones, Chair of the Audit Committee. On LinkedIn, Ana says in a post: "For me, AI is about turning possibility into practice - empowering our people with the skills, tools and confidence to enhance decision making while keeping humans firmly in the loop. It also means scaling responsibly, with clear accountability and transparency, so our progress is fast and sound." Aligning capability with strategic transformation. Ana joined Lumen in 2023 as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, where she has led a global human resources strategy spanning cultural and business transformation. Prior to Lumen, she spent more than five years as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at F5, partnering with the CEO to oversee people programmes, culture, employee experience and ESG initiatives designed to foster high-performance outcomes. According to Lumen, Ana has demonstrated capability in driving programmes that simultaneously elevate employee experience and support commercial growth. Her expanded remit will involve developing new operational frameworks to ensure employees possess the skills and capabilities required for an AI-enabled workplace, whilst aligning organisational culture with internal AI strategy. The strategic cost of misalignment. The integration of AI within workforce strategy has emerged as a critical factor in determining whether organisations can capitalise on their technology investments. Nearly 75% of business leaders consider AI literacy essential for day-to-day work, according to Qlik's State of Data and AI Literacy report, yet nearly 60% are reporting skills gaps within their organisations. The report highlights that companies implementing structured upskilling programmes are twice as likely to report significant return on their AI investment. This correlation between capability development and commercial performance underscores why chief executives must view AI enablement as a strategic priority rather than a technical concern. On LinkedIn, Ana says in a post that Lumen has learned "first-hand" that "culture determines whether transformation sticks or stalls," and therefore "it remains at the centre of our AI evolution." Quantifying the productivity penalty. Research from EY reveals that poor alignment between people and technology could be costing organisations up to 40% of AI productivity gains. For chief executives evaluating AI investments, this represents a substantial erosion of anticipated returns driven not by technological limitations but by workforce readiness gaps. Kim Billeter, EY Global and EY Americas People Consulting Leader, says of the findings: "When organisations master both talent and technology, AI helps deliver outsized results, but neglecting the human side can erode those gains." The State of Data and AI Literacy report recommends that people leaders develop strategies encouraging collaboration between human employees and AI by embedding learning that is practical and relevant to workflow. This approach suggests that effective AI enablement requires integration into existing operational processes rather than standalone training initiatives. Lumen's decision to elevate AI enablement to C-suite level could indicate recognition that competitive advantage in AI-driven markets will be determined as much by how organisations develop their people as by which technologies they deploy. Executives. Company portals.
Lumen elevates Ana White to Chief People & AI Officer role as part of wider leadership shakeup. | 19 March 2026 Beyond the people function, the company has expanded responsibilities across its leadership team. Chris Stansbury has taken on the additional role of President while continuing as Finance chief, and Kye Prigg has been named Chief Commercial Operations Officer. Lumen Technologies has announced a leadership shakeup, including the appointment of Ana White as Chief People & AI Enablement Officer, as the company sharpens its focus on aligning talent strategy with its AI-driven transformation. White's expanded mandate goes beyond traditional HR, bringing together talent strategy, culture, and the company's internal AI transformation. The role is designed to ensure workforce readiness and embed new ways of working as Lumen scales its AI capabilities. Commenting on her appointment, White said: "AI is about turning possibility into practice, empowering our people with the skills, tools, and confidence to enhance decision making while keeping humans firmly in the loop. It also means scaling responsibly, with clear accountability and transparency, so our progress is fast and sound. I keep returning to what we've learned first-hand: culture determines whether transformation sticks or stalls; it remains at the center of our AI evolution." She added that she is "pleased to welcome General Kevin P. Chilton as our next Board Chair and Michael Collins as a new Board nominee," while expressing confidence in the company's future as it builds on the momentum created by its workforce. The leadership elevation comes alongside a wider restructuring effort aimed at supporting Lumen's next phase of growth. On the governance front, Mike Glenn, Chair of the Board, and Hal Stanley Jones, Chair of the Audit Committee, will retire and not seek re-election at the company's 2026 Annual Meeting. The Board has named Kevin P. Chilton, a current board member and former four-star U.S. Air Force General, as the next Chair, effective after the meeting. The company has also nominated Michael Collins, a partner at Bain & Company, to join the Board, adding expertise in large-scale transformation and capital allocation. CEO Kate Johnson framed the changes as a coordinated effort to strengthen execution as Lumen moves into a growth phase. "These leadership expansions position us to execute with speed, scale and clarity," she said, pointing to the need for tighter alignment between strategy, operations, and workforce capability. Beyond the people function, the company has expanded responsibilities across its leadership team. Chris Stansbury has taken on the additional role of President while continuing as Chief Financial Officer, broadening his remit to include enterprise growth and capital allocation. Meanwhile, Kye Prigg has been named Chief Commercial Operations Officer, consolidating enterprise and consumer operations under a single leadership structure. The transition will be managed over the coming months, with Glenn and Chilton working closely to ensure continuity at the Board level.