Head of API Engineering - Platforms & Modernization

Head of API Engineering, Platforms & Modernization (L9) 

Role Summary 

Guardian is transforming how we deliver digital and data-driven experiences. This role leads the strategy and execution of our enterprise API ecosystem—enabling secure, scalable, and reusable services that power customer, product, and AI capabilities across the organization. 

You will modernize our API landscape, establish engineering standards, and lead teams delivering high-quality integration solutions across the enterprise. 

You Will 

• Lead the design and delivery of scalable, reliable API platforms across the enterprise 

• Establish and enforce API standards across security, performance, and lifecycle management 

• Modernize legacy integrations into reusable, well-governed APIs 

• Drive adoption and reuse of APIs across product and engineering teams 

• Partner with architecture, cybersecurity, and platform teams to align on integration patterns 

• Improve developer experience through tooling, automation, and self-service capabilities 

• Build and lead high-performing engineering teams across platform and delivery 

• Reduce duplication and improve efficiency across enterprise integrations 

• Influence technology direction through strong cross-functional partnerships 

You Have 

• Experience leading API, platform, or integration engineering in large-scale environments 

• Strong expertise in API design, microservices, and modern integration patterns 

• Proven ability to establish standards and drive adoption across teams 

• Experience modernizing legacy systems into scalable services 

• Strong understanding of security (authentication, authorization, zero-trust) 

• Experience leading and developing engineering teams 

• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive enterprise outcomes 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field 

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, API development, or platform engineering 

• 5+ years of experience leading engineering teams and delivering at enterprise scale 

• Proven experience designing and implementing API strategies and integration architectures 

• Experience modernizing legacy systems into scalable, service-based architectures 

• Strong understanding of API security, governance, and lifecycle management 

• Experience operating in complex, cross-functional environments with multiple stakeholders 

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive enterprise-wide initiatives 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with cloud-native architectures (e.g., AWS, Azure) 

• Familiarity with event-driven architectures and distributed systems 

• Exposure to data and AI integration patterns 

• Experience implementing developer platforms or API marketplaces 

• Background in financial services or regulated industries 

Success Measures 

• High platform reliability, performance, and developer experience 

• Increased API adoption and reuse across teams 

• Reduction in redundant integrations and services 

• Strong compliance with security and engineering standards 

• Improved delivery speed and predictability 

• Reduction in API-related incidents 

Location:

• Three days a week at a Guardian office in New York NY, Holmdel, NJ, Bethlehem, PA or Stanford, CT.

Salary Range:

$178,690.00 - $293,560.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian’s Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian’s job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools (“AI Tools") to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian’s jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian’s use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to [email protected], making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian’s document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via [email protected].

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here. 

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.