Lead Software Engineer - IBM iSeries

Company

Cox Automotive - USAEngineering / Product DevelopmentLead Software EngineerManager - Non People LeaderHybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the weekYes, 5% of the timeDay

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $122,600.00 - $204,400.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

The Lead Software Engineer serves as a senior technical leader responsible for designing, developing, enhancing, and supporting complex software systems that are critical to business operations. This role provides deep technical expertise across both the business and technical landscape, drives engineering best practices, and helps define near- and long-term technical direction.

This position requires extensive hands-on software development experience, exceptional problem-solving skills, and highly specialized knowledge of IBM iSeries systems. The person in this role, is expected to lead development efforts, guide resolution of the most complex production issues, provide Level 3 triage support for critical business applications, and serve as a trusted advisor to both technical and business stakeholders.

The role requires deep expertise in IBM iSeries application development and RPG programming as well as extensive knowledge of the operational processes that support inventory management and their transactions.

Additionally, this role provides technical leadership and support for critical inventory operations supporting strategic commercial and third-party clients as well as major and critical accounts. The individual is responsible for ensuring operational continuity, resolving high-impact issues, identifying modernization opportunities, and driving technical excellence across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Software Development and Technical Leadership

• Lead team efforts to design, develop, test, document, and support complex software systems, applications, automation and integrations.
• Design, develop, enhance, test, and support enterprise software systems and integrations across multiple platforms.
• Drive RPG development, enhancements, and modernization efforts.
• Lead technical solutioning for large-scale, high-impact initiatives spanning multiple applications, teams, and business domains.
• Collaborate with analysts, engineers, architects, product teams, and business stakeholders to develop highly complex technical solutions.
• Support multiple engineering teams through sound technical leadership, procedural guidance, and solution development.
• Translate business needs, operational requirements, and customer expectations into scalable and maintainable technical solutions.
• Estimate software development efforts and technical initiatives with a high degree of predictability and accuracy.
• Establish and promote engineering standards for quality, maintainability, security, performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Review system designs, architecture proposals, and code changes to ensure solutions align with organizational standards and technical direction.
• Evaluate secure coding practices, engineering tools, and development processes while identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Research, evaluate, and adopt AI and emerging technologies, engineering practices, and modernization approaches that improve system performance, engineering productivity, and operational resilience.
• Present system designs, architectural recommendations, and technical solution proposals to peers, leadership teams, and stakeholders.
• Define, measure, and recommend metrics that improve software quality, cycle time, reliability, service availability, and operational effectiveness.

IBM iSeries/ Specialized Systems Expertise

• Serve as the primary subject matter expert in IBM iSeries application development, support, and modernization.
• Provide deep technical expertise in RPG development and support for AS400.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of legacy system behaviors, business processes, integrations, and operational dependencies.
• Serve as a domain expert for integrations between internal and external systems, ensuring seamless data exchange and business continuity.
• Diagnose and resolve highly complex issues involving IBM i applications, batch jobs, interfaces, APIs, integrations, and downstream systems.
• Support and improve mission-critical systems used to manage inventory, operations, and products lifecycle processes.
• Provide expert-level support for inventory operations associated with strategic commercial accounts and other enterprise partners.
• Partner with business and product teams to improve inventory management processes, operational workflows, and system capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to improve observability, maintainability, stability, and long-term sustainability of IBM i applications.
• Support modernization initiatives while ensuring operational continuity and preservation of critical business functionality.
• Champions AI adoption and utilization beyond their team’s circle.
• Document technical designs, operational dependencies, support procedures, and system behaviors to improve organizational knowledge and reduce risk.

Level 3 Production Support and Triage

• Lead Level 3 triage and incident resolution efforts for business-critical production systems.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for incidents with significant customer, operational, or financial impact.
• Provide expert support during production impacting events and other operationally sensitive business activities.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts involving related integrated platforms.
• Conduct root cause analysis for severe and recurring incidents and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Partner with Product, Operations, Client Care, Support, and Engineering organizations during incident response activities.
• Communicate complex technical issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provide timely updates regarding service impact, mitigation strategies, recovery efforts, and ongoing risks.
• Identify systemic issues and drive improvements that reduce operational risk, improve service stability, and prevent future incidents.

Strategic Influence and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships across Engineering, Product, Operations, Client Care, Architecture, and business organizations.
• Act as a trusted advisor by leveraging deep business knowledge and technical expertise to influence decision-making.
• Participate in defining strategic technology direction and long-term engineering roadmaps.
• Collaborate with architects and technology leaders to drive modernization efforts and system evolution.
• Influence technical standards, engineering practices, support models, and operational excellence initiatives across teams.
• Drive peer-to-peer technical learning, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Facilitate technical reviews and collaborative design sessions to improve engineering effectiveness and solution quality.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives focused on improving customer experience, operational efficiency, and system reliability.
• Promotes and champions AI adoption.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, accountability, and technical excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (list any requirements of discipline here) and 6 years’ experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master’s degree and 4 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 1 year of experience; or 18 years’experience in a related field
• 6+ years of experience developing, supporting, and maintaining enterprise-scale software solutions. SDLC expert.
• 6+ years of experience with IBM i systems and RPG software development.
• 6+ years of experience with a modern scripting/programming language for automation, tooling, and systems integration.
• 4+ years of experience supporting complex integrations and operationally critical business systems.
• 4+ years of experience troubleshooting highly complex production issues and leading Level 3 support activities.
• 3+ years of experience supporting or engaging high-profile and/or enterprise-level user accounts.
• Experience with AI technologies for SDLC and day-to-day activities.
• Experience supporting mission-critical applications in high-pressure operational environments, including day-of-sale or transaction-sensitive workflows with high concurrent user activity.
• Strong understanding of software architecture and secure coding practices.
• Experience influencing technical decisions, driving change, and delivering long-term solutions to complex business challenges.
• Experience tailoring communication to technical and non-technical audiences alike, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience modernizing legacy IBM i environments and integrating with cloud-native or distributed architectures.
• 10+ years of combined experience software engineering in RPG and modern scripting/application development languages.
• Experience with observability platforms, automation, Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), DevOps, and Site Reliability Engineering practices.
• 6+ years of experience supporting or engaging high-profile and/or enterprise-level user accounts.
• Deep familiarity with vehicle operations, inventory management systems, vehicle lifecycle workflows, and commercial account operations.
• Expert in SDLC and using AI to design, implement, and accelerate safe and secure software.
• Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Experience evaluating and implementing emerging technologies that improve reliability, productivity, and operational resilience.

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.EOE, including disability/vets