Lead Software Engineer

Together we make breakthroughs possible. At OCLC, we build technology with a purpose: to connect libraries and make knowledge accessible worldwide, because we believe that what is known must be shared. Our teams work with complex global datasets, AI and machine learning, hybrid cloud solutions, and other technologies that connect people and organizations to the information they need. We value the power of unique perspectives and experiences to unlock innovation. At OCLC, your ideas matter, whether you have two years of experience or 20. You’ll learn, create, and problem-solve with technologists, product developers, librarians, researchers, marketing pros, and support teams around the world. Why join OCLC? OCLC is consistently recognized as a best place to work by several independent programs. We recognize and reward people and results with a comprehensive Total Rewards package. This means competitive compensation that reflects your unique contributions—performance, experience, and skills—along with exceptional benefits, including best-in-class health coverage, retirement plans with generous company contributions, and a commitment to your overall well-being. We know the best ideas don’t always happen at a desk. Take a walking meeting around our 100-acre campus or enjoy lunch on the patio. We’re committed to your success—both personally and professionally. Hybrid work environment: For many roles, three days a week on-site, with occasional additional days based on business needs. Free use of our on-site fitness center, gym sports, group exercise classes, and game room Onsite catering and cafeteria subsidized by OCLC Health and wellness events Work environments with individual and team spaces and the latest technology tools Paid parental leave and adoption assistance Tuition reimbursement and Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility Company-subsidized pricing on local tickets and memberships Join us in transforming how people everywhere access information and be part of a mission-driven team that makes a global impact. The job details are as follows: OCLC is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join the WorldCat Engineering Data Access Team (DAT). This role provides hands-on technical leadership across the core platform and delivery pipelines that powers WorldCat data retrieval, record updates, authority lookups, and downstream integrations used globally by libraries and OCLC products. Responsibilities: Lead the design, development, and support of core data storage APIs and pipelines for supporting real-time updates and retrieval of bibliographic content Provide technical leadership and mentoring to a team of engineers by guiding architecture decisions, conducting regular code reviews to ensure adherence to industry best practices and standards, and fostering a collaborative, cross-functional culture. Translate product and technical requirements into scalable, fault-tolerant service implementations focusing on throughput, latency, and 24×7 reliability. Own and evolve core services, including WorldCat Access APIs, delivery workflows, partner/customer endpoints, and orchestration logic. Drive modernization efforts including containerization, observability improvements, service decomposition, and cloud-ready architecture patterns. Collaborate with product and engineering teams to ensure end-to-end performance, alignment, and consistency across the WorldCat ecosystem. Improve delivery reliability and automation, reducing manual intervention through enhanced tooling, monitoring, and proactive issue detection. Lead cross-team engineering initiatives for new features, performance enhancements, platform integrations, and capacity planning. Evaluate emerging technologies that strengthen long-term architecture, maintainability, and operational health in support of OCLC’s mission Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in computer science or related discipline, or equivalent work experience. Minimum of 7 years of backend or distributed systems development experience. Expert-level proficiency in: Java, object-oriented design, distributed service patterns Spring Boot, Spring Framework Build tools, such as Maven or Gradle RESTful API design and implementation High-throughput, resilient service architecture Strong experience with Linux/Unix environments. Strong experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and Git. Excellent communication and collaboration skills with proven ability to lead and mentor engineers. Strong problem-solving and analytical skills. Experience integrating AI tools, frameworks, and concepts into the software development process. Highly Desired Skills: Experience using AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Cursor AI, etc…) Hands-on experience with both relational and NoSQL databases (e.g., HBase, PostgreSQL, Cassandra, MongoDB). Experience with big-data concepts and frameworks such as Hadoop, HBase, Spark, and Snowflake Knowledge around ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) pipelines and architectures Strong familiarity with observability and monitoring platforms (New Relic, Grafana, Prometheus, etc…) Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), orchestration, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure). Experience maintaining applications according to documented open standards, including both industry-wide best practices (e.g., REST, microservices architecture) and specific internal compliance guidelines, ensuring consistency and interoperability. Practical experience with TDD (Test Driven Development) and Agile methodologies Required Skills: Java, Object-Oriented Design, Spring Framework, RESTful APIs, Web Services, SQL databases (MySQL, Oracle), Linux/Unix, Version control (Git, SVN) Working Conditions: Normal office environment. HYBRID position ADA/EAA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be the principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties. Don't see a role that fits just yet? Send your resume to our Talent Acquisition Team for future opportunities! Who we are: We are a non-profit global technology company that develops innovative services for libraries. Together with member libraries, we connect people to the resources they need to learn and grow, and ultimately, to transform the world. We connect libraries to other libraries, making their work more efficient and effective. Our large-scale, high-performance cloud computing services enable libraries to share data, work, and resources to save money and better serve their communities. What we do: We are dedicated and passionate about libraries—and helping them change lives. Our goal is to provide innovative technologies for every library to help them meet the demands of a rapidly changing digital world. Our success depends on our ability to deliver new, high-quality features and stable, scalable solutions for libraries. Live our values: New ideas. Open dialog. Hard work. Recognition. Purpose. We offer a dynamic, fulfilling work environment that is productive, collaborative, innovative—and fun. We are consistently rated among the top employers within Central Ohio and across the IT landscape. There is a strong, team-based culture where everyone is appreciated and focused on common goals. You will make a difference. OCLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. If you are interested in applying for employment with OCLC and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply for a posted position, contact our Human Resources Department at +1-614-764-6000 or email at hr@oclc.org