Lead Software Engineer Jobs in New Jersey
Lead Software Engineer jobs in New Jersey are in strong demand, with consistent hiring across financial services, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and enterprise technology companies serving the greater New York metro corridor. Newark, Jersey City, and Princeton are the most active hiring centers, with well-established employers like Johnson & Johnson, Comcast Technology Solutions, and Cognizant maintaining significant engineering headcount in the state. Cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and full-stack platform engineering are the specialties appearing most consistently in New Jersey postings. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Tech - Lead Software Engineer, 603 (SWES04)
Carry out critical tech solutions across multiple technical areas as an integral part of an agile team
Description for Internal Candidates
We have an opportunity to impact your career and provide an adventure where you can push the limits of what's possible.
As a Lead Software Engineer at JPMorgan Chase within the Wholesale Credit Risk Technology Analytics Team, you are an integral part of a fast-paced agile team dedicated to enhancing, building, and delivering trusted, market-leading technology products in a secure, stable, and scalable manner. As a core technical contributor, you will be responsible for implementing critical technology solutions across multiple technical domains, supporting various business functions to achieve the firm's business objectives.
Job responsibilities
- Executes creative software solutions, design, development, and technical troubleshooting with ability to think beyond routine or conventional approaches to build solutions or break down technical problems
- Develops secure high-quality production code, and reviews and debugs code written by others
- Identifies opportunities to eliminate or automate remediation of recurring issues to improve overall operational stability of software applications and systems
- Leads evaluation sessions with external vendors, startups, and internal teams to drive outcomes-oriented probing of architectural designs, technical credentials, and applicability for use within existing systems and information architecture
- Leads communities of practice across Software Engineering to drive awareness and use of new and leading-edge technologies
- Provide guidance to junior software engineers
- Adds to team culture of diversity, opportunity, inclusion, and respect
Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 7+ years applied experience.
- Hands-on practical experience delivering system design, application development, testing, and operational stability
- Advanced in coding in Python
- Experience coding in Java
- Proficiency in automation and continuous delivery methods
- Proficient in all aspects of the Software Development Life Cycle
- Advanced understanding of agile methodologies such as CI/CD, Application Resiliency, and Security
- Demonstrated proficiency in software applications and technical processes within a technical discipline (e.g., cloud, artificial intelligence, machine learning, mobile, etc.)
- In-depth knowledge of the financial services industry and their IT systems
- Practical cloud native experience
- Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills
- Practical cloud native experience (AWS)
- Databricks experience
- LLM Engineering experience preferred
We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary determined based on the role, experience, skill set and location. Those in eligible roles may receive commission-based pay and/or discretionary incentive compensation, paid in the form of cash and/or forfeitable equity, awarded in recognition of individual achievements and contributions. We also offer a range of benefits and programs to meet employee needs, based on eligibility. These benefits include comprehensive health care coverage, on-site health and wellness centers, a retirement savings plan, backup childcare, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, financial coaching and more. Additional details about total compensation and benefits will be provided during the hiring process.
We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. We also make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as mental health or physical disability needs. Visit our FAQs for more information about requesting an accommodation.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Veterans
ABOUT THE TEAM
Our professionals in our Corporate Functions cover a diverse range of areas from finance and risk to human resources and marketing. Our corporate teams are an essential part of our company, ensuring that we're setting our businesses, clients, customers and employees up for success.
See All 90 Lead Software Engineer Jobs in New Jersey
Find roles in New Jersey that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Lead Software Engineer JobsLead Software Engineer Jobs by City in New Jersey
Where New Jersey roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Lead Software Engineer Job Market in New Jersey
A snapshot from current New Jersey openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- JPMorganChase72

- Lockheed Martin2

- Citi1

- KPMG1

- PGIM1

Top Industries Hiring
- Banking & Financial Services16
- Investment & Asset Management15
- Fintech14
- Automotive1
- Accounting & Auditing1
What New Jersey Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in lead software engineer jobs across New Jersey.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related field
- Seven or more years of software development experience with at least two in a technical leadership role
- Proficiency in one or more languages such as Java, Python, Go, or C++ in production environments
- Experience designing and operating distributed systems or cloud-native applications on AWS, Azure, or GCP
- Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers, lead code reviews, and drive architectural decisions
- Strong communication skills to partner with product managers, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams
Lead Software Engineer Jobs in New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a lead software engineer in New Jersey?
Becoming a lead software engineer in New Jersey typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field followed by several years of progressive engineering experience. New Jersey does not require a state-issued license for software engineers, so the path centers on building deep technical expertise, contributing to large codebases, and taking on informal leadership responsibilities. Strong candidates in New Jersey's market often have experience in financial technology, life sciences platforms, or enterprise SaaS, which are the verticals that dominate hiring here.
How much do lead software engineers make in New Jersey?
Lead software engineers in New Jersey earn a median of about $135,940 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $84,880 for the lowest 10% to over $207,200 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire lead software engineers in New Jersey?
Employers hiring lead software engineers in New Jersey right now include JPMorganChase, Lockheed Martin, and Citi, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. New Jersey's concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters in financial services, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications means lead engineering roles here often involve large-scale, regulated, or mission-critical platforms.
Which New Jersey cities have the most lead software engineer jobs?
The cities with the most lead software engineer openings in New Jersey are Jersey City, Newark, and Camden. Jersey City and Newark benefit from their position in the New York financial corridor, where major banks and fintech firms maintain engineering hubs, while Princeton and its surrounding suburbs draw postings from pharmaceutical giants and research-driven technology companies headquartered along the Route 1 corridor.
Are there remote lead software engineer jobs in New Jersey?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 73% of lead software engineer openings tied to New Jersey are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting how thoroughly desk-based and tool-mediated senior engineering work has become. Architecture reviews, code reviews, and cross-team planning are the functions most commonly performed fully remote, while on-site presence is most often required for regulated industries like defense contracting or on-premises financial infrastructure.
How can I get hired as a lead software engineer in New Jersey with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing a mid-level software engineer role at a New Jersey employer and building toward the lead level from within. Large New Jersey technology and pharmaceutical employers, including those operating innovation centers in Parsippany, Bridgewater, and Cherry Hill, regularly hire associate and software engineer II candidates from local programs at Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Building a portfolio that demonstrates system design thinking and mentoring, even in open-source or volunteer contexts, significantly strengthens a promotion case or lateral move into a lead title.
Where can I find and apply to lead software engineer jobs in New Jersey?
You can find and apply to lead software engineer jobs in New Jersey on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers hiring in the state. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 90 Lead Software Engineer Jobs in New Jersey
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