About Symetra Financial

Symetra Financial is a leading national financial services company dedicated to helping individuals and businesses achieve financial security and confidence in their future. Specializing in life insurance, retirement solutions, and employee benefits, Symetra operates with core principles of value, transparency, and sustainability. By offering competitive products and services, Symetra empowers more people to access financial freedom. As a trusted name in the insurance and finance sector, Symetra fosters an inclusive environment where innovation drives progress, making it an ideal place for tech professionals to build impactful careers.

Role Overview

Symetra Financial is seeking a seasoned Staff Software Engineer to lead technological innovation and mentor the next generation of developers. In this pivotal individual contributor role, you will collaborate with delivery teams and business partners to design, build, and maintain secure, scalable solutions serving internal and external customers. With expertise in Angular, C#, AWS, and Agile practices, you will drive high-quality outcomes, estimate development efforts, and champion best-in-class engineering standards. This position offers a chance to shape the future of Symetra's technology stack in a regulated industry handling sensitive financial data.

Key Responsibilities

As a Staff Software Engineer at Symetra, your impact will span the full development lifecycle. Key duties include developing secure, high-performance code using modern tools like C#, Angular, and AWS services while adhering to rigorous team standards. You will architect key solutions leveraging microservices, design patterns, and cloud-native technologies, ensuring compliance with security, disaster recovery, performance, logging, and monitoring protocols.

Additional responsibilities encompass creating reusable components, participating in code reviews, defining versioning strategies, and optimizing system efficiency. Lead comprehensive testing efforts by designing plans, introducing frameworks, and ensuring broad coverage. Drive automation in builds and deployments, establishing CI/CD pipeline standards. Perform root cause analysis on production issues, implement preventive measures, and guide architectural decisions through design reviews. Mentor senior engineers, foster cross-platform collaboration, and spearhead proof-of-concept initiatives to innovate within Symetra's life insurance, retirement, and employee benefits platforms.

Qualifications & Requirements

To excel in this role, candidates must hold a high school diploma plus a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a related field, backed by 12-15+ years of software development expertise. Proficiency in AWS/cloud technologies, SQL and NoSQL databases, C#, Java, .NET, Spring Boot, Angular, and AWS Lambdas is essential. Demonstrated ability to build high-performance, low-latency, secure, scalable applications, integrate external APIs, and manage vendor relationships is required.

Strong communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills are critical, along with the capacity to guide developers toward cost-effective, strategic solutions. Previous experience in regulated industries, such as insurance or finance, handling sensitive data is highly preferred. Passion for Agile methodologies and a commitment to excellence will set you apart.

Technical Expertise

Deep knowledge of microservices, cloud-native services, CI/CD, and performance optimization is non-negotiable. Familiarity with securing applications in compliance-heavy environments ensures alignment with Symetra's standards.

Benefits & Perks

Symetra Financial prioritizes employee well-being with tailored benefits that enhance life both at work and home. Enjoy a competitive salary range of $141,600 - $236,000, plus eligibility for the annual bonus program. Plan for retirement with a 401(k) featuring immediate vesting and company matching up to 6%. Flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting options provide work-life balance, complemented by paid time away including vacation, sick time, flex days, and ten paid holidays.

Give back through community involvement with doubled impact via company matching. Symetra's inclusive culture, as highlighted by employees like Kerry S. and Cris H., emphasizes growth, learning, and support, viewing failure as part of the success journey.

Career Growth

At Symetra, career advancement is fueled by investment in your development. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will mentor others, lead initiatives, and contribute to technical partnerships, positioning you for leadership roles. The company's commitment to becoming the most inclusive insurance firm offers diverse opportunities to innovate in life insurance, retirement planning, and employee benefits technology.

Why Join Symetra

Symetra stands out with its employee-centric culture that challenges and supports you simultaneously. Employees rave about the investment in personal success, opportunities to learn the insurance industry, and a fearless approach to innovation. Joining Symetra means contributing to a stronger, more innovative company while advancing your expertise in a premium financial services environment focused on real-world financial goals.

Role FAQs

What is the experience level required?

12-15+ years in software development, with senior-level proficiency in specified technologies.

Is this a remote role?

Flexible full-time or hybrid telecommuting arrangements are available.

What salary can I expect?

$141,600 - $236,000 base, plus annual bonus eligibility.

Does Symetra support professional growth?

Yes, through mentoring, POCs, and a culture that embraces learning and innovation.

How does Symetra promote inclusion?

By valuing diverse perspectives, removing barriers, and building an environment where everyone contributes to innovation.