Senior R&D Software Developer Jobs in Madison, WI

It Starts Here:

Santander is a global leader and innovator in the financial services industry and is evolving from a high-impact brand into a technology-driven organization. Our people are at the heart of this journey and together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what's possible. This is more than a strategic shift. It's a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

If you are interested in exploring the possibilities We Want to Talk to You!

The Difference You Make:

The Senior Developer, Application Development serves as a highly experienced, hands-on technical contributor supporting multiple complex application initiatives. This role plays a critical part in the analysis, design, development, troubleshooting, and maintenance of enterprise software solutions that support key business units. The Senior Developer operates with a high degree of autonomy, provides deep technical expertise across systems and components, and contributes to architectural decisions and delivery strategy. The role requires strong problem-solving skills, accurate workload estimation, and the ability to clearly communicate and drive solutions for complex technical challenges.

• Act as a senior hands-on developer across multiple complex application initiatives.
• Lead technical analysis, design, development, and maintenance of software applications and components.
• Provide advanced expertise in troubleshooting complex application, system, and performance issues.
• Design, implement, and support system enhancements, refactoring, and modernization efforts.
• Research, evaluate, and implement solutions for performance monitoring, tuning, scalability, and system configuration.
• Drive the development and maintenance of automated test suites and quality assurance practices.
• Contribute significantly to technical design and architectural decisions for complex projects.
• Accurately estimate effort, identify technical risks, and help plan delivery milestones.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to associate and mid-level developers.
• Partner closely with architects, product owners, and business stakeholders to achieve key objectives.
• Promote engineering best practices, code quality, and continuous improvement within the team.

What You Bring:

To perform this role successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience - Required.
• 9+ years of hands-on application development experience, with strong expertise in Java in a distributed system. - Required.
• Advanced proficiency in object-oriented programming and design patterns.
• Proven expertise in modern software paradigms, including:
  • Web and backend development
  • Service-oriented and microservices architectures
  • Cloud computing concepts
  • Test-driven development (TDD)
  • Domain-driven design (DDD)
• Strong service-oriented architecture and integration experience.
• Strong SQL and relational database skills.
• Demonstrated ability to design and troubleshoot large-scale, high-availability systems.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives and context switch effectively.
• Ability to continuously evaluate existing systems and drive improvements.
• Commitment to maintaining industry knowledge, standards, and best practices.
• Curiosity and aptitude for adopting new technologies and collaborating to deliver custom solutions.
• Backend / server-side development expertise.
• Experience with performance-critical, scalable systems is highly desirable.

Certifications:

• No Certifications listed for this job.

It Would Be Nice For You To Have:

• Established work history or equivalent demonstrated through a combination of work experience, training, military service, or education.
• Experience in Microsoft Office products.

Work Authorization & Sponsorship:
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without requiring employer sponsorship to commence employment.

What Else You Need To Know:

The base pay range for this position is posted below and represents the annualized salary range. For hourly positions (non-exempt), the annual range is based on a 40-hour work week. The exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, training, licensure and certifications and location.

Base Pay Range:

Minimum:

We Value Your Impact:

Your contribution matters and it's recognized. You can expect a fair and competitive rewards package that reflects the impact you create and the value you deliver. We know rewards go beyond numbers. Offering more than just a paycheck our benefits are designed to support you, your family and your well-being, now and into the future. Santander Benefits - 2026 Santander OnGoing/NH eGuide (foleon.com)

Risk Culture:

We embrace a strong risk culture and all of our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

EEO Statement:

At Santander, we value and respect differences in our workforce. We actively encourage everyone to apply. Santander 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, genetics, disability, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Working Conditions:

Frequent minimal physical effort such as sitting, standingand walking is required for this role. Depending on location, occasional moving and lifting light equipment and/or furniture may be required.

Employer Rights:

This job description does not list all of the job duties of the job. You may be asked by your supervisors or managers to perform other duties. You may be evaluated in part based upon your performance of the tasks listed in this job description. The employer has the right to revise this job description at any time. This job description is not a contract for employment and either you or the employer may terminate your employment at any time for any reason.

What To Do Next:

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible application process for all candidates. If you require any assistance or accommodation due to a disability or any other reason, please contact us at TAOps@santander.us to discuss your needs.