Lead Java Engineer

Job Title: Cloud-Native Java Architect (Hybrid – St. Louis, MO)

Location: St. Louis, Missouri (Hybrid – 3 days onsite per week)

Work Authorization: US Citizens or Green Card Holders only

Shift Timing: 8 AM – 5 PM CST

Background Check: Mandatory post-offer (Criminal History included)

About The Role

We are seeking a Cloud-Native Java Architect with a passion for building scalable, resilient, and secure microservices-based systems. You’ll lead the design and delivery of web and cloud-native platforms, mentor engineering teams, and help shape modern enterprise architecture. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who thrives in high-impact, client-facing consulting environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and test modern web and cloud-native applications using Java and AWS.
• Lead architectural strategy and execution in microservices and event-driven systems.
• Drive end-to-end delivery of technical solutions and own architectural assessments.
• Break down large epics/features and delegate tasks while maintaining architectural integrity.
• Collaborate in cross-functional agile teams with product managers, designers, and engineers.
• Guide the growth of internal engineering practices through tech talks, mentorship, and hiring.
• Advocate for TDD, DDD, and clean code principles across the development lifecycle.
• Conduct code reviews to enforce design patterns, reduce technical debt, and ensure secure code.
• Implement and manage asynchronous systems with Kafka and RESTful APIs.
• Work with relational and non-relational databases, optimizing performance and reliability.
  
  

Development Best Practices

• Define and enforce best practices for development: branching strategies, peer reviews, error handling, logging, and CI/CD.
• Champion test-driven development (TDD) for robust, high-quality code.
• Promote and implement design and architectural patterns (e.g., Hexagonal Architecture, DDD).
• Drive continuous improvement and refactoring using code scanning tools and static analysis.
  
  

Technical Skills Required

• 7 years of professional experience in Java-based enterprise systems.
• Strong expertise in Core & Advanced Java (Java 8 or higher; Java 21 preferred).
• Deep hands-on experience with Spring Boot, Spring WebFlux, Spring Security, JPA.
• Microservices architecture using RESTful APIs and Hexagonal architecture.
• 3 years of team leadership experience in agile environments.
• AWS Cloud Services: EKS, EC2, S3, RDS, DynamoDB, Lambda, SQS, SNS.
• Kafka for asynchronous messaging between microservices.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes, and serverless computing (Lambda).
• Strong grasp of TDD/DDD with frameworks like JUnit, WireMock, PowerMock, ArchUnit, Cypress.
• Comfortable with tools like JIRA and other Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) platforms.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interface with clients.
  
  

Nice to Have

• Experience in consulting or working with cross-functional client teams.
• Knowledge of additional cloud services (e.g., Azure, GCP) is a bonus.
• Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Oracle Java, etc.
  
  

Additional Notes

• No Sponsorship provided.
• Hybrid Model: Candidate must be willing to work onsite 3 days/week in St. Louis, MO.
• Interview Process: 4 rounds (technical and behavioral), all conducted virtually.
• Post-offer Background Check: Includes a criminal history check (3-week turnaround).
  
  

Skills: spring,ddd,kubernetes,spring security,teams,cloud,spring webflux,advanced java,core java,kafka,junit,jira,restful apis,jpa,aws,wiremock,powermock,cypress,tdd,java,architecture,aws (eks, ec2, s3, rds, dynamodb, lambda, sqs, sns),agile,ci/cd,code,docker,spring boot,archunit,design,microservices