Senior Java Architect - Chicago, IL

You will be responsible for designing and implementing enterprise-level applications using Java, Containers, Springboot, microservices, and cloud-native technologies. You will provide leadership in defining technical direction, driving architectural decisions, and ensuring that all applications are scalable, maintainable, and performant. You will work closely with product owners, engineering teams, and DevOps to ensure the solutions align with business goals and technical requirements.

Lead the design and implementation of enterprise-grade Java applications using Kubernetes, Springboot and other related technologies.

Architect and design microservices that are scalable, resilient, and optimized for cloud environments.

Provide thought leadership on the use of containers (Docker) and Kubernetes for container orchestration and deployment.

Define best practices for building cloud-native applications, emphasizing scalability, security, and maintainability.

Collaborate with stakeholders, including business analysts, product owners, and other architects, to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions.

Define and enforce standards for CI / CD pipelines, automation, version control, and code quality.

Lead and mentor development teams, providing guidance on architectural decisions, coding standards, and performance optimizations.

Ensure that systems are highly available, fault-tolerant, and performant, leveraging tools like Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud infrastructure.

Design and implement API strategies (RESTful services, GraphQL, etc.) and integrate with various data sources (SQL / NoSQL).

Work on cloud architecture and leverage cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) to optimize cost and performance.

Conduct regular code reviews and architecture reviews to ensure adherence to technical and business requirements.

Stay current with new technologies and trends in cloud-native development, containers, microservices, and distributed systems.

This position description identifies the responsibilities and tasks typically associated with the performance of the position. Other relevant essential functions may be required.

What You Need :

Experience : 8 years of professional software development experience, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership or architect role.

Extensive experience with Java and Springboot for building scalable, maintainable backend systems.

Proven experience designing and building microservices architectures and deploying them in cloud-native environments.

Strong hands-on experience with containerization technologies (Docker) and orchestration tools like Kubernetes.

Experience designing and implementing CI / CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks.

Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and deploying Java applications in cloud environments.

Technical Skills : In-depth knowledge of Java 8 , Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Spring Security, and related Spring technologies.

Hands-on experience with containers (Docker) and Kubernetes for deploying and managing applications in production.

Strong understanding of microservices architecture, API design (RESTful, GraphQL), and integration patterns.

Solid experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) and leveraging cloud-native services.

Strong background in distributed systems, message queues, and event-driven architectures (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ).

Expertise in database design and integration with SQL / NoSQL databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra).

Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Terraform, Ansible).

Architectural and Design Skills : Ability to design highly scalable, available, and fault-tolerant architectures. Strong knowledge of architectural patterns (e.g., CQRS, Event Sourcing, Hexagonal Architecture).

Familiarity with design principles such as SOLID, 12-Factor App, and Twelve-Factor App methodology.

Experience in managing and optimizing large-scale distributed systems.

Leadership and Communication : Excellent leadership skills, with experience in guiding, mentoring, and building high-performing teams.

Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make data-driven architectural decisions.

Experience in working with Agile development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban).

Preferred Skills : Security : Experience with OAuth, JWT, and other security mechanisms for securing microservices.

Monitoring & Logging : Familiarity with monitoring tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana) and logging platforms (e.g., ELK stack).

Event-Driven Architectures : Experience with event streaming technologies like Apache Kafka, AWS Kinesis, or Google Pub / Sub.

Performance Tuning : Strong background in performance optimization, profiling, and tuning Java applications.