Lead Java Developer

We are hiring a Lead Software Engineer to own technical direction for a large multi-module Java enterprise platform with a modern React UI, batch processing, partner integrations, and AWS-hosted containerized deployments.

You will lead design and delivery across a mature codebase while modernizing architecture, cloud operations, and developer experience. Experience building AI agents / LLM-powered workflows is a strong plus.

Please advise if you are looking for similar opportunity.

Job Title: Lead Java Developer

Location: Walnut Creek, CA (Hybrid) Local only

Duration: Long term contract

Experience: Prefer 12 - 14 years

In-person interview with client

About the role

We are hiring a Lead Software Engineer to own technical direction for a large multi-module Java enterprise platform with a modern React UI, batch processing, partner integrations, and AWS-hosted containerized deployments.

You will lead design and delivery across a mature codebase while modernizing architecture, cloud operations, and developer experience. Experience building AI agents / LLM-powered workflows is a strong plus.

What you'll do

• Lead end-to-end delivery of features across backend services, APIs, UI, and integrations
• Architect and review solutions in a large Maven multi-module Java/Spring application
• Guide evolution of the platform: legacy server-rendered UI alongside modern React, APIs, and batch jobs
• Own or partner on AWS deployment and reliability for containerized Tomcat services (ECS, CDK pipelines, secrets, observability)
• Mentor engineers, set coding standards, drive design reviews, and improve CI/CD and release quality
• Partner with product and stakeholders on external integrations.
• Diagnose production issues across application, database, and infrastructure layers; strengthen monitoring and runbooks
• Optionally lead or contribute to AI-agent initiatives that automate workflows, data handling, or developer productivity

Required qualifications

• Prefer 12+ years professional software engineering experience; 2+ years in a lead / staff / tech-lead capacity
• Deep expertise in Java (Java 8+; comfort with large enterprise codebases)
• Strong hands-on experience with Spring (MVC, Security, Batch, SOAP/REST), Hibernate/JPA, and relational data modeling
• Solid SQL / MySQL skills: schema design, query tuning, transactional integrity
• Experience with Maven, multi-module builds, and Tomcat (or similar Java app servers)
• Proven AWS experience in production: ideally ECS/Fargate, ECR, ALB, Secrets Manager / SSM, S3, CloudWatch, and IaC (CDK, CloudFormation, or Terraform)
• Experience modernizing or maintaining legacy enterprise systems while delivering incremental improvements safely
• Strong design, debugging, and communication skills; ability to lead without blocking the team

Preferred qualifications

• React (or similar SPA) experience - Vite, Redux/RTK, Material UI a plus
• Observability: Datadog, structured logging, APM, on-call practices
• Docker, CI/CD (Jenkins, CodePipeline/CodeBuild), artifact registries (CodeArtifact/Nexus)
• AI agent building experience (plus): Tool-calling agents, MCP, or workflow automation agents applied to enterprise systems