Lead Java Engineer

Saint Louis, MO, US • Posted 5 hours ago • Updated 30 minutes ago

Contract Independent

Contract W2

Contract Corp To Corp

On-site

VDart, Inc.

Fitment

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Job Details

Skills

Lambda
Stream API
Java 8/11/17

Summary

Job Title: Lead Java Engineer

Location: St. Louis MO

Duration: / Term: 6+ months

Experience Desired: 12+ Years

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly accomplished Principal Java Engineer to lead the design and evolution of large-scale, mission-critical backend systems. This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader who combines deep Java expertise with architectural vision, performance optimization skills, and a strong engineering craftsmanship mindset.

You will define technical direction, guide engineering standards, and build highly scalable, resilient systems operating at high throughput (TPS) in cloud-native environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead architecture and design of high-scale distributed systems using Java
Define and enforce engineering best practices, coding standards, and design principles
Design scalable microservices and event-driven architectures
Drive performance optimization, scalability improvements, and system reliability
Mentor senior engineers and influence cross-team technical decisions
Conduct architectural reviews and provide consultative guidance
Ensure high code quality through TDD, code reviews, static analysis, and automation
Collaborate with Product, DevOps, and Platform teams to align system design with business goals
Lead modernization initiatives (legacy to microservices, monolith decomposition, cloud migration)
Contribute to observability, resilience, and fault-tolerant system design

Technical Expertise Required:

Core Java & Backend

Deep expertise in Java 8/11/17
Strong knowledge of:

Lambda expressions & Stream API
Concurrency & multithreading
CompletableFuture & async programming
JVM performance tuning & memory management

Extensive experience with Spring Boot / Spring Cloud

Architecture & Distributed Systems

Microservices architecture
Event-driven systems (Kafka or equivalent)
REST API design (spec-first / OpenAPI preferred)
High-availability & fault-tolerant system design
Circuit breakers, rate limiting, caching strategies
Horizontal scaling and high TPS environments

Data & Persistence

Strong expertise with: Oracle / DB2 / PostgreSQL / MySQL, MongoDB or other NoSQL databases
Data modeling for high-scale systems
Performance tuning (query optimization, indexing strategies)

DevOps & Platform

CI/CD (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or equivalent)
Docker & Kubernetes
Observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, etc.)
Cloud platforms (AWS / Azure / Google Cloud Platform)

Code Quality & Engineering Excellence

TDD / BDD
Static analysis tools (SonarQube)
Strong understanding of design patterns & SOLID principles
Experience in conducting architectural reviews

Leadership Expectations

Act as a technical authority and strategic advisor
Influence engineering culture toward craftsmanship and excellence
Challenge assumptions using data and performance benchmarks
Mentor engineers across levels
Drive long-term architectural vision

Ideal Background

12 18+ years of experience in backend engineering
Proven track record of designing high-scale, always-on systems
Experience in payments, telecom, fintech, healthcare, or other high-throughput domains preferred
Strong communicator capable of presenting to senior stakeholders

Key Skills:

Java 8/11/17, Lambda, Stream API, JVM, Kafka

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.

Dice Id: 10330808
Position Id: 2026-94890
Posted 5 hours ago

Company Info

About VDart, Inc.

VDart, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is a global leader in digital talent solutions and IT staffing, delivering top technology professionals to businesses worldwide. With a strong presence across North America, Europe and Asia, we specialize in helping organizations navigate complex technology landscapes with the right expertise.

Through a strategic, client-focused approach, we have placed over 20,000 professionals across key industries and advanced technology solutions. Whether placing top talent in cutting-edge roles or providing strategic digital workforce solutions, our network of 4,000 specialists across 13 countries is committed to excellence, agility and impact.

Backed by 18 years of industry experience, we go beyond staffing to build long-term partnerships that accelerate digital transformation and drive sustained growth. Whether you need a technology partner to fuel innovation or specialized workforce solutions to maintain a competitive edge, VDart delivers the right people, skills and mindset to create a lasting impact in a digital-first world.

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