Job Title: Lead Java Developer
Location: Walnut Creek, CA (Hybrid)
Duration: Long term contract
Experience: 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
8+ 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
