Lead Java FullStack Developer - Local to Chicago

Overview

On Site
Depends on Experience
Accepts corp to corp applications
Contract - W2
Contract - 12 Month(s)
Able to Provide Sponsorship

Skills

Java
Spring Boot
Microservices
Kafka
PL/SQL
and AWS to design
develop
and lead mission-critical applications
GenAI

Job Details

Java Full Stack Lead Developer

Location: Chicago, IL (Onsite, locals only)
Interview: In-person interview required
Experience: 12+ Years

Role Overview:
We are seeking a Java Full Stack Lead Developer with strong expertise in Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, Kafka, PL/SQL, and AWS to design, develop, and lead mission-critical applications. The ideal candidate will bring hands-on leadership, high-throughput application experience, and a strong background in performance optimization, security, and resilient architecture. This is a lead role requiring on-site presence in Chicago and the ability to guide both design and development activities.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead the design, development, and deployment of microservice-based applications using Java, Spring Boot, and Kafka.

  • Define and implement high-performance, scalable, and resilient application architectures.

  • Ensure best practices in Spring Security for authentication, authorization, and compliance.

  • Architect and optimize Kafka integrations (producer/consumer), ensuring throughput, scalability, and resilience.

  • Drive database interaction, query optimization, and transactional management using PL/SQL.

  • Oversee AWS deployments, ensuring reliability, performance, and cost-effectiveness.

  • Conduct performance optimization at JVM, Spring Boot, and database layers.

  • Enforce high standards of code quality, problem-solving, debugging, and best practices.

  • Collaborate with product owners, architects, and cross-functional teams to deliver business-critical solutions.

  • Mentor and guide junior developers, fostering a culture of technical excellence.

  • Evaluate and leverage GenAI productivity tools where applicable to improve development workflows.

Required Skills & Experience:

  • 12+ years of professional software development experience with progressive leadership.

  • Expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and Microservices design and implementation.

  • Proven experience in Kafka (integration, performance, scalability, error handling, resilience).

  • Strong PL/SQL experience (query optimization, transactional management).

  • Hands-on AWS exposure (Lambda, S3, RDS, EC2, or related services).

  • Proven track record in high-throughput, large-scale application development.

  • Strong background in performance optimization (JVM tuning, database tuning, Spring Boot profiling).

  • Solid understanding of security practices (Spring Security, role-based access, OAuth, JWT).

  • Excellent architecture and design expertise for enterprise-grade applications.

  • Strong problem-solving, debugging, and code review skills.

  • Experience with GenAI productivity tools for code generation, optimization, or testing is a plus.

Eligibility:

  • Must be a local candidate to Chicago, IL (no relocation).

  • Must be willing to interview in-person.

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