Senior Java Engineer

Cognizant; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

401(k) plan with contributions

Paid Holidays & Paid Time Off

Long‑term/Short‑term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a Senior Java Engineer to design, develop, test, and support high‑performance backend services in an event‑driven setup. You will build Kafka‑based integrations, ensure robust automated test coverage, and instrument services for reliability while documenting decisions in Confluence.

The role emphasizes hands‑on coding and delivering scalable, observable systems. The position is hybrid, based in Toronto, with 60% coding time and visa sponsorship not available.

Qualifications

• 6–9 years of backend software development experience.
• Proficiency in Java and Spring (Boot, Cloud).
• Experience with Kafka including consumer/producer development.
• Experience creating automated tests with modern frameworks.
• Proficiency with Dynatrace or similar observability tools.
• Strong technical writing and documentation in Confluence.
• Ability and willingness to spend most time coding.

Responsibilities

• Develop backend services and APIs using Java and Spring.
• Design, build, and optimize Kafka-based integrations.
• Write and maintain automated test suites (unit/integration/regression).
• Use Dynatrace for monitoring, performance analysis, observability.
• Create and maintain architectural documentation in Confluence.
• Participate in code reviews and drive engineering best practices.
• Troubleshoot production issues and perform root-cause analysis.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.
• Spend ~60% of time coding and contributing to development initiatives.
• Establish technical standards and influence architecture strategies.
• Drive CI/CD and automation initiatives.
• Mentor and coach team members.

Skills

Java

Spring

Kafka

Automated testing

Dynatrace

Confluence

CI/CD

Code reviews

Mentoring

Problem solving

Tools

Confluence

Dynatrace

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Java Engineer with strong hands‑on experience building backend services using Java, Spring , and Kafka . This role is deeply technical and requires someone who is comfortable spending at least 60% of their time coding , proactively identifying improvements, and delivering high‑quality solutions. The ideal candidate has strong experience with automated testing , observability tools such as Dynatrace , and producing clear, concise technical documentation in Confluence .

About the Role

As a Senior Java Engineer, you will design, develop, test, and support high‑performance backend services within an event‑driven architecture. You will be responsible for building and optimizing Kafka‑based integrations, ensuring robust automated test coverage, and instrumenting services for monitoring and reliability. You will document architectural decisions, designs, and operational procedures in Confluence, ensuring clarity and alignment within the team.

This is a highly hands‑on engineering role where your contributions directly influence service reliability, scalability, and development quality.

Please note that this position is not eligible for visa transfer or sponsorship now or at any time in the future

In This Role, You Will

• Develop backend services and APIs using Java and Spring frameworks.
• Build, maintain, and optimize Kafka producers and consumers, including topic design and event processing workflows.
• Write and maintain automated test suites (unit, integration, regression) to ensure high code quality and stability.
• Use Dynatrace for monitoring, performance analysis, observability, and troubleshooting.
• Create and maintain technical documentation in Confluence, including architecture diagrams, design documents, and runbooks.
• Participate in code reviews, ensure adherence to coding standards, and drive engineering best practices.
• Troubleshoot production issues and collaborate on root‑cause analysis and long‑term fixes.
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams to clarify requirements and deliver reliable, scalable solutions.
• Spend ~60% of your time coding and proactively contributing to development initiatives.
• Establish technical standards, communicate design goals, and influence architectural strategies.
• Drive CI/CD best practices, automation initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Mentor and coach team members while promoting innovation and adoption of modern technologies.

Work Model

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 2-3 days a week in a client or Cognizant office in Toronto ON, CAN.

Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.

Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future

Required Qualifications

• 6–9 years of experience in backend software development .
• Strong proficiency in Java and Spring (Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, etc.).
• Hands‑on experience with Kafka , including consumer/producer development and event‑driven design.
• Experience in creating and maintaining automated test cases with modern testing frameworks.
• Proficiency with Dynatrace or similar observability/APM tools for monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Strong technical writing skills and experience documenting systems in Confluence .
• Ability and willingness to spend most of the time coding and contributing directly to development work.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Proactive, detail‑oriented, and committed to continuous improvement.

Additional Information

We welcome applicants who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Even if you don’t meet every listed requirement, we encourage you to apply. Consider your transferable experience and unique skills that may bring fresh perspective to the role.

Salary and Other Compensation

Applications will be accepted until March 22 nd , 2026 .

The annual salary for this position ranges from $70,000 – $110,000 , depending on experience and qualifications.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to applicable plan terms.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid Holidays & Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan with contributions
• Long‑term/Short‑term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer

The salary, benefits, and compensation information listed above is accurate as of the posting date. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, in accordance with applicable law.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.