Senior/Lead Java Developer (AI Architecture focus)

MetAntz; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,600,000 - 3,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Metantz seeks a Senior/Lead Java Developer with a strong focus on AI Architecture to shape and scale our backend platform. You will design, build, and maintain high-performance Java services, drive AI integration within the product, and lead a small AI team to deliver innovative features in a dynamic startup environment.

The role requires deep backend expertise, hands-on Java and Spring Boot experience, and a passion for AI-enabled product excellence in a Bengaluru setting.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of enterprise Java development experience.
• Strong proficiency in Java, Spring Boot, and microservices.
• Experience with Kafka and real-time data pipelines.
• Experience integrating AI/ML in production Java applications.
• Willingness to lead AI initiatives and teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable Java-based enterprise applications for data resiliency, ransomware defense, and data security.
• Lead the integration of AI/ML features into the core platform and guide AI initiatives.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and DevOps teams to shape platform capabilities.
• Mentor and build a small AI team to deliver AI-powered features within the product.

Skills

Leadership

Architectural design

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

CI/CD

Tools

Java

Spring Boot

Microservices

Apache Kafka

REST APIs

SQL/NoSQL databases

Python (AI/ML)

Job description

Senior, Lead Java Developer (AI Architecture focus)

Company Overview

Metantz partners with some of Bangalore's most ambitious product startups and scale-ups to place senior technical leaders who can drive transformational change. We are sourcing for Senior, Lead Java Developer (AI Architecture focus) for high-growth companies.

What You Will Be Doing

We are looking for an experienced senior (Java, AI) Developer with a strong foundation in backend engineering and a growing interest and proven skills in AI/ML to help shape the next generation of our enterprise SaaS platform. This role is primarily focused on designing, developing, and maintaining scalable Java-based solutions for data resiliency, ransomware defense, and data security — while also contributing to and gradually leading our AI initiatives. You will work closely with our product, engineering, and DevOps teams to build core platform capabilities, and also lead and build a small AI team to integrate agentic capabilities into our product. This is not a pure AI research role; we want someone who remains deeply connected to the core product and brings AI as a force multiplier, not as a separate discipline.

Core Engineering

Required Qualifications

• Design, develop, and maintain high-performance, scalable Java-based enterprise applications
• Build and enhance backend services, APIs, and microservices architecture
• Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code following best practices and coding standards
• Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize application performance and reliability
• Ensure application security, scalability, and high availability
• Support continuous integration and deployment processes
• Participate in architecture discussions and contribute to technical design decisions AI Integration & Leadership
  • Lead a small AI team to design and deliver AI-powered features within our core platform
  • Integrate AI/ML capabilities — such automated reporting, anomaly detection, smart alerts, and incident workflows — into existing Java-based services
  • Evaluate and adopt emerging AI tools and frameworks (e.g., LLMs, RAG, Agentic AI) where they add practical value to the product
  • Ensure AI solutions are production-grade, secure, explainable, performant, and aligned with business goals
  • Act as a bridge between AI experimentation and core product engineering — keeping AI grounded in real product impact
    

Core Java & Backend

• 10+ years of experience in software development for enterprise applications
• Strong proficiency in Java, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture
• Hands-on experience with Apache Kafka for building scalable, real-time data pipelines and event-driven microservices
• Experience building RESTful APIs and distributed systems
• Good understanding of databases (SQL, NoSQL) and data modeling concepts
• Strong understanding of software design patterns and system architecture

AI/ML (Hands-on Experience Preferred)

• Practical experience integrating AI/ML models or services into production Java applications
• Familiarity with Python and AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, or equivalent) is a strong plus
• Understanding of LLM integrations, RAG pipelines, or agent-based AI systems
• Exposure to AI system design and scalable AI architectures Leadership
  • Demonstrated ability to lead small technical teams or work streams
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
  • Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional and distributed teams Work Environment & Expectations
    • Based in Bangalore, working from the HSR Layout office
    • Willingness to work alternate Saturdays
    • Comfortable with dynamic workloads and flexible work hours, typical of a startup environment