Technical Lead, Software Engineering

Rakuten Kobo Inc.; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 8,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Rakuten Symphony in Bengaluru seeks a Senior Lead Software Engineer to design and implement scalable microservices using Java 17+ and Spring Boot, and to drive architectural decisions across teams.

You will mentor engineers, own end-to-end delivery, work with Kubernetes, Docker, Kafka, and NoSQL databases, and help optimize performance in a cloud-native environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of software development experience with at least 2+ years in a Lead/Senior role.
• Proficiency in Java 17+ and the Spring Boot ecosystem.
• Deep understanding of Microservices architecture and RESTful APIs.
• Experience with Apache Kafka and NoSQL databases (Cassandra, DynamoDB).
• Hands-on with Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and system design principles.
• Ability to write testable code (JUnit/Mockito) and implement monitoring/observability (Prometheus/Grafana/ELK).
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Leadership: design scalable, secure microservices.
• Systems Design: lead technical design discussions with clear documentation.
• Full-Lifecycle Ownership: drive projects from conception to deployment and monitoring.
• Mentorship: guide junior/senior engineers and conduct code reviews.
• Infrastructure & Orchestration: manage Docker/Kubernetes workloads and pipelines.
• Data & Messaging: architect event-driven systems using Kafka; design schemas for NoSQL databases.
• Performance Optimization: identify bottlenecks and optimize production systems.
• Agile Execution: plan work with milestones and ensure timely delivery.

Skills

Java 17+

Spring Boot

Microservices

RESTful APIs

DSA & System Design

JUnit/Mockito

Prometheus/Grafana/ELK

Communication

Education

BTech/MTech in CS/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

Apache Kafka

NoSQL (Cassandra/DynamoDB)

Job description

Job Description: Why should you choose us?

Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth. Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security. Rakuten Symphony has operations in Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, South Korea, Europe, and the Middle East Africa region. For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com Building on the technology Rakuten used to launch Japan’s newest mobile network, we are taking our mobile offering global. To support our ambitions to provide an innovative cloud-native telco platform for our customers, Rakuten Symphony is looking to recruit and develop top talent from around the globe. We are looking for individuals to join our team across all functional areas of our business – from sales to engineering, support functions to product development. Let’s build the future of mobile telecommunications together!

About Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755)

A global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to 2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has over 30,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.

Key Responsibilities

• Architectural Leadership: Design and implement scalable, secure, and high-performance microservices using Java and Spring Boot.
• Systems Design: Lead technical design discussions, providing clear documentation and diagrams for distributed systems, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance.
• Full-Lifecycle Ownership: Drive projects from conception (requirements/specifications) through to deployment and production monitoring.
• Mentorship: Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and mid-level engineers, conducting rigorous code reviews and promoting engineering best practices.
• Infrastructure & Orchestration: Manage containerized workloads using Docker and Kubernetes; optimize deployment pipelines and service meshes.
• Data & Messaging: Architect event-driven systems using Apache Kafka; design efficient schemas and data models for NoSQL databases (e.g., Cassandra, or Redis).
• Performance Optimization: Proactively identify system bottlenecks, conduct performance tuning, and resolve complex production issues.
• Agile Execution: Create work plans with verifiable milestones and ensure the team delivers high-quality features on schedule.

Requirements

• Experience: 6+ years of software development experience, with at least 2+ years in a Lead or Senior role.
• Core Skills: Exceptional proficiency in Java 17+ and the Spring Boot ecosystem.
• Architecture: Deep understanding of Microservices architecture, RESTful APIs.
• Data & Streaming: Strong experience with Apache Kafka (or similar message brokers) and NoSQL databases (e.g., Cassandra, DynamoDB).
• Cloud-Native: Hands-on experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Fundamentals: Strong command of Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) and advanced System Design principles (scalability, CAP theorem, eventual consistency).
• Quality: Proven track record of writing testable code (JUnit/Mockito) and implementing effective monitoring/observability (Prometheus/Grafana/ELK).
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Education: BTech/MTech in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.

Desired Skills

• Experience with Service Mesh (Istio/Linkerd).
• Experience with Cloud Providers (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Prior experience in the Telecommunications domain or high-concurrency fintech platforms.

Rakuten SHUGI Principles

• Always improve, always advance.
• Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen.
• Be passionately professional.
• Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best.
• Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika.
• Use the Rakuten Cycle to success in unknown territory.
• Maximize Customer Satisfaction.
• The greatest satisfaction for workers in a service industry is to see their customers smile.
• Speed!! Speed!! Speed!!
• Always be conscious of time.
• Take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team.

Rakuten Symphony is reimagining telecom, changing supply chain norms and disrupting outmoded thinking that threatens the industry’s pursuit of rapid innovation and growth.

Based on proven modern infrastructure practices, its open interface platforms make it possible to launch and operate advanced mobile services in a fraction of the time and cost of conventional approaches, with no compromise to network quality or security. Rakuten Symphony has operations in Japan, the United States, Singapore, India, South Korea, Europe, and the Middle East Africa region. For more information, visit: https://symphony.rakuten.com Building on the technology Rakuten used to launch Japan’s newest mobile network, we are taking our mobile offering global. To support our ambitions to provide an innovative cloud-native telco platform for our customers, Rakuten Symphony is looking to recruit and develop top talent from around the globe. We are looking for individuals to join our team across all functional areas of our business – from sales to engineering, support functions to product development. Let’s build the future of mobile telecommunications together!