Senior Technical Lead (Kotlin, Spring, AI)

Mode Fair Sdn Bhd; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A tech company in Kuala Lumpur seeks a Senior Technical Lead to transform backend systems and define architecture strategies. The role emphasizes leadership in Kotlin/Java development, cloud efficiency, and implementing AI initiatives. The ideal candidate brings over 6 years in software engineering, with strong architectural vision and the ability to mentor teams. Attractive salaries, bonuses, and various benefits are offered. This position requires full-time presence in the KL office, with no remote options.

Benefits

Attractive salaries

Year-end bonuses

Medical insurance

Outpatient coverage for family

Dental and optical benefits

Flexible benefits

Phone allowance

Fun work environment

Qualifications

• Minimum 2+ years as a Technical Lead with a proven track record.
• 6+ years of experience in Software Engineering, especially Java/Spring.
• Demonstrable ability to transition into a Kotlin environment.
• Experience in designing right-sized systems and architectural patterns.
• Strong knowledge of relational databases and NoSQL.

Responsibilities

• Guide the transformation to a high-performance backend.
• Define architecture strategy and be the primary architect.
• Implement best practices in Kotlin/Java Spring development.
• Streamline AWS environment for improved developer experience.
• Lead and mentor the technical team.

Skills

Leadership

Software Engineering

Kotlin

Java/Spring ecosystem

Architectural Design

Database Tuning

AWS Cloud

AI Prompt Engineering

Job description

Senior Technical Lead (Kotlin, Spring, AI)

About the company ModeFair is an expanding tech venture that excels in GovTech. We provide a holistic suite of services, ranging from strategic counsel and conceptualisation to UI/UX design, custom‑made development & integration, and routine IT management. We aim to retain the best talent in the industry by providing a conducive working environment and market‑leading benefits. We respect our employees' autonomy and prioritise results over micromanagement, promoting a culture of trust and responsibility. We strongly advocate for a healthy work‑life balance and place utmost importance on employee well‑being. Our focus lies in long‑term, project‑based initiatives, akin to product development lifecycles.

About the Job

Guide the transformation of our current systems into a robust, sustainable, and high‑performance backend. We need a leader who possesses a holistic view of the business, making architectural and technical decisions rooted in cost‑efficiency, team velocity, and long‑term maintainability. Rather than over‑engineered complexity, you will architect "just enough" system to scale reliably while keeping the codebase manageable for a lean, agile team. The ideal candidate is a "player‑coach" who understands the trade‑offs between speed and technical debt, and can lead the transition from legacy foundations to a modern, cloud‑native stack. Working full‑time in the KL office, there are no hybrid or remote working arrangements.

Pragmatic Modernisation: Lead the sensible evolution of legacy systems. You will identify high‑impact areas for refactoring and guide the transition toward a modular architecture that remains easy to manage and deploy.

Architecture Strategy: Define a "right‑sized" architecture. Whether it’s a modular monolith or targeted micro/macro services, your goal is to balance performance with operational simplicity.

Technical Ownership: Act as the primary architect, ensuring that new features are built with scalability in mind without introducing unnecessary infrastructure bloat.

Technical Excellence: Strengthen existing technical deliverables by implementing proven best practices and remaining hands‑on in Kotlin/Java Spring development.

Cloud & DevOps Efficiency: Streamline our AWS environment to improve developer experience (DevEx) and ensure the team can deploy confidently and frequently.

Cultivate an AI‑Driven Culture: Spearhead our AI initiatives by leading the hands‑on development of solutions using LLM APIs, frameworks like LangChain, and low‑code platforms like n8n. Beyond building features, you will actively advocate for and mentor the team in adopting an AI‑driven developer workflow (e.g., Claude Code, Copilot) to multiply our collective output.

Deputy CTO: Act as the CTO’s right hand for technical decisions, project coordination, and high‑level stakeholder management. You will be trusted to handle confidential discussions and, when necessary, represent the CTO in signing official company documents and managing sensitive legal or project paperwork.

Strategic Reporting: Co‑assist the CTO in providing regular technical updates to the CEO, ensuring the business leadership has a clear, transparent view of project timelines and delivery risks.

Leadership & Mentorship: Lead by example. Co‑manage and mentor Tech, Project and QA, fostering a culture of ownership, high code quality, and practical problem‑solving.

Skills & Experience Required

Leadership: Minimum 2+ years as a Technical Lead (both leadership and hands‑on) with demonstrated strong leadership qualities, the ability to work independently, and the capacity to take full ownership of projects.

Engineering Excellence: At least 6+ years of experience in Software Engineering with deep specialisation of the Java/Spring ecosystem (Spring Boot, Security, JPA, Hibernate).

Kotlin Readiness: While production experience in Kotlin is a major advantage, we are open to Senior Java Experts who have a strong desire to transition into a Kotlin‑first environment. You must be able to demonstrate a quick learning curve and an appreciation for modern language features.

Architectural Vision: Proven track record of designing "right‑sized" systems, knowing exactly when to use a Modular Monolith vs. Microservices based on team capacity and business needs. This includes design patterns like Domain Driven Design (DDD) and Clean Architecture.

Data & Search: Strong experience in Relational DBs, NoSQL, columnar databases like ClickHouse for data analytics, OpenSearch and Redis.

Performance & Database Tuning: Expert knowledge in JVM tuning (memory management, GC optimisation) and advanced database engineering, including designing complex indexes/composite keys and architecting database partitioning and clustering strategies.

Pragmatic DevOps: Experience with AWS Cloud (AWS CDK) with a focus on automation that reduces manual toil for the engineering team.

AI Prompt Engineering: Advanced proficiency in AI Prompt Engineering to accelerate development speed, utilising tools like Claude Skills, Specs‑driven, Cursor, Copilot, or Claude Code to multiply the output of a lean team.

Operational Wisdom: You know when to say "no" to a complex technology if it doesn't serve the business or the team's current capacity.

Culture & Benefits

We offer attractive salaries and year‑end bonuses, medical insurance, outpatient coverage for your spouse and children, dental and optical benefits, flexi benefits, a phone allowance, a parking/transportation allowance, a fun and supportive environment, and fruit juice and small meals to keep you energised. The company believes in open & honest communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

How to Apply

Our team comprises passionate, forward‑thinking professionals who thrive on challenges and are dedicated to making a tangible impact. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and every voice is heard. For immediate consideration, kindly apply online.

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