Engineering Manager, Software Engineering (Java Backend)

Ad Hoc LLC; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision insurance

Flexible PTO

401K with employer match

Parental leave

Job summary

Ad Hoc LLC is seeking an Engineering Manager for Software Engineering (Java Backend). This remote role guides a team delivering scalable backend services using Java, Spring Boot, and REST APIs, while staying hands-on when needed to ensure quality and delivery.

You’ll balance technical leadership with people management, mentoring engineers, and setting engineering priorities. You’ll work with stakeholders across product and program teams to modernize enterprise applications and drive impactful

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 9+ years of software engineering experience.
• 5+ years with Java backend development and hands-on Spring Boot.
• 5+ years designing RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Experience leading engineers, mentoring, and coordinating priorities.
• Strong communication with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers building Java-based backend services.
• Remain deeply involved in architecture, code reviews, and problem solving.
• Drive backend design using Java 17+, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and microservices.
• Oversee Agile delivery, sprint planning, and technical estimation.
• Collaborate with product leadership and program management to align objectives.

Skills

Java backend

Spring Boot

REST APIs

Microservices

Team leadership

Mentoring

Agile

Code reviews

Architecture

SQL/ORM

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

DevOps practices

Kafka

Job description

Engineering Manager, Software Engineering (Java Backend)

Job Number: 993

This is a remote position.

Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our team creates products that meet people's needs and transform their experience of government.

Work on things that matter

Our collaborations have shaped some of the defining moments in public-sector service delivery. We've helped build products that connect Veterans to tailored services, help millions access affordable health care, and support important programs like Head Start. As we work with agencies to deliver critical services, we're also changing how the government approaches technology.

Built for a remote life

Our culture, communications, and tools are built for remote work, enabling us to bring together top talent nationwide. At Ad Hoc, remote life empowers our teams to design work environments that fit their lives and that foster flexibility and collaboration to achieve positive outcomes for our customers.

Committed to high expectations and a welcoming culture

Ad Hoc values acceptance, accountability, and humility. We aren't heroes. We learn from our mistakes and improve the process for the next time. We build small, inclusive teams to collaborate closely with our partners to solve the right problems and deliver software that works.

The Veterans Affairs business unit helps transform the VA into a modern digital services organization where Veteran outcomes are at the center of every effort. We partner with the VA to design and deliver seamless user experiences for Veterans, their families and caregivers, and VA employees. By applying better practices in service design, product management, and technology, we enable the VA to increase the use, quality, and reliability of services and decrease the time Veterans spend waiting for outcomes.

Primary Responsibilities

As an Engineering Manager, you will combine hands-on technical leadership with people management to support the modernization of enterprise applications and services. You will guide a team of engineers developing scalable backend solutions using Java, Spring Boot, and REST APIs while remaining actively involved in engineering delivery, architecture, and technical problem-solving.

This role is ideal for an experienced software engineer who has transitioned into engineering leadership but still enjoys being close to the code. You will balance technical contributions with mentoring, coaching, and supporting engineers, helping the team deliver high-quality solutions while fostering a collaborative and accountable engineering culture.

Primary expectations of an Engineering Manager include:

• Lead and support a team of software engineers responsible for developing and maintaining Java-based backend applications and services.
• Remain technically engaged through architecture, code reviews, troubleshooting, technical design, and hands-on development as needed.
• Guide the design and delivery of backend applications using Java 17+, Spring, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and microservices.
• Provide people management responsibilities, including regular 1:1s, coaching, performance feedback, professional development, and career growth.
• Collaborate with engineers, architects, product managers, and program leadership to establish technical priorities and deliver solutions aligned with program objectives.
• Help engineers independently own complex technical challenges involving API architecture, service integration, data access, and enterprise modernization.
• Establish and reinforce engineering best practices, including automated testing, maintainable code, code reviews, and continuous improvement.
• Support Agile delivery processes, sprint planning, technical estimation, and the identification and resolution of engineering blockers.
• Identify technical risks, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement while communicating effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Partner with customer technical teams and architects to ensure solutions align with program requirements and engineering standards.
• Support hiring, technical interviews, onboarding, and team development as needed.
• Foster a collaborative engineering environment that encourages accountability, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
• Balance technical delivery responsibilities with the development, engagement, and performance of the engineering team.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 9+ years of relevant software engineering experience; relevant professional experience may be substituted for education.
• 8+ years of professional software development experience, including significant hands-on Java backend development.
• 5+ years of experience with Spring and Spring Boot developing production backend applications.
• 5+ years of experience designing, developing, or integrating RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Experience leading software engineers through technical delivery, mentorship, coaching, or formal people management.
• Experience providing performance feedback, supporting professional development, and managing engineering team priorities.
• Strong technical foundation in Java, Spring Boot, backend architecture, object-oriented programming, and API design.
• Recent hands-on software engineering experience with the ability to review code, contribute to technical designs, and troubleshoot complex backend systems.
• Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, or comparable technologies, including SQL and ORM frameworks such as Hibernate/JPA.
• Experience supporting software development across the full lifecycle, including design, development, testing, deployment, and production support.
• Experience working in Agile development environments and collaborating across engineering, product, and program teams.
• Demonstrated ability to balance technical leadership, engineering delivery, and team development responsibilities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including experience working with technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, now or in the future.
• Must be able to successfully obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active, VA-adjudicated Public Trust.
• Previous experience as an Engineering Manager, Technical Lead, Engineering Lead, or Staff Software Engineer with team leadership responsibilities.
• Experience directly managing engineers, including performance reviews, coaching, and career development.
• Experience modernizing legacy enterprise applications or transitioning monolithic systems into microservices.
• Experience with Java 17+ and modern Spring Boot frameworks.
• Experience with event-driven architecture, Kafka, Redis, or distributed systems.
• Experience with reactive programming and Spring WebFlux.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices.
• Experience supporting federal government programs, particularly the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
• Experience balancing hands-on technical contributions with formal engineering management responsibilities.
• Experience leading distributed or fully remote engineering teams.

Benefits:

• Company-subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible PTO
• 401K with employer match
• Paid parental leave after one year of service
• Employee Assistance Program

Ad Hoc LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, work-related injury, covered veteran status, political ideology, marital status, or any other factor that the law protects from employment discrimination.

We value the unique skills gained through military service and encourage veterans and transitioning service members to apply.

In support of various state and city equal pay transparency laws, Ad Hoc job descriptions feature the starting range we reasonably expect to pay to candidates who would join our team with little to no need for training on the responsibilities we've outlined above. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide range of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and responsibility. The range of starting pay for this role is $120,000 - $170,000. Our recruiters will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements.