Lead Java Backend Engineer

Valiant Technologies LLC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

Valiant Technologies LLC in Chicago, IL seeks a hands-on Lead Java Backend Engineer to design, develop, and scale enterprise APIs and microservices on our AWS-hosted platform. You will lead a small team of engineers while actively coding.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years in Java backend, strong Spring Boot, API design, and AWS experience, with the ability to drive architectural decisions and mentor teammates; onsite Mondays/Wednesdays with some remote work.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with hands-on Java backend development.
• Java 17+ (Java 21 preferred) and Spring Boot expertise.
• Extensive RESTful API and microservices design/development experience.
• Strong AWS/cloud experience with production deployments.
• Proven technical leadership including architecture decisions, reviews, and mentoring.
• API design/integration experience; Apigee/API Gateway strongly preferred.
• Experience with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and end-to-end delivery.
• Must work onsite in Chicago Mondays and Wednesdays.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of enterprise backend APIs and microservices.
• Mentor and guide a team of engineers while contributing hands-on coding.
• Drive architectural decisions and oversee code reviews and testing processes.
• Ensure reliable, scalable, and secure cloud-native solutions on AWS.

Skills

Java Backend

Spring Boot

API Design

AWS Cloud

RESTful APIs

Technical Leadership

Tools

Apigee/API Gateway

Kafka

PostgreSQL

OpenAPI/Swagger

Job description

US Citizen, Green Card, H-1B, OPT-EAD, CPT, Other

Job Title: Lead Java Backend Engineer
Location: Chicago, IL(Remote)
Duration: 24 Months + Extension
Bill Rate: $78/hour (C2C)
Job Type: W-2, 1099, C2C
Client: To Be Discussed Later
Work Authorization: US Citizen, Green Card, OPT-EAD, CPT, H-4-EAD, Other

Job Description

Looking for a hands-on Lead Java Backend Engineer to help design, develop, and scale enterprise-level APIs and microservices supporting its AWS-hosted digital platform.
This is a technical leadership role on a team of approximately 12–13 engineers. The ideal candidate can drive architecture and design decisions, guide other developers, and take ownership of complex initiatives while remaining actively involved in hands-on backend development.
This is NOT a pure architect or people management role. Candidates must still be hands-on with Java/Spring Boot development.

Must-Have Requirements

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including extensive hands-on Java backend development.
• Java 17+ (Java 21 preferred) and strong Spring Boot experience.
• Extensive experience designing and developing RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Strong AWS/cloud experience, including deploying and supporting production applications.
• Proven technical leadership experience involving architecture decisions, design reviews, code reviews, and mentoring engineers.
• Strong API design and integration experience; Apigee/API Gateway experience highly preferred.
• Experience with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and end-to-end software delivery.
• Must be able to work onsite in Chicago Mondays and Wednesdays.

Highly Preferred Technical Experience

• API Management: Apigee, OpenAPI/Swagger, API-first architecture.
• Security: OAuth 2.0, JWT, service-to-service authentication.
• Event-Driven Architecture: Kafka, AWS SQS/SNS/Kinesis, RabbitMQ, or similar.
• Databases: PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, DynamoDB, or similar SQL/NoSQL databases.
• CI/CD: Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GoCD.
• Testing: JUnit, Mockito, integration and performance testing.
• Additional: Redis, Elasticsearch, GitHub Copilot/Cursor, Agile/Scrum.

Candidate Screening Guidelines

Prioritize candidates who have

• Recent hands-on Java/Spring Boot development experience, not just architecture oversight.
• Experience functioning as a technical lead on enterprise backend/API projects.
• Strong AWS and microservices architecture experience.
• Stable work history with reasonable tenure.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship/ immigration status, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.