Lead Software Engineer

Brooksource; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 96,432 - 103,320; Full time

Job summary

A retail technology client is seeking a highly skilled Services Tech Lead for a hybrid role in Columbus, OH. You will design and develop scalable backend systems and lead architecture discussions. A strong background in Java, Spring Boot, and TDD is essential. You'll mentor engineers and collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance service delivery and code quality.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in software development.
• Strong expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and RESTful web services.
• Deep experience with TDD using tools like JUnit, Mockito, or Spock.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain scalable backend systems.
• Drive and implement Test-Driven Development (TDD).
• Lead architecture and technical design discussions.

Skills

Hands-on experience in software development

Expertise in Java and Spring Boot

Experience with TDD tools like JUnit

Proficiency in GraphQL

Strong database experience

Proficiency with cloud platforms

Excellent debugging skills

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

Overview

Our retail client is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Services Tech Lead to spearhead the design, development, and delivery of scalable backend services and modern web applications. This is a hands-on technical leadership role ideal for someone with deep expertise in Java, Spring Boot, GraphQL, and modern engineering practices such as Test-Driven Development (TDD), Kafka APIs, and contract testing.

You’ll be a critical part of a tight-knit engineering team, working on high-performance systems using the latest technologies. This role is a great opportunity to lead architecture discussions, mentor engineers, and drive end-to-end delivery of backend services that power enterprise-grade systems.

Base pay range

$70.00/hr - $75.00/hr

Role

Technical Lead • Hybrid (Columbus, OH) • Contract

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain scalable, high-performance Java-based backend systems and microservices.
• Drive and implement Test-Driven Development (TDD) to ensure code quality, reliability, and maintainability.
• Build and integrate GraphQL APIs for modern, efficient, and flexible data exchange.
• Create and manage robust contract tests to validate service-to-service communication and avoid integration failures.
• Lead architecture and technical design discussions aligned with business and enterprise goals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including frontend developers, designers, DevOps, and QA engineers.
• Optimize and enhance legacy systems for performance, reliability, and maintainability.
• Conduct technical mentorship, code reviews, and advocate engineering best practices.
• Support DevOps initiatives including CI/CD pipeline improvements, monitoring, and deployment automation.
• Promote continuous improvement in code quality, team processes, and agile delivery practices.

Must-Have Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in software development
• Strong expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and RESTful web services
• Deep experience with TDD using tools like JUnit, Mockito, or Spock
• Proficiency in GraphQL schema design, query optimization, and backend integration
• Experience with contract testing tools such as Pact or Spring Cloud Contract
• Familiarity with frontend technologies/frameworks (e.g., React)
• Strong database experience with relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB) systems
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), Docker, and Kubernetes
• Solid experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and Agile methodologies
• Excellent debugging, problem-solving, and communication skills

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Prior experience leading development teams and mentoring engineers
• Background in enterprise-scale distributed systems and event-driven architecture
• Familiarity with observability tools (Grafana, Prometheus, Dynatrace)
• Passion for clean, maintainable code and scalable architecture

Equal Employment Opportunity

Brooksource provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, citizenship, disability, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.