Senior Backend Architect - Microservices & Kafka Streams

Empower Retirement, LLC; Overland Park (KS); On-site; USD 114,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision and life保险

401(k) with company matching up to 6%

Tuition reimbursement

Business-casual environment

Generous paid time off

Volunteer time

Parental leave

BRGs and inclusion

Job summary

Empower Retirement, LLC is seeking a highly skilled Lead Software Engineer to design, develop, and deliver scalable enterprise applications. You will lead backend architectures using Java 11+, Spring, and microservices, and guide teams through the full software lifecycle.

The role emphasizes real-time streaming with Apache Kafka, TDD/BDD, and collaboration across disciplines to ensure high availability, security, and performance in a large-scale environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software development experience, including 2+ years in a lead/mentorship role.
• Strong expertise in Java (Java 11+).
• Hands-on with Spring, Spring Boot, and RESTful web services.
• Deep understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
• Proven experience in building real-time streaming applications with Apache Kafka.
• Strong experience in SQL (MySQL, PostgreSQL, or similar) and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra, etc.).
• Proficiency in Hibernate, JPA, and ORM concepts.
• Strong understanding and application of TDD and BDD methodologies.
• Solid understanding of software design patterns and system architecture.
• Experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD practices.
• Excellent problem-solving, debugging, and leadership skills

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of microservices-based architectures using Spring and Spring Boot.
• Architect and build real-time streaming applications using Apache Kafka.
• Define technical strategy and oversee the full software development lifecycle, from requirements to deployment.
• Mentor and guide engineers, conducting design and code reviews to ensure high standards.
• Champion TDD and BDD practices, ensuring code quality and maintainability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, reliable, and scalable software.
• Drive adoption of best practices in system design, testing, DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Optimize performance of applications and resolve complex technical issues.
• Ensure systems are built for high availability, scalability, and maintainability.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and align technical initiatives with business goals.

Skills

Java

Spring

Spring Boot

RESTful web services

Microservices

Apache Kafka

SQL/NoSQL databases

Hibernate/JPA

TDD/BDD

Leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

MySQL

PostgreSQL

Redis

Job description

Empower Retirement, LLC is seeking a highly skilled Lead Software Engineer to design, develop, and deliver scalable enterprise applications. You will lead backend architectures using Java 11+, Spring, and microservices, and guide teams through the full software lifecycle.

The role emphasizes real-time streaming with Apache Kafka, TDD/BDD, and collaboration across disciplines to ensure high availability, security, and performance in a large-scale environment.