Senior Backend Engineer - Java

Raise; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Raise is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to design, develop, and modernize backend products and platforms in a fast-paced environment. The role focuses on Java, Spring, Go, and microservices among scalable, highly available systems. Hybrid work with onsite requirements in Menlo Park/San Francisco Bay Area.

The successful candidate will work with cross-functional teams, contribute to product releases, and mentor peers while delivering high-quality software and cloud-enabled solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS or STEM.
• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience (or 5 years with a Master's, or 2 years with a PhD).
• 7+ years of Java and Spring Framework and/or Go experience.
• Strong knowledge of OOD, design patterns, and software development principles.
• Hands-on experience with microservices architectures and applications.
• Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, MySQL, Sybase, PostgreSQL.
• Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms and distributed systems.
• Experience with Agile software development and build/release/deployment processes.
• Excellent communication and ability to work with global teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop backend modules and features across components.
• Participate in technical discussions and design decisions with peers.
• Develop backend applications using Java, Spring, and/or Go with a focus on scalability and performance.
• Design and develop microservices and distributed systems with clear interfaces.
• Maintain high code quality with tests and automated quality checks.
• Develop a strong understanding of the product and its modules.
• Improve performance, scalability, and reliability through architecture and coding practices.
• Support build, release, and deployment processes in an Agile environment.
• Collaborate with global teams and communicate effectively with leadership.

Skills

Java

Spring Framework

Go

Microservices

Distributed Systems

Relational Databases

Data Structures & Algorithms

Agile Methodologies

Build/Release/Deployment

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or STEM

Tools

Kubernetes

AWS

Azure

Job description

Senior Backend Engineer - Java

Pay Rate: $68-$75/hour USD, depending on experience

Contract Length: 6 months

Location: Menlo Park /San Francisco, California US

Work Arrangement: Hybrid - onsite 3 days per week minimum, with the potential requirement for 4 days per week

Raise is currently hiring a Senior Backend Engineer on behalf of our client. They're expanding their team to support product development and modernization initiatives, making this a unique opportunity to work with an industry leader. This role is part of the Middle Office Core Platform Organization, where you will contribute to building and modernizing products that deliver meaningful business outcomes while keeping customer needs at the center of development.

Important:

Candidates must be local to the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically the Menlo Park, CA area, as this position requires regular onsite presence at the client's local office. Candidates must be available to work onsite at least 3 days per week, with the possibility of 4 days per week.

Description

The Senior Backend Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, and modernizing backend products and platforms within a fast-paced technical environment. The successful candidate will have a strong software engineering background, deep knowledge of backend technologies, and the ability to design and develop scalable, highly available systems.

You will work closely with engineering peers and cross-functional teams to design solutions, develop new features, improve existing applications, and contribute to product release goals. This role requires someone who is hands-on, customer-focused, comfortable with ambiguity, and passionate about building high-quality software.

Responsibilities

• Software Design & Development: Design and develop small modules through large components and features, ensuring solutions meet technical standards and deliver the desired business functionality.
• Technical Design & Collaboration: Participate in technical discussions, contribute to design decisions, and present technical concepts and solutions through design sessions and whiteboarding.
• Backend Development: Develop high-quality backend applications using technologies such as Java, Spring Framework, and/or Go, with a strong focus on maintainability, scalability, and performance.
• Microservices & Distributed Systems: Design and develop microservices and scalable, highly available distributed systems, including interfaces and information exchange between application modules.
• Code Quality & Testing: Maintain high standards of code quality through software engineering best practices, unit testing, automated quality checks, and continuous improvement.
• Product & Architecture Understanding: Develop a strong understanding of the overall product, its modules, and their interrelationships while maintaining deep expertise in assigned components.
• Performance & Scalability: Assess application performance and identify opportunities to improve scalability, reliability, and efficiency through effective architecture and coding practices.
• Build, Release & Deployment: Support build, release, and deployment processes and contribute to efficient and reliable product delivery.
• Agile Delivery: Work within an Agile software development environment and collaborate with peers to deliver development tasks in alignment with product release goals.
• Customer Focus: Understand customer needs and translate them into effective technical solutions that deliver measurable business value.
• Modernization & Cloud: Contribute to application modernization initiatives and the development of cloud-based software using cloud-native and open-source technologies.
• Knowledge Sharing: Share technical knowledge, mentor peers when appropriate, and build strong relationships across global engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a STEM-related discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics).
• Minimum 7 years of relevant professional software engineering experience, or 5 years with a Master's degree, or 2 years with a PhD.
• 7+ years of experience with Java and Spring Framework and/or Go.
• Strong knowledge of Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, software design patterns, and software development principles.
• Hands-on experience developing microservices architectures and applications.
• Strong experience with relational databases such as Oracle, MySQL, Sybase, PostgreSQL, or similar technologies.
• Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms and the ability to implement them effectively.
• Experience developing scalable and highly available distributed systems.
• Demonstrated experience assessing and optimizing application performance through architecture and coding best practices.
• Strong understanding of Agile software development methodologies.
• Experience with software build, release, and deployment processes.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to work through complex technical challenges and ambiguous requirements.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with technical teams and senior leadership.
• Ability to work effectively with global teams, including flexibility to collaborate across time zones.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with Python scripting.
• Experience with Service Mesh, containers, and Kubernetes technologies.
• Hands-on experience building cloud-based applications using cloud-native services and open-source frameworks.
• Experience with AWS and/or Azure native services.
• Experience with microservices, distributed systems, and cloud modernization.
• Strong understanding of application scalability, availability, performance optimization, and resiliency.
• Experience working in complex enterprise technology environments.

Business Acumen & Leadership

• Strong problem-solving abilities and the ability to clearly articulate complex technical topics and assignments.
• Ability to connect technology solutions to customer and business outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify and address customer issues within products.
• Comfortable working with limited information and ambiguous problem definitions.
• Demonstrated initiative, ownership, and clarity of thought when approaching complex technical challenges.
• Willingness to take on new responsibilities and learn new technologies or systems to deliver business value.
• Ability to establish trust, credibility, and positive working relationships across technical and business teams.

Personal Attributes

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Confident and professional when interacting with senior leadership.
• Strong collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively with global teams.
• Customer-focused and committed to delivering high-quality technology solutions.
• Adaptable, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced development environment.
• Passionate about learning new technologies and continuously improving engineering practices.

Looking for meaningful work? We can help!

We strive to build teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we work in. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including people from traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as LGBTQ2SI, veterans, and people with visible/nonvisible disabilities.