Senior Backend Engineer (Java/Kotlin)

Cognizant; Little Rock (AR); Remote; USD 63,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Paid holidays

401(k) plan

Disability insurance

Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer (Java/Kotlin) to design, build, and support scalable backend platforms and APIs powering critical business applications. You will collaborate with engineering, product, security, and partner teams to deliver secure, cloud-native solutions.

Responsibilities include designing microservices with Java/Kotlin, building REST and GraphQL APIs, implementing Spring Boot, OAuth security, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud deployments on AWS or GCP, focusing on

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with Java and/or Kotlin.
• Hands-on with RESTful APIs, GraphQL, and microservice architectures.
• Strong Spring Boot experience and modern backend practices.
• Experience with OAuth 2.0 and API security controls.
• Proficiency in AWS or GCP and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).
• CI/CD pipelines and Git-based development experience.
• Testing with JUnit/Mockito or similar tools.
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend services and microservices using Java/Kotlin.
• Advise stakeholders on API capabilities and integration best practices.
• Collaborate to onboard, troubleshoot, and resolve REST/GraphQL integration challenges.
• Translate business and technical requirements into secure, scalable solutions.
• Create technical docs, guides, and sample apps for developers and partners.
• Enhance performance, reliability, and observability in cloud-native environments.
• Implement automated tests and CI/CD pipelines; support deployment processes.
• Work with product, engineering, and security teams to meet compliance and security standards.
• Troubleshoot complex production issues in distributed systems.

Skills

Software engineering

API design

GraphQL

Java/Kotlin

Security basics

Cloud-native

Tools

Spring Boot

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

JUnit

Mockito

Job description

About the role

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Backend Engineer (Java/Kotlin) to design, build, and support scalable backend platforms and APIs that power critical business applications. In this role, you will work closely with engineering, product, security, and partner teams to deliver secure, high-performing, cloud-native solutions while serving as a technical advisor for integration initiatives.

In this role

In this role, you will:

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend services and microservices using Java and/or Kotlin.
• Serve as a technical consultant to internal and external stakeholders, providing guidance on API capabilities and integration best practices.
• Collaborate with partner teams to onboard, troubleshoot, and resolve integration challenges involving REST APIs, GraphQL services, and OAuth-based authentication.
• Gather and analyze business and technical requirements and translate them into secure, scalable technology solutions.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, integration guides, and sample applications to support developers and partners.
• Enhance application performance, reliability, monitoring, and observability in cloud-native environments.
• Implement and support automated testing frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment processes.
• Partner with product, engineering, and security teams to ensure solutions meet compliance, security, and operational standards.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues within distributed systems and microservice architectures.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, driving engineering excellence and operational efficiency.

Work model

We strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a remote position open to qualified applicants in Pleasanton,CA. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance though our various wellbeing programs.

The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. These may change based on the project you are engaged in, as well as evolving business and client requirements. We will always be transparent about role expectations.

Please note: Some roles may require in‑person interviews at Cognizant offices or client locations based on project needs.

What you need to have to be considered

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with strong expertise in Java and/or Kotlin development.
• Hands‑on experience building RESTful APIs, GraphQL services, and microservice-based architectures.
• Strong proficiency with Spring Boot and modern backend development practices.
• Experience implementing OAuth 2.0, authentication, authorization, and API security controls.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or GCP.
• Proficiency with containerization and orchestration technologies, including Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and working in Git‑based development environments.
• Hands‑on experience with automated testing frameworks such as JUnit, Mockito, or similar tools.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems and API integrations.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.

This will help you stand out

• Experience serving as a technical advisor for customer, partner, or enterprise integrations.
• Expertise in cloud-native application development and observability practices.
• Experience developing technical documentation, SDKs, integration guides, or sample applications.
• Strong knowledge of scalability, performance tuning, and reliability engineering.
• Experience working in highly collaborative, cross‑functional Agile environments.
• Passion for building secure, resilient, and developer‑friendly platforms and services.

Salary and Other Compensation

The annual salary for this position is between $63,000 to $99,500 depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer

The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.