Senior Java Developer

CEI; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

CEI in Pittsburgh, PA is seeking a Senior Java Developer to lead backend engineering for a high-priority, Capitalized Project. The role balances hands-on coding with technical leadership, focusing on designing and scaling a robust microservices architecture.

You will guide a team of developers to build high-performance distributed systems while collaborating closely with stakeholders to drive the software development lifecycle. Locations: Pittsburgh, PA or Dallas, TX or Cleveland, OH.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS or equivalent preferred.
• 5+ years of Java backend development experience.
• Experience with microservices architectures.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and deployment of scalable microservices in Java.
• Define standards for service design, APIs, and scalability.
• Drive modernization from monoliths to microservices.
• Mentor developers and enforce coding standards.
• Participate in planning, estimation, and tracking.
• Collaborate with DevOps for CI/CD and tooling.

Skills

Java

Microservices

Backend development

Architectural design

Team leadership

REST/gRPC

Tools

Spring Framework

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

gRPC

Job description

Back Senior Java Developer

DevOps & Agile Transformation Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania Contract On-Site Oct 14, 2026

Senior Java Developer (Microservices)

Locations: Pittsburgh, PA or Dallas, TX or Cleveland, OH

Type: 12 month W2H contract, contract-to-hire opportunity

Rate: $70/hr

Schedule: M-F 8am-4pm, hybrid

Role Overview

We are seeking a Java Developer Lead to spearhead the engineering efforts for a high-priority, Capitalized Project. In this role, you will balance hands-on backend engineering with technical leadership, focusing on designing and scaling a robust microservices architecture. You will ensure the project meets capitalization criteria through rigorous engineering standards, accurate deliverable tracking, and modular design. You will guide a team of developers to build high-performance distributed systems while collaborating closely with stakeholders to drive the software development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Microservices Architecture

• Lead the design, decomposition, and deployment of scalable, distributed microservices using Java ecosystems.
• Define architectural standards and best practices for service design, APIs, and application scalability.
• Drive modernization efforts, including migration from monolithic applications to microservices-based solutions.
• Ensure systems are designed for resiliency, maintainability, and performance.

Technical Leadership

• Guide the development team, resolve complex technical blockers, and enforce high coding standards and code reviews.
• Mentor developers on software engineering best practices and modern Java development techniques.
• Conduct architecture reviews and provide recommendations for technical improvements.
• Influence technology selection, framework adoption, and architectural direction.

Capitalized Project Delivery

• Oversee the execution of core development milestones, ensuring that tasks are meticulously documented to align with asset capitalization requirements.
• Participate in project planning, estimation, and tracking activities.
• Collaborate with project managers and stakeholders to ensure delivery timelines and objectives are met.
• Support reporting and documentation efforts associated with capital project governance.

Integration & Communication

• Establish resilient synchronous and asynchronous communication patterns between services (e.g., REST, gRPC, event-driven messaging).
• Design and implement API integrations, messaging solutions, and service orchestration.
• Ensure reliable service-to-service communication through proper fault tolerance and retry strategies.
• Implement distributed tracing, logging, and monitoring practices.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with DevOps and cloud engineers to streamline containerized deployments and CI/CD pipelines.
• Work closely with business analysts, QA teams, architects, and infrastructure teams throughout the SDLC.
• Participate in Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, retrospectives, and backlog refinement.
• Support production issue resolution and continuous improvement initiatives.