Senior Java Software Engineer

Cognizant; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Dental and vision coverage

Retirement savings

Paid time off

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a Senior Java Software Engineer in Minneapolis to modernize legacy applications using Java, Spring Boot, and secure, scalable backend services. You will work with architects, product owners, analysts, QA engineers, and other squads.

The role emphasizes hands-on design, testing, and productionizing code, with a hybrid model: three days onsite and two remote in Minneapolis. You will contribute to a repeatable Claude Code/Cowork-enabled development lifecycle and own artifacts

Qualifications

• 8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience with Java and Spring Boot.
• Experience with Claude Code and Claude Cowork.
• Experience designing RESTful APIs and enterprise backend services.
• Strong object-oriented design and clean-code principles.
• Experience with relational databases and SQL; Oracle proficiency is valuable.
• Experience with automated testing, Git, Agile delivery, and CI/CD.
• Ability to translate legacy applications into modern solutions.
• Ability to review generated output for quality and security.
• Strong analytical and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Analyze legacy code and data flows across multiple technologies.
• Design, develop, test, and maintain Java/Spring Boot applications.
• Translate legacy functionality into maintainable modern components.
• Write unit, integration, and performance tests.
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, and CI/CD practices.
• Ensure security, reliability, performance, and observability of artifacts.
• Collaborate with architects, product owners, analysts, QA, and other squads.
• Produce reusable prompts/workflows for Claude Code/Cowork and review outputs.
• Take end-to-end ownership of software artifacts from analysis to deployment.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Claude Code

Claude Cowork

REST APIs

CI/CD

SQL

Agile delivery

Legacy modernization

Tools

Oracle

Git

Job description

About the role

As a Senior Java Software Engineer, you will make an impact by modernizing legacy applications into secure, scalable, and maintainable Java and Spring Boot solutions. You will be a valued member of the application modernization team and collaborate with architects, product owners, analysts, QA engineers, and other engineering squads.

In this role, you will

• Analyze legacy source code, application behavior, data flows, and business rules across multiple technologies.
• Use Claude Code and Claude Cowork as primary engineering tools to accelerate legacy-code analysis, reverse engineering, user-story creation, solution design, refactoring, code generation, testing, and technical documentation.
• Design, develop, test, and maintain scalable applications, RESTful APIs, and enterprise backend services using Java and Spring Boot.
• Translate legacy functionality into maintainable modern components while preserving business rules, functional accuracy, and customer experience.
• Review, validate, secure, and productionize code and technical artifacts generated through Claude Code and Claude Cowork.
• Write clean, testable code and create unit, integration, regression, and performance tests.
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, estimation, sprint ceremonies, deployments, and operational support.
• Apply engineering standards for security, reliability, scalability, performance, observability, and maintainability.
• Collaborate with architects, product owners, analysts, QA engineers, and other domain squads to manage dependencies and integrations.
• Communicate technical risks, blockers, assumptions, and delivery progress.
• Contribute reusable prompts, workflows, patterns, and practices that support a repeatable Claude Code and Claude Cowork-enabled software development lifecycle.
• Take end-to-end ownership of software artifacts from analysis and design through deployment and support.

Work model

We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role’s business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring three days a week onsite and two days remote in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through 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’re engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured, we will always be clear about role expectations.

What you need to have to be considered

• 8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience, with strong expertise in Java and Spring Boot application development.
• Strong hands-on experience using Claude Code and Claude Cowork in real-world software engineering or application-modernization delivery.
• Experience designing and integrating RESTful APIs and enterprise backend services using Java and Spring Boot.
• Sound understanding of object-oriented design, clean-code principles, common design patterns, and modern application architecture.
• Experience with relational databases and SQL; exposure to Oracle stored procedures and triggers is valuable.
• Experience with automated testing, Git-based development, code reviews, Agile delivery, and CI/CD practices.
• Ability to understand complex legacy applications, convert existing behavior into clear requirements, and implement modern technical solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to create effective prompts and workflows in Claude Code and Claude Cowork and critically review generated output for functional correctness, security, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

These will help you stand out

• Advanced Claude Code and Claude Cowork enablement, certification, reusable workflow creation, or experience establishing AI-enabled development practices across teams.
• Experience modernizing legacy or monolithic enterprise applications.
• Familiarity with microservices, API documentation, cloud-native development, containers, messaging, or DevSecOps practices.
• Experience in banking, payments, healthcare payments, or another regulated enterprise environment.
• Relevant Java, cloud, DevOps, or Claude Code and Claude Cowork enablement certification.
• Exposure to PHP or Golang codebases for legacy application analysis.
• Experience creating reusable AI-assisted engineering workflows and delivery patterns.

Applications will be accepted until: September 13, 2026.

Compensation

The annual salary range for this position is $81,337 - $135,000 depending on experience, qualifications, and location. In addition to base pay, this role may be eligible for [annual incentive or bonus, if applicable].

Cognizant provides a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, dental and vision coverage, paid time off, paid holidays, retirement savings benefits, and additional wellbeing programs.