Tech Lead – Software Engineer

Heitmeyer Consulting; Colorado; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Heitmeyer Consulting seeks a hands-on Java Tech Lead to drive modernization of backend systems from legacy/on-prem to AWS-based cloud-native architectures. You will own end-to-end backend design, including APIs, data models, and messaging, while leading design reviews and engineering standards.

The role emphasizes architectural ownership, DevOps collaboration, and production excellence in a highly regulated financial environment. Strong leadership and deep Java expertise are required.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of backend software engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead modernization and cloud transformation from on-prem to AWS.
• Decompose monoliths into scalable microservices and design APIs.
• Own end-to-end backend architecture including data models and messaging.
• Provide technical leadership across teams and drive engineering standards.
• Build and operate cloud-native services with AWS and CI/CD.
• Ensure reliability, performance, and production readiness.

Skills

Java/JVM

Backend architecture

Microservices

REST APIs

AWS

Event-driven

Leadership

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

AWS CDK

Job description

Tech Lead - Software Engineer

Job Summary

Heitmeyer Consulting is seeking a hands-on Java Tech Lead to drive end-to-end modernization of backend systems- transitioning from legacy/on-prem platforms to AWS-based, cloud-native architectures.
This role combines deep technical expertise, architectural ownership, and team leadership, with a focus on building scalable, resilient, event-driven microservices in a highly regulated financial environment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead Modernization & Cloud Transformation

• Drive migration of legacy systems from on-prem to AWS cloud-native architecture
• Decompose monolithic applications into scalable microservices
• Introduce and implement event-driven design patterns (pub/sub)

2. Own Backend Architecture (End-to-End)

• Design and deliver:
  • APIs and service interfaces
  • Data models (relational + NoSQL)
  • Messaging patterns and integrations
• Ensure systems are secure, scalable, and highly available

3. Provide Technical Leadership

• Set and communicate technical direction across teams
• Lead design reviews, code reviews, and engineering standards
• Partner with product, platform, and cross-functional teams

4. Build & Operate Cloud-Native Services (AWS)

• Design, build, and maintain backend services using AWS tools/services
• Apply cloud-native patterns to improve scalability and reliability
• Support DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines while improving engineering velocity and system resilience

5. Own Reliability, Quality & Production Operations

• Ensure systems meet expectations for:
  • Performance, availability, and resiliency
• Implement:
  • Monitoring, alerting, and observability standards
  • Testing strategies (unit, integration, contract)

6. Drive Engineering Excellence & Innovation

• Implement modern engineering practices (CI/CD, automation, DevOps)
• Leverage and guide adoption of AI-assisted development workflows
• Improve development efficiency while ensuring governance and quality

Required Skills & Experience (Must-Haves)

Technical

• 8-10+ years of backend software engineering experience
• Strong expertise in Java or JVM-based technologies
• Proven experience building microservices and REST APIs
• Hands-on experience with AWS (compute, messaging, storage)
• Experience with event-driven architectures (pub/sub, messaging systems)

Architecture & Modernization

• Experience modernizing legacy/on-prem systems to AWS
• Strong understanding of distributed systems design
• Experience designing:
  • Scalable, resilient backend services
  • APIs, data models, and messaging solutions

Leadership & Ownership

• Proven experience as a Tech Lead or senior technical leader
• Ownership of service-level architecture and production systems
• Strong collaboration across engineering, product, and platform teams
• Experience mentoring developers and driving engineering best practices

Operations & Quality

• Experience with:
  • CI/CD pipelines and automation
  • Testing strategies (unit, integration, contract)
• Strong build it / run it mindset
  • Production support, on-call, incident management
• Knowledge of observability, monitoring, and reliability practices

Nice-to-have skills (Preferred)

• Experience with:
  • Docker, Kubernetes (EKS), ECS, or serverless (Lambda)
• Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, AWS CDK)
• Domain-Driven Design (DDD) concepts
• Experience with NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Redis)
• Familiarity with API gateways (Apigee, Kong)
• Experience with observability tools (Datadog, New Relic, Prometheus)
• Experience in regulated environments (banking, PCI, SOX)
• Exposure to AI-assisted / agentic development practices

Heitmeyer Consulting is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to minority status, gender, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.