Tech Lead/Staff Java Engineer

Bullfinch; Town of Poland (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Bullfinch is partnering with Patrianna for a Tech Lead/Staff Java Engineer position located in Town of Poland, New York. This role involves leading technical excellence while architecting and delivering scalable Java solutions for a next-generation gaming platform.

The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in Java, advanced knowledge of PostgreSQL, and exceptional troubleshooting skills in an AI-driven engineering environment. Join us to have a genuine impact as your work shapes the gaming experience for millions.

Qualifications

• Extensive production experience with Java and deep understanding of JVM internals.
• Strong system design capabilities with proven ability to document complex architectures.
• Advanced knowledge of relational databases and performance tuning skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement complex scalable system architectures.
• Lead code reviews and establish best practices for high-quality deliverables.
• Optimize database performance, particularly with PostgreSQL.

Skills

Java

PostgreSQL

Kafka

System Design

Troubleshooting

Leadership

Tools

Spring Boot

Kubernetes

Redis

Jenkins

Job description

Bullfinch Recruitment are proud to be partnering with Patrianna, a high‑growth social gaming business delivering innovative, scalable products to a global player base. We are looking for a Tech Lead/Staff Java Engineer to join the team.

Role Overview

Lead technical excellence while architecting and delivering scalable Java solutions that power our next‑generation gaming platform.

AI‑Driven Engineering Culture

We are actively building an AI‑driven engineering organization with a clear stance: artificial intelligence is a core part of how we build and deliver software— not an experiment, not a trend, and not an optional add‑on. AI is embedded into our engineering workflows, from system design and prototyping to refactoring, testing, and code review. Engineers are expected to be fully comfortable working in AI‑driven environments and to treat AI as a primary productivity multiplier.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement complex, scalable system architectures while mentoring team members and driving technical excellence.
• Lead code reviews and establish best practices to ensure high‑quality deliverables across the engineering team.
• Optimize database performance and design robust data solutions, particularly with PostgreSQL and query optimization.
• Architect and maintain messaging systems using Kafka or similar technologies to handle high‑volume data streams.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues, taking full ownership of system reliability and performance.
• Facilitate technical discussions and foster collaborative problem‑solving across cross‑functional teams.

Qualifications

• Extensive production experience with Java and deep understanding of JVM internals and ecosystem.
• Strong system design capabilities with proven ability to document and implement complex architectures.
• Advanced knowledge of relational database principles, PostgreSQL expertise, and performance tuning skills.
• Solid grasp of messaging concepts, ideally with Kafka ecosystem experience.
• Exceptional troubleshooting abilities and strong understanding of concurrency principles and security best practices.
• Leadership experience with team mentoring and upper‑intermediate English proficiency.

Tech Stack

• Java 25
• Spring Boot 4
• Google Cloud Platform
  • Kubernetes
  • Kafka
  • AlloyDB for PostgreSQL
  • Spanner
• Ebean ORM
• Flyway
• Redis
• Quartz
• Websockets
• Retool
• Test Containers
• Locust for perf testing
• Jenkins/ArgoCD
• ELK/Sentry/Grafana
• Jira/Confluence/Slack/Bitbucket

Benefits

You’ll thrive in a high‑pace, high‑growth environment where continuous learning meets real impact. Take ownership of cutting‑edge technology solutions while working in an ego‑free, collaborative culture that values input and recognizes contributions. Every line of code shapes the gaming experience for millions of players worldwide, giving your work genuine purpose and meaning. Flexibility to work in ways that suit you while being rewarded for tangible results.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We hire based on skills, drive, and ideas—nothing else. Your background, gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, or educational path will never be a barrier to joining us. We welcome candidates from non‑traditional career journeys and a value diverse perspectives that challenge conventional thinking. Diversity fuels our innovation, collaboration, and growth, and we’re committed to creating an environment where everyone can contribute their best work and thrive.