VPP-105 – Principal Developer (Java/AWS) Chicago, IL - Hybrid

Vekend, Llc; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Vekend, Llc is seeking a Principal Developer to lead and contribute hands-on in designing, developing, and delivering scalable cloud-native enterprise applications. You will influence architecture, mentor teams, and drive best practices across the engineering org.

You will design and implement RESTful services, leverage Spring Boot and Kafka, and build in AWS (EC2/S3) to support mission-critical business functions in a hybrid Chicago environment.

Qualifications

• 13+ years of software development experience with strong backend engineering expertise.
• Extensive hands-on experience with Java 17.
• Strong experience building applications with Spring Boot.
• Proven experience designing and implementing Microservices architectures.
• Strong hands-on experience with Apache Kafka and event-driven systems.
• Experience developing and deploying applications within AWS environments.
• Hands-on experience with: AWS EC2 and AWS S3.
• Experience developing REST APIs and distributed systems.
• Strong understanding of software design patterns, scalability, performance optimization, and system integration.
• Experience working in Agile development environments.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a hands-on technical leader, writing production-quality code and driving engineering excellence.
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable applications using Java 17, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture.
• Build and enhance event-driven solutions leveraging Apache Kafka for high-volume messaging and integrations.
• Design and develop RESTful APIs and backend services supporting mission-critical business functions.
• Lead architectural discussions and provide technical guidance to development teams.
• Develop cloud-native applications and services within the AWS ecosystem.
• Utilize AWS EC2 for application hosting and compute workloads.
• Leverage AWS S3 for storage, data management, and application integration needs.
• Partner with product owners, architects, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.
• Drive code reviews, performance tuning, security best practices, and application reliability initiatives.
• Mentor junior and senior developers while promoting modern engineering standards and best practices.

Skills

Java 17

Spring Boot

Microservices

Apache Kafka

REST APIs

AWS

Agile development

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Job description

Department:

Project Location(s):

Chicago, IL - Hybrid

Job Type:

Employee

Education:

Bachelor's

Who You’ll Work With

We are seeking a Principal Developer to join a high-performing engineering team focused on building and modernizing enterprise applications that support critical operations and customer-facing platforms. This is ahands-on technical leadership rolewhere you will be expected to actively design, develop, and deliver scalable cloud-native solutions while influencing architecture and engineering best practices across the organization.

What You’ll Do

Serve as a hands-on technical leader, writing production-quality code and driving engineering excellence.

Design, develop, and maintain scalable applications using Java 17, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture.

Build and enhance event-driven solutions leveraging Apache Kafka for high-volume messaging and integrations.

Design and develop RESTful APIs and backend services supporting mission-critical business functions.

Lead architectural discussions and provide technical guidance to development teams.

Develop cloud-native applications and services within the AWS ecosystem.

Utilize AWS EC2 for application hosting and compute workloads.

Leverage AWS S3 for storage, data management, and application integration needs.

Partner with product owners, architects, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.

Drive code reviews, performance tuning, security best practices, and application reliability initiatives.

Mentor junior and senior developers while promoting modern engineering standards and best practices.
Required Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

13+ years of software development experience with strong backend engineering expertise.

Extensive hands-on experience with Java 17.

Strong experience building applications with Spring Boot.

Proven experience designing and implementing Microservices architectures.

Strong hands-on experience with Apache Kafka and event-driven systems.

Experience developing and deploying applications within AWS environments.

Hands-on experience with: AWS EC2 and AWS S3

Experience developing REST APIs and distributed systems.

Strong understanding of software design patterns, scalability, performance optimization, and system integration.

Experience working in Agile development environments.

Nice-to-haves

Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.

Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines.

Exposure to airline, transportation, logistics, or other large enterprise environments.

Experience leading technical design and architecture initiatives across multiple teams.

What Makes Us Great Place To Work

Vekend is a people-first organization focused on developing thoughtful products and services that create meaningful impact for our customers and communities. We are committed to fostering a collaborative, respectful, and inclusive work environment where employees are empowered to take ownership of their work, contribute ideas, and grow professionally. We strive to support flexibility and work-life balance while maintaining high standards of performance and accountability.

For all locations, the good-faith, reasonable annualized full-time compensation for this role will be determined based on competitive market data and may vary depending on geographic location, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, education, and other business considerations. Specific compensation details will be discussed during the interview process.,Vekend offers a comprehensive benefits and wellness package designed to support employees’ overall well-being, financial security, and professional growth. Eligibility and coverage are subject to the terms of the applicable benefit plans and company policies.,Eligible employees have access to medical, dental, and vision insurance with company contributions toward premiums, a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching, and Paid Time Off that begins accruing on the first day of employment. We also support flexible work arrangements and opportunities for professional growth.,Benefits eligibility, coverage, and company contributions are subject to the terms of the applicable plan documents and may be modified at the company’s discretion.