Lead Java Developer - Bedfordview

Hire Resolve; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Hire Resolve's client seeks a Lead Java Developer in Gauteng, South Africa, to own design and delivery of enterprise-grade Java applications.

You will lead architecture, mentor a team, and drive modern standards (Spring Boot, microservices, CI/CD, cloud/dockers) across on-prem and cloud platforms. Strong communication and stakeholder skills are essential.

The role requires a deep hands-on background in Java, Spring, and distributed systems, with a focus on performance, security, and scalability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering or Computer Science.
• 6+ years of hands-on Java development delivering scalable, enterprise-grade applications.
• Expert-level proficiency in Spring Boot and the Spring ecosystem (Spring Data, Security, Cloud).
• Proven experience designing and implementing microservices architectures and distributed systems.
• Strong experience with Docker and Kubernetes for cloud and on‑prem deployments.
• Deep knowledge of PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB with performance tuning and indexing.
• Experience designing RESTful APIs with secure authentication.
• Solid DevOps/CICD practices with Git, Maven, Jenkins, SonarQube, and monitoring tools.
• Familiarity with infrastructure as code and SRE principles is a plus.
• Experience with React or AngularJS is a nice-to-have for full-stack collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain complex full-stack Java applications focused on performance and scalability.
• Lead architectural discussions and define roadmaps for Java backends and microservices.
• Mentor junior developers and enforce best practices in design patterns and testing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Champion Spring Boot and modern frameworks to standardize services and accelerate development.
• Own and improve CI/CD pipelines, code quality checks, and automated testing strategies.
• Optimize existing systems and troubleshoot performance bottlenecks in large distributed environments.
• Contribute to cloud-native, containerized applications using Kubernetes and Docker.
• Ensure systems are secure, resilient, and meet enterprise SLAs.
• Monitor and tune systems with observability tools like Prometheus and Grafana.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

Java development

Spring Boot

Microservices

Architectural design

Mentoring

CI/CD

Observability

Stakeholder management

Agile/Scrum

TDD

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering/Software/CS

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

Maven

Jenkins

Helm

SonarQube

Prometheus

Grafana

JProfiler

Job description

Hire Resolve's client is looking for a Lead Java Developer with deep expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and scalable distributed systems. The ideal candidate has extensive experience designing, building, and maintaining robust, high-performance, enterprise-grade applications. This role goes beyond coding, it requires ownership of solution design, mentoring team members, and driving architectural improvements.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain complex full-stack applications with a focus on performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Lead architectural discussions and define technical roadmaps for Java-based backend systems and microservices.
• Mentor junior developers and review code to enforce best practices in design patterns, clean code, and testability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technical solutions with business objectives.
• Champion the use of Spring Boot and modern frameworks to accelerate development and standardize services.
• Own and improve the CI/CD pipeline, code quality checks, and automated testing strategies.
• Optimize existing systems and troubleshoot performance bottlenecks across large-scale distributed environments.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of cloud-native, containerized applications using Kubernetes and Docker.
• Ensure systems are secure, resilient, and compliant with enterprise-grade SLAs.
• Monitor, analyze, and tune systems using observability tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK).
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 6+ years of hands-on Java development experience, delivering scalable, enterprise-grade applications.
• Expert-level proficiency in Spring Boot and the Spring ecosystem, including Spring Data, Spring Security, and Spring Cloud.
• Proven experience designing and implementing microservices architectures and distributed systems.
• Strong experience with containerization and orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes, and deploying scalable solutions on both cloud platforms and on-premises infrastructure.
• Deep knowledge of SQL and NoSQL databases, with proficiency in PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB, including schema design, indexing, query optimization, and performance tuning.
• Expertise in designing and developing RESTful APIs with secure authentication mechanisms.
• Solid command of DevOps and CI/CD practices, with hands-on use of tools such as Git, Maven, Jenkins, Helm, SonarQube, and monitoring solutions like Prometheus and Grafana.
• Familiarity with infrastructure as code, container security, and SRE principles is a strong plus.
• Experience in performance profiling and testing using tools such as JProfiler, JMeter, and unit/integration test frameworks.
• Exposure to frontend frameworks like React or AngularJS is a plus for full-stack collaboration.
• Strong grasp of Agile/Scrum methodologies and Test-Driven Development (TDD).
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring experience, with the ability to guide teams, enforce best practices, and influence technical direction.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in the telecommunications (telco) domain including familiarity with network systems, billing platforms, service orchestration is a strong plus.
• Fluency in English; French is a plus.