Senior Java/Kafka Software Developer

Job Description

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Java / Kafka Software Developer to design and develop scalable, cloud-native, event-driven applications. This role requires deep expertise in Apache or Confluent Kafka, Kafka Streams, Java, Spring Boot, RESTful API development, and Agile methodologies. This position is onsite in Woodlawn, MD.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience building microservices using modern DevOps practices and deploying applications in cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. This individual will collaborate closely with product and engineering teams while mentoring junior staff and contributing to architectural decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop software applications using Twelve-Factor App methodology from functional requirements
• Architect and build event-driven microservices using Kafka, Kafka Streams, Java, Spring Boot, and RESTful APIs
• Develop and maintain event streaming pipelines using Kafka, including listeners and stream processing
• Collaborate with product design and engineering teams to translate business needs into technical solutions
• Participate in and contribute to all Agile ceremonies
• Mentor junior team members and provide technical leadership
• Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, Git, Bitbucket, Maven, Nexus, and Jira
• Design, develop, and deploy cloud-native applications in AWS or similar cloud platforms
• Apply DevOps best practices including containerization and automated deployments
• Produce technical documentation and design artifacts as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field (Master's or Doctorate may substitute for experience)
• 10+ years of experience designing and developing software applications using Java
• 8+ years of experience working on Agile development teams (SAFe experience preferred)
• Hands-on experience with Apache or Confluent Kafka and Kafka Stream Processing
• Strong experience developing event-driven architectures and streaming pipelines
• Extensive experience with Java, JEE technologies, Spring Boot, and Spring Security
• Strong experience designing and developing RESTful APIs
• Experience with JSON and web services technologies
• Experience with CI/CD tools (Jenkins, Git/Bitbucket, Maven, Nexus, Jira)
• Experience deploying applications to AWS or similar cloud platforms
• Experience with front-end technologies such as Angular
• Strong communication and documentation skills
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of Kafka architecture including producers, consumers, topics, partitions, consumer groups, replication strategies, and retention policies
• Experience optimizing Kafka clusters for throughput, scalability, and fault tolerance
• Experience with Kafka Connect and Kafka Streams for real-time processing
• Experience monitoring and tuning Kafka clusters
• Experience implementing Section 508 standards for web applications
• Experience writing technical white papers and system design documentation
• Prior experience supporting federal or state government IT projects
• Exposure to low-code platforms such as ServiceNow, Pega, or Microsoft Power Platform

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree with 7+ years of relevant experience
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust