Java Developer with Kafka
Job Description Job Title: Java Developer – Kafka & AWSLocation: Chicago, IL (Hybrid)Duration: Long-term contract Interview: In-person client interview requiredJob SummaryWe are seeking an experienced Java Backend Developer with strong expertise in Apache Kafka and AWS to join our engineering team. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience building scalable backend applications using Java and Spring Boot, designing event-driven architectures with Kafka, and developing cloud-native microservices on AWS.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign, develop, and maintain scalable backend applications using Java and Spring Boot.Develop event-driven applications and messaging solutions using Apache Kafka.Design and build RESTful APIs and microservices.Develop and deploy cloud-native applications on AWS.Build scalable, secure, and high-performance distributed systems.Integrate applications with AWS services such as EC2, ECS/EKS, Lambda, S3, RDS, SQS, SNS, CloudWatch, and IAM.Optimize application performance, scalability, and reliability.Implement asynchronous messaging patterns using Kafka.Collaborate with DevOps teams to automate deployments through CI/CD pipelines.Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code following development best practices.Troubleshoot production issues and provide timely resolutions.Participate in Agile ceremonies, code reviews, and technical discussions.Required Skills6+ years of hands-on experience in Java backend development.Strong expertise in Java 8/11/17 and Spring Boot.Hands-on experience with Apache Kafka, including producers, consumers, Kafka Streams, topics, partitions, and performance tuning.Strong experience developing RESTful APIs and Microservices.Hands-on experience with AWS cloud services.Strong understanding of Spring Framework (Spring Boot, Spring MVC, Spring Data, Spring Security).Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or MySQL.Strong SQL and database optimization skills.Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.Experience with Git and CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or AWS CodePipeline.Experience working in Linux/Unix environments.Preferred SkillsExperience with AWS services including EC2, ECS/EKS, Lambda, S3, RDS, SQS, SNS, CloudWatch, API Gateway, and IAM.Experience with Redis or other caching technologies.Familiarity with Elasticsearch/OpenSearch.Experience with Terraform or AWS CloudFormation.Knowledge of RabbitMQ or other messaging technologies.Experience with monitoring tools such as Splunk, Grafana, ELK Stack, or Prometheus.Understanding of OAuth2, JWT, and Spring Security.QualificationsBachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.Preferred ExperienceExperience building enterprise-scale cloud-native applications on AWS.Financial Services, Retail, or Healthcare domain experience is a plus.Proven experience designing highly available, event-driven distributed systems.