Technical Lead / Lead Java Backend Developer

Role: Technical Lead / Lead Java Backend Developer Location: Chicago, Illinois Work Model: Hybrid - currently two days per week onsite Let's create our future together at The AES Group! About The AES Group: The AES Group is a premier technology and engineering consulting company that has been bringing businesses and talent together for over 20 years to deliver innovative solutions that have the greatest positive impact on society. AES has helped over 40 business enterprises, including Fortune 500 companies, engage their customers, empower their employees, and transform their business operations with the power of cloud, data, AI, engineering, and other emerging technologies. Position Overview Seeking an experienced Lead Java Backend Developer to lead the design and development of enterprise-scale backend applications. This is a hands-on technical leadership role requiring deep expertise in Java 17+, Spring Boot, AWS, REST APIs, and DevOps. The ideal candidate will drive technical solutions while mentoring globally distributed engineering teams and delivering scalable cloud-native applications. Key Responsibilities Lead the design, development, and delivery of backend applications using Java 17+ and Spring Boot. Design scalable RESTful APIs and microservices. Build, deploy, test, and support cloud-native applications across the full SDLC. Provide technical leadership for globally distributed development teams. Mentor engineers and promote engineering best practices, code quality, and DevOps culture. Develop and maintain CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps or Jenkins. Build solutions leveraging AWS services including API Gateway, Lambda, Fargate, S3, CloudFormation, CloudWatch, IAM, and ALB/NLB. Work with PostgreSQL and AWS DynamoDB. Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, and production support. Collaborate with Product Owners, Architects, and cross-functional teams in an Agile environment. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field. 10+ years of backend Java development experience. 3+ years leading geographically distributed engineering teams. Strong expertise in Java 17+, Spring Boot, and REST API development. Hands-on AWS development experience, including: API Gateway Lambda Fargate S3 CloudWatch IAM CloudFormation ALB/NLB Strong DevOps experience with Azure DevOps or Jenkins. Experience with PostgreSQL and AWS DynamoDB. Experience with Scala is must Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum methodologies. Preferred Qualifications AI/ML project experience. Microservices architecture. Event-driven systems. Enterprise cloud modernization. Financial Services or large enterprise application experience. Leadership Expectations Lead and mentor engineering teams across the U.S., Eastern Europe, and Asia. Guide technical decisions and foster collaboration across distributed teams. Drive engineering excellence through code reviews, technical mentoring, and best practices. Balance hands-on development with technical leadership. Top Required Skills Java 17+ Scala Spring Boot & REST APIs AWS Cloud Development DevOps (Azure DevOps/Jenkins) Technical Leadership of Global Teams Soft Skills Excellent communication and stakeholder management. Strong leadership and mentoring skills. Ability to work effectively across global time zones. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Passion for technology and continuous improvement. Work Environment Hybrid schedule (minimum 2 days onsite in Chicago). Collaborate with globally distributed engineering teams. Ready to make an impact? Apply now and join us on our journey!