Staff Software Engineer - Java
Engagement Type: Direct Hire
Location: Remote (U.S.-based)
Compensation: $130,000 - $170,000 base salary
Overview
This role is for a senior-level engineer who designs, builds, and evolves large-scale, cloud-native systems. You'll lead technical design, make architecture decisions, and help modernize complex Java-based platforms while ensuring reliability, scalability, and long-term maintainability. This position blends hands-on engineering with technical leadership and influence across teams.
What You'll Do
- Design and implement scalable, resilient, and secure backend systems using Java and modern frameworks
- Lead technical design for complex features and systems, balancing performance, reliability, cost, and security
- Modernize and extend legacy Java/J2EE applications without disrupting production environments
- Build cloud-native solutions on AWS using event-driven and distributed architectures
- Define and promote best practices for system design, testing, CI/CD, and code quality
- Partner with engineers, architects, and product stakeholders to solve complex technical problems
- Evaluate trade-offs and make clear technical recommendations with system-wide impact in mind
- Mentor engineers through design reviews, architecture guidance, and hands-on collaboration
Required Technical Expertise
Java & Platform Engineering
- 10+ years of professional Java/J2EE development experience
- Deep knowledge of core Java concepts including concurrency, JVM internals, memory management, and garbage collection
- Strong experience with Spring / Spring Boot, including dependency injection, AOP, and transaction management
- Proven ability to design clean, testable, maintainable systems using SOLID principles and established design patterns
Databases & Data Stores
- Strong understanding of when and why to use different data technologies
- MySQL: schema design, indexing, query optimization, ACID transactions, and migrations
- MongoDB: document modeling, scalability strategies, indexing, and replication trade-offs
- Elasticsearch: schema and analyzer design, performance tuning, aggregations, and analytics use cases
Cloud & Architecture
- Hands-on AWS experience (EC2, S3, SQS/SNS, Lambda, and related services)
- Ability to design systems from the ground up with attention to cost, scalability, reliability, and security
- Experience with event-driven architectures, rules engines, and distributed systems
- Strong understanding of designing for scale, fault tolerance, and operational resilience
Delivery & Collaboration
- Experience working in Agile environments and contributing to CI/CD pipelines
- Comfortable leading complex, cross-team initiatives while remaining hands-on
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to mixed audiences
Qualifications
- 12+ years of overall software engineering experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience
- Proven track record delivering large, complex systems in production environments
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, or military or veteran status. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.