Lead Java Developer

Senior Java Developer – Kafka & APIs

Location: Irvine, CA

Work Arrangement: Onsite

Employment Type: W2 Contract

Rate: $70/hr on W2

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Senior Java Developer with strong expertise in Java, Kafka, REST APIs, and microservices . The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining scalable backend applications and event-driven solutions. The candidate should have strong experience working with distributed systems, API integrations, and Kafka-based data pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend applications using Java/J2EE .
• Develop and integrate RESTful APIs and microservices .
• Design and implement event-driven applications using Apache Kafka .
• Develop Kafka producers and consumers and manage event-based data flows.
• Build highly available and scalable microservices using Spring Boot .
• Integrate applications with internal and external APIs and enterprise systems.
• Develop reusable, maintainable, and high-performance Java code.
• Troubleshoot application, API, and Kafka-related issues.
• Implement unit and integration testing for applications and APIs.
• Work with databases and write efficient SQL queries.
• Collaborate with architects, DevOps engineers, QA teams, and business stakeholders.
• Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, and Agile ceremonies.
• Support application deployment and production troubleshooting.

Required Skills

• 12+ years of experience in Java development
• Strong hands-on experience with Java 8/11/17+
• Strong experience with Spring Boot and Microservices
• Hands-on experience with Apache Kafka
• Strong experience developing REST APIs
• Experience with API integration and distributed systems
• Strong SQL and database knowledge
• Experience with Git and CI/CD
• Understanding of messaging and event-driven architecture
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work onsite in Irvine, CA

Preferred Skills

• Kafka Streams
• Spring Cloud
• Spring Kafka
• OAuth2 / JWT
• Docker / Kubernetes
• AWS or Azure
• Redis
• NoSQL databases such as MongoDB
• Jenkins / GitHub Actions / GitLab CI
• Experience with high-volume transaction processing