Senior Software Engineer - Back End / Java, Spring Boot, Kafka

PNC•Strongsville, OH

2d•$86,250 - $143,750•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Backend Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and lead the delivery of scalable, high-performance backend services that power mission-critical applications. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and Apache Kafka, with a passion for building distributed systems, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering excellence. In this role, you will collaborate with architects, product managers, and cross-functional engineering teams to define technical solutions, establish best practices, and deliver highly reliable, secure, and scalable software platforms.

Requirements

Strong expertise in Java (Java 11/17+).
Extensive experience developing applications using Spring Boot and the Spring ecosystem.
Hands-on experience designing and implementing Kafka-based event-driven architectures.
Strong understanding of microservices architecture and distributed systems.
Experience building and consuming REST APIs.
Proficiency with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL.
Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
Strong understanding of software design patterns, object-oriented design principles, and clean coding practices.
Experience with source control systems such as Git.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
3+ years of relevant / direct industry experience.

Nice To Haves

Apache Kafka
Application Development
Back-End Development
Business Management
Customer Solutions
Design
Group Problem Solving
Java
Process Improvements
Release Management
Software Solutions
Spring Boot
User Experience (UX) Design

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and implement enterprise-scale backend applications and microservices.
Architect and build event-driven systems using Apache Kafka and modern distributed system patterns.
Develop RESTful APIs and backend services using Java and Spring Boot.
Drive application architecture decisions, ensuring scalability, reliability, maintainability, and performance.
Partner with product management and business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.
Define and promote software engineering best practices, coding standards, and development processes.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues while continuously improving system observability and resiliency.
Collaborate with DevOps teams to implement CI/CD pipelines and cloud-native deployment strategies.
Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to the overall technology stack.
Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and technical roadmap development.
Ensure security, compliance, and operational excellence across backend platforms.
Provides detailed technical design and development of software solutions using existing and emerging technology platforms.
Proposes & designs software solutions to address complex business needs.
Writes code, tests and deploys software.
Prepares technical and procedural documentation required for software.
Maintains and debugs software.

Benefits

medical/prescription drug coverage (with a Health Savings Account feature)
dental and vision options
employee and spouse/child life insurance
short and long-term disability protection
401(k) with PNC match
pension and stock purchase plans
dependent care reimbursement account
back-up child/elder care
adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement
educational assistance, including select programs fully paid
a robust wellness program with financial incentives
maternity and/or parental leave
up to 11 paid holidays each year
9 occasional absence days each year, unless otherwise required by law
between 15 to 25 vacation days each year, depending on career level; and years of service