Software Engineer - Java Backend

Nelnet•Lincoln, NE

1d•$105,000 - $115,000

About The Position

Nelnet Business Services (NBS), a division of Nelnet, Inc., provides payment technology, education services, and learning management solutions to education and faith-based organizations, serving more than 1,300 higher education institutions, 11,500 K-12 schools, 3,500 churches, and millions of individual students, families, and supporters across the globe. Our culture of service enables us to form long-lasting and trusted partnerships, while our focus on creativity and innovative solutions empowers our customer communities to thrive. As a Nelnet company, the perks at NBS go beyond our benefits package. You’re part of a community, invested in you as an individual and united by our mission to create opportunities for people where they live, learn and work. We build and support customer-facing APIs that process payment transactions in a secure, high-availability environment. These systems handle sensitive financial data where reliability, performance, and transactional integrity are essential. We are seeking a mid-level Backend Software Engineer to design, develop, and maintain Java-based services that enable secure and accurate payment workflows at scale. This role focuses exclusively on backend development, including RESTful API design and service integrations within a service-based architecture. The ideal candidate has experience operating live systems and demonstrates sound engineering judgment in areas such as API design, transactional consistency, and resiliency. You will collaborate in an Agile environment, contribute to technical decisions, and take ownership of delivering stable, scalable backend solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
3+ years developing Java-based backend applications in a professional environment
Strong hands-on proficiency building production services with Spring Boot and Hibernate/JPA
Proven ability to design, implement, and support RESTful APIs in production systems
Solid knowledge of relational databases such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or MySQL, including schema design and query optimization
Familiarity with distributed systems or microservices architectures
Demonstrated use of modern AI-enabled development tools to improve code quality, strengthen testing practices, and increase delivery efficiency
Strong foundation in Java and modern backend engineering practices, with emphasis on clean architecture and maintainable code
Understanding of service-based systems, including inter-service communication, fault tolerance, and operational reliability
Analytical approach to diagnosing and resolving issues in live environments
Understanding of transactional systems and the importance of data integrity in payment processing workflows
Familiarity with secure coding practices and operating within regulated environments, including PCI-DSS considerations
Ownership mindset, taking services from design through production support
Collaborative and accountable, focused on delivering secure, reliable software

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain Java-based backend services supporting customer-facing payment APIs
Build and enhance RESTful APIs and service integrations in a scalable service-based environment
Incorporate AI-enabled development tools and practices to improve delivery speed, code quality, and testing effectiveness
Write clean, testable code with meaningful unit and integration coverage
Contribute to system design discussions and architectural decisions, balancing performance, reliability, and long-term maintainability
Participate in an on-call rotation to support live systems, performing root-cause analysis when issues arise
Partner with engineering peers and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver secure, scalable solutions aligned with business needs
Drive continuous improvements in system performance and operational efficiency