Full Stack Java Engineer - Kafka & AWS MSK Migration - Client Site

Location: Seattle, WA (Onsite)
Degree Required: Bachelor's Degree

About The Role

NTT DATA is seeking a Full Stack Java Engineer with deep expertise in Apache Kafka and AWS Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (MSK) to help lead the migration of enterprise Kafka infrastructure from self-managed environments to AWS MSK. In this role, you'll design and build event-driven applications, modernize streaming platforms, and ensure a seamless, low-risk migration with minimal impact to business-critical systems. You'll work closely with engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure teams to deliver highly scalable, secure, and resilient solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the migration of on-premises or self-managed Kafka clusters to AWS MSK, including planning, sizing, replication, and production cutovers.
• Design, develop, and maintain Java/Spring Boot microservices and REST APIs that publish and consume Kafka events.
• Build and enhance full-stack applications using modern frontend technologies (React or Angular) where required.
• Refactor Kafka producers and consumers to support AWS MSK, including IAM authentication, TLS, networking, and security best practices.
• Optimize Kafka performance through effective partitioning, replication, retention, and consumer group management.
• Implement monitoring and observability using CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, or similar tools.
• Develop migration strategies including validation, dual-read/dual-write, rollback planning, and production readiness.
• Partner with DevOps teams to provision infrastructure using Terraform or CloudFormation.
• Ensure secure, compliant implementations with encryption, IAM, mTLS, and SASL/SCRAM authentication.
• Troubleshoot application, streaming, and infrastructure performance issues.
• Produce technical documentation, migration runbooks, and operational procedures.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote Kafka and AWS best practices.

Requirements

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with Java-based enterprise applications.
• Strong expertise in Java (8/11/17), Spring Boot, and RESTful API development.
• Deep experience with Apache Kafka, including:
  • Producers and consumers
  • Kafka Streams
  • Kafka Connect
  • Schema Registry (Avro or Protobuf)
  • Consumer groups and partitioning strategies
• Proven experience implementing or migrating workloads to AWS MSK (including MSK Connect or MSK Serverless).
• Hands-on experience with AWS services including IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, Lambda, S3, and Secrets Manager.
• Experience building full-stack applications using React or Angular.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins or GitLab CI), Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or CloudFormation), and container technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience working with SQL and NoSQL databases including PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or MongoDB.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, event-driven architectures, scalability, and fault tolerance.
• Experience supporting large-scale production migrations with minimal downtime.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across engineering and infrastructure teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently in fast-paced environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience migrating from self-managed or Confluent Kafka environments to AWS MSK.
• Financial services or other highly regulated industry experience.
• AWS certifications (Solutions Architect, Developer Associate, or similar).
• Experience implementing Kafka security using IAM, mTLS, SASL/SCRAM, and encryption best practices.

Pay

The starting pay range for this role is $75,168 - $156,600. Actual compensation will depend on a number of factors, including the candidate’s actual work location, relevant experience, technical skills, and other qualifications.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with employer contribution
• Flexible spending or health savings account
• Life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Paid time off
• Employee assistance program
• 401k program with company match
• Additional voluntary or legally-required benefits