Full Stack Java Engineer - ONSITE

About the Role

Client is seeking an experienced Full Stack Engineer with strong Java expertise and deep hands-on experience in Apache Kafka to lead and support the migration of existing Kafka infrastructure to Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka (AWS MSK). This role requires a blend of backend engineering, streaming architecture, and cloud infrastructure skills to ensure a seamless, low-risk transition with minimal disruption to downstream consumers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical migration of self-managed/on-prem Kafka clusters to AWS MSK, including cluster sizing, topic replication, and cutover planning
• Design and implement Java-based microservices and APIs that produce/consume from Kafka topics
• Develop full-stack features (backend services + UI integration where applicable) supporting event-driven architectures
• Re-architect or refactor existing producer/consumer applications for MSK compatibility (IAM auth, TLS, VPC connectivity, security groups)
• Implement monitoring, alerting, and observability for MSK using CloudWatch, Prometheus/Grafana, or equivalent
• Define and execute data validation, dual-write/dual-read, and rollback strategies during migration cutover
• Optimize Kafka topic partitioning, replication factor, retention policies, and consumer group configurations for MSK
• Collaborate with DevOps/Infra teams on Terraform/CloudFormation-based provisioning of MSK clusters
• Ensure compliance with security, encryption (at-rest/in-transit), and access control standards (IAM, SASL/SCRAM, mTLS)
• Troubleshoot performance, latency, and throughput issues pre- and post-migration
• Document migration runbooks, architecture decisions, and operational procedures
• Mentor junior engineers on Kafka/MSK best practices

Requirements

• 5-8 years of experience (flexible)
• Strong hands-on experience with Java (8/11/17), Spring Boot, REST API development
• Deep expertise in Kafka producers/consumers, Kafka Streams/Connect, schema registry (Avro/Protobuf), partition strategy, and consumer group management
• Proven experience provisioning, configuring, and migrating workloads to AWS MSK; familiarity with MSK Connect, MSK Serverless
• Experience with AWS ecosystem: IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, Lambda, S3, Secrets Manager
• Full Stack: Frontend framework exposure (React/Angular) is a plus for full-stack ownership
• DevOps: CI/CD (Jenkins/GitLab CI), Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/CloudFormation), Docker/Kubernetes
• Databases: SQL/NoSQL (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, MongoDB)
• Experience with large-scale, mission-critical migrations in regulated environments (financial services preferred)
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, fault tolerance, and event-driven design patterns

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience migrating from self-managed Kafka (Confluent/Apache) to AWS MSK
• Experience in banking/financial services with knowledge of data governance and compliance requirements
• AWS Certification (Solutions Architect / Developer Associate)
• Exposure to Kafka security hardening (mTLS, SASL/SCRAM, IAM-based auth)

Skills

• Strong stakeholder communication for cross-functional migration coordination
• Ability to work independently in ambiguous, evolving technical environments
• Problem-solving mindset with a focus on zero-downtime migration strategies

Schedule

In office 5 days/week (Seattle location).

Pay

The starting hourly range for this role is $65 to $73/hour. Actual compensation will depend on several factors, including the candidate's actual work location, relevant experience, technical skills, and other qualifications.

Benefits

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