CONTRACT ROLE

The Senior Backend Engineer will create functional, modularized, scalable, and performant backend services using Kotlin and Kafka frameworks. This is a senior-level, hands-on engineering role with mentorship responsibilities over a team of 3 junior engineers. The client is looking for a self-starter who can deliver in a senior capacity with limited direction.

Tech Stack: Kotlin · Spring Boot · Kafka · PL/SQL · DataDog · Superblocks (low-code)

Core Responsibilities

• Analyze business and system requirements and produce service design specifications
• Design backend service specifications utilizing design patterns and architectural standards
• Develop backend API services using Kotlin, Kafka, and Spring Boot frameworks
• Write code modules aligned with client engineering standards addressing code quality, scalability, maintainability, vulnerability, and performance
• Perform unit testing to ensure unit test and code coverage metrics adhere to client standards
• Create and update conceptual, logical, and physical data models aligned with business and system design requirements
• Write DDL database scripts and optimized DML SQL queries (simple to medium complexity)
• Implement Software Engineering Best Practices based on client enterprise standards
• Instrument code aligned with DataDog observability platform
• Collaborate with client engineers and architects to design and develop scalable API services
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and leadership to a team of 3 junior software engineers
• Participate in daily scrum activities: standups, grooming, planning, and retrospectives
• Conduct peer code reviews and design/review sessions

Required Experience

Years of Experience: 8–15 years of backend development experience (APIs, microservices)

Kotlin: Hands-on experience developing medium to complex service APIs in Kotlin

Kafka: Sound working knowledge of Kafka — ability to integrate with API services

Database Integration: Integrate API services with databases to read/write transaction details

Data Modeling: Creation of logical, conceptual, and physical data models using Lucid, Visio, or similar tools

SQL: Writing simple to medium complexity DML queries; ability to understand existing queries

Mentorship: Experience managing and mentoring a team of junior engineers

Agile: Experience working within an Agile scrum team setup

Required Skills & Technology

Kotlin: Primary programming language — medium to complex API service development

Spring Boot: Backend framework for API development

Kafka: Event streaming platform integration with API services

PL/SQL; Database scripting and query development

Data Modeling: Lucid, Visio, or equivalent tools for conceptual/logical/physical models

DataDog: Code instrumentation for observability

Agile/Scrum: Standups, grooming, planning, retros

Code Quality: Scalability, maintainability, vulnerability, and performance standards

Collaboration: Ability to work in a team environment and communicate development updates regularly

Preferred Skills & Technology

Prompt Engineering: Knowledge of prompt engineering is a plus

Superblocks: Familiarity or knowledge of Superblocks low-code platform

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field preferred
• Equivalent combination of education and demonstrated professional experience considered