Architect - Datapower + Java MS | Onsite | Dallas/Charlotte

Job Description: Architect – DataPower + Java Microservices

Role Overview:
We are seeking a seasoned Architect with expertise in IBM DataPower and Java-based microservices

Key Responsibilities: Architecture Design and Strategy

• Analyze existing IBM DataPower configurations, including XML firewall scripts, MQ configurations, and SOAP services.
• Develop a migration strategy to transition DataPower-based solutions to Spring Boot microservices, ensuring scalability, feature parity, and optimal performance.
• Define architectural standards, guidelines, and best practices for microservices design using Java and Spring Boot.
• Provide technical leadership to development teams, ensuring alignment with architectural goals.

Microservices Architecture Development

• Design robust, cloud-native microservices leveraging Spring Boot and Spring Cloud (e.g., Eureka, Config Server, Circuit Breaker, Gateway).
• Architect stateless, distributed microservices with support for service discovery, load balancing, and centralized configuration.
• Establish secure and scalable API frameworks using Spring Security, OAuth2, and JWT for authentication and authorization.

DataPower Migration

• Oversee the migration of DataPower artifacts, including XSLT scripts, GatewayScript, and XML configurations, into equivalent Java microservices.
• Ensure seamless integration of microservices with MQ messaging systems (e.g., IBM MQ) for reliable data exchange.
• Re-engineer SOAP-based services into RESTful APIs, ensuring backward compatibility and modernized functionality.

Event-Driven Architecture with Kafka

• Architect and implement event-driven solutions using Apache Kafka for asynchronous communication and real-time streaming.
• Define strategies for Kafka producers, consumers, and topic management to ensure high throughput, low latency, and fault tolerance.
• Provide guidelines for integrating Kafka with microservices to enable seamless data flow.

Optimization and Performance Tuning

• Optimize microservices for high availability, reliability, and performance through caching, connection pooling, and scalability best practices.
• Design solutions adhering to cloud-native principles, ensuring seamless integration with containerized and cloud platforms.
• Implement security measures, including encryption of data in transit and at rest, to safeguard enterprise applications.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Collaborate with stakeholders, including business analysts, developers, and DevOps teams, to align architecture with business objectives.
• Provide mentorship to development teams on architecture principles, coding standards, and design patterns.
• Work with operations teams to ensure the smooth deployment of microservices into staging and production environments.

Documentation and Technical Leadership

• Create comprehensive documentation for architecture designs, migration processes, API specifications, and Kafka integration guidelines.
• Define SLAs and KPIs for migrated solutions, ensuring adherence to performance and availability requirements.
• Conduct architectural reviews, ensuring compliance with enterprise standards and design principles.

Key Qualifications: Technical Expertise

• Extensive experience with IBM DataPower, including XSLT, GatewayScript, and XML configurations.
• Proficiency in Java and Spring Boot, with deep knowledge of the Spring ecosystem (Spring Cloud, Spring Security, Spring Data).
• Strong expertise in RESTful API design, including OpenAPI (Swagger) documentation.
• Hands-on experience with Apache Kafka, including architectural design for event-driven systems.
• Solid knowledge of MQ messaging systems (e.g., IBM MQ) and distributed system integrations.

Architectural Skills

• Expertise in microservices architecture patterns, including service discovery, circuit breakers, and centralized logging.
• Strong understanding of cloud-native design, container orchestration, and deployment strategies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proven experience in designing fault-tolerant, scalable, and secure systems.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK stack.
• Experience in database integration using Spring Data JPA, Hibernate, RDBMS, and NoSQL systems.
• Background in migrating legacy SOAP services to modern RESTful and event-driven architectures.

Soft Skills:

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Leadership skills with the ability to mentor teams and drive technical decisions.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in software development with 3+ years as an architect.
• Hands-on experience with both DataPower and Java microservices-based systems.

Compensation, Benefits and Duration

Minimum Compensation: USD 56,000
Maximum Compensation: USD 224,000
Compensation is based on actual experience and qualifications of the candidate. The above is a reasonable and a good faith estimate for the role.
Medical, vision, and dental benefits, 401k retirement plan, variable pay/incentives, paid time off, and paid holidays are available for full time employees.
This position is available for independent contractors
No applications will be considered if received more than 120 days after the date of this post