Senior Cloud-Native Back-End Developer

About the Role

Location: Northfield, IL

Salary: 130-140K plus benefits 

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Cloud-Native Back-End Developer to lead the design and implementation of scalable, resilient, and high-performance applications. This role is pivotal in modernizing e-commerce platform, integrating with cutting-edge SaaS solutions, and ensuring systems are designed for resiliency, reliability, and operational excellence. As a senior team member, you will drive technical design decisions, mentor junior developers, and embed Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) best practices into our workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Cloud-Native Development
• Architect, design, and implement innovative microservices and micro-frontends for scalable and maintainable applications.
• Leverage frameworks like Spring Cloud and Node.js to build cutting-edge backend solutions.
• Drive the adoption of advanced programming techniques, ensuring code quality, performance, and reusability.
• Technical Leadership
• Act as a thought leader in cloud-native development, championing the adoption of emerging technologies and best practices.
• Provide strategic guidance to cross-functional teams, aligning technology efforts with business objectives.
• Lead design reviews and architectural discussions to ensure robust, forward-thinking solutions.
• Kubernetes Orchestration and Optimization
• Deploy, manage, and optimize applications within Kubernetes clusters, ensuring high availability and resource efficiency.
• Leverage advanced features like service meshes (e.g., Istio) and Kubernetes Operators to streamline microservices communication and orchestration.
• Automate infrastructure setup using tools like Helm, Terraform, and Kustomize.
• Event-Driven Architecture and Reactive Systems
• Design and implement event-driven architectures using tools like Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, or Azure AIS.
• Apply advanced design patterns such as Event Sourcing, CQRS, and Saga for building responsive, asynchronous systems.
• Promote the use of reactive programming frameworks like Spring WebFlux for real-time, high-throughput applications.
• Driving Low-Code Innovation
• Integrate and enhance enterprise applications with low-code platforms (e.g., OutSystems, Azure Functions, PowerApps).
• Define strategies for balancing low-code solutions with custom development to maximize agility and scalability.
• Innovate within low-code ecosystems to drive rapid prototyping and deployment of business-critical solutions.
• Architectural Excellence
• Define and implement modern architectural patterns like Domain-Driven Design (DDD), Hexagonal Architecture, and Strangler Fig.
• Develop technology blueprints that align with both current and future enterprise needs.
• Ensure scalability, security, and maintainability in all architectural decisions.
• Cutting-Edge Programming Practices
• Champion modern programming paradigms, such as reactive programming and functional programming, for efficiency and performance.
• Promote code modularity, testability, and maintainability using best practices and tools.
• Experiment with emerging tools and technologies to continuously evolve the development landscape.
• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing
• Mentor developers across teams, fostering a culture of innovation and technical excellence.
• Conduct workshops, training sessions, and code reviews to upskill team members.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert in cloud-native technologies.
• Continuous Innovation and Optimization
• Identify opportunities for innovation in processes, tools, and technologies to maintain a competitive edge.
• Implement monitoring and observability solutions (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack) to ensure system health and performance.
• Optimize cost, performance, and scalability of cloud-native solutions.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Experience: 10+ years of hands-on software development experience, with 6+ years in cloud-native and microservices architecture.
• Proficiency in Azure, Java (Spring Cloud), and Node.js for backend development.
• Expertise in Kubernetes, container orchestration, and service mesh technologies (e.g., Istio).
• Extensive knowledge of event-driven architectures, messaging systems like Kafka or RabbitMQ, and reactive programming frameworks.
• Strong understanding of modern design patterns (CQRS, Saga, DDD) and architectural principles.
• Experience with low-code platforms and their integration into enterprise systems.
• Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code tools like Terraform, Helm, or Ansible.
• Proven track record of driving technical innovation and mentoring development teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications in Kubernetes, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), or low-code platforms.
• Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
• Certified Software Architect by the International Association of Software Architects (IASA)
• Experience with advanced frontend technologies for micro-frontends (React, Angular, Vue.js).
• Knowledge of AI/ML integration and edge computing.