Java Backend Engineer
Education & Certifications
Secondary degree diploma preferably University degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
Professional Experience
- 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, building, testing, and maintaining production-grade software systems
- Proven track record of delivering scalable, maintainable, and high-performance software within Agile development environments
- Experience collaborating in globally distributed engineering teams and contributing to cross-functional technical initiatives
Core Engineering Competencies
System Architecture & Design
- Defines and implements software components, systems, and services with consideration for scalability, maintainability, and performance
- Makes thoughtful architectural decisions aligned with business goals and technical best practices
Agile Delivery & Engineering Practices
- Actively participates in Agile ceremonies (daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives, reviews)
- Supports continuous delivery practices, source control strategies, and iterative development workflows
Quality, Testing & Documentation
- Writes modular, reusable, and testable code
- Designs and maintains automated test coverage (unit, integration, and/or end-to-end tests)
- Produces clear and concise technical documentation for both implementation and processes
Collaboration & Communication
- Works effectively in a cross-functional environment with designers, product managers, QA, and fellow engineers
- Provides technical mentorship and supports knowledge sharing within the team
- Engages with stakeholders (including client-side engineers) to drive clarity and shared understanding of technical solutions
Release, Risk, and Change Management
- Supports and/or leads release management, ensuring smooth deployment cycles
- Identifies and mitigates technical risks early in the development process
- Participates in onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure knowledge continuity and team stability
- Embraces change management best practices during feature rollouts and system upgrades
Soft Skills & Leadership
- Autonomous problem-solver with strong ownership mindset
- Clear, confident communicator in English
- Advocates for clean code, performance, security, and accessibility
Technical requirements:
Backend Skills
- Database
- Relational
- Oracle
- Postgres
- NoSQL
- Cassandra / DynamoDB / etc
- Java
- Coding to a high standard of quality
- Database access: JDBC / JDBI
- Testing: JUnit / Mockito
- Web Services
- REST
- OpenAPI
- Jersey / Jetty
- Jackson
- Spring (optional)
- Deployment
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- Build Tools
- Gradle (Preferred)
- Maven
- Other
GraphQL experience a plus
Skills Required
- 5+ years of hands-on experience in software development
- University degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
- Experience with database technologies
- Strong knowledge of Java and web services
- Experience with Docker and Kubernetes
What We Do
Cognits is a trusted nearshore technology partner specializing in building innovative digital products, accelerating development roadmaps, and scaling teams efficiently. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, with centers in Guatemala and Colombia, Cognits proudly employs over 85 talented professionals in UX/UI, development, devops, scrum and QA, delivering high-end professional services with a user-centric and quality-focused approach. Our clients are mid-market and small enterprise companies where we deploy a nearshore model to deliver custom product, website, and marketing solutions. Learn more at https://cognits.co.







