Senior Backend Engineer | Java
Ilias Solutions2 days ago
Almere, NetherlandsSenior
Responsibilities
- Design and maintain Java backend services and APIs with stable versioning and backward compatibility across releases.
- Build complex business logic and integration layers connecting legacy and customer systems through REST, SOAP, batch file exchange, and Kafka.
- Package and deliver services for Kubernetes deployments, including offline customer installations, reproducible builds, image signing, and SBOM practices.
- Define and embed Java coding standards, dependency policies, security defaults, and testing practices across the backend engineering chapter.
- Guide architectural decisions, mentor engineers, distribute technical knowledge, and reduce bus-factor risk through shared ownership.
- Contribute technical constraints and integration complexity analysis to build-or-not decisions with product owners.
- Collaborate with analytics engineers on Python and Spark integrations and review technical design documents.
Requirements
- 6+ years of professional backend engineering experience with Java as the primary language and experience with complex production-grade systems.
- Expert-level Java 17+ knowledge, Spring Boot or Quarkus expertise, and strong JVM internals knowledge including garbage collection, memory profiling, and heap and thread dump analysis.
- Experience designing REST APIs with OpenAPI, including versioning and backward compatibility strategies.
- Strong JPA/Hibernate, JDBC, database migration tooling, and PostgreSQL optimization skills, including indexing, partitioning, and large-table migrations.
- Production Kafka experience.
- Production packaging experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm, plus CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins or GitHub Actions.
- Experience with SonarQube, dependency scanning, SBOMs, image signing, security tooling, and quality tooling in delivery pipelines.
- A degree in computer science or software engineering, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating the same capability.
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain the required national or NATO security clearance.
- Preferred experience with Oracle, SQL Server, PL/SQL, SOAP, batch file exchange, OIDC, Keycloak, secrets management, TLS, RBAC, structured logging, metrics, Grafana, OpenSearch, Zarf, FIPS mode, STIG-hardened environments, virtual threads, Project Reactor, regulated or defence-adjacent industries, Dutch, or French.
Benefits
- Hybrid work arrangement with 2 days on-site.
- Permanent, full-time employment.
- The company supports candidates through the required security-clearance process.
- Work on software used by defence operators in offline, air-gapped, version-locked environments.
Tech Stack
Apache KafkaApache SparkDockerFlywayGitHub ActionsGrafanaHelmJavaJenkinsKubernetesMicrosoft SQL ServerPostgreSQLPythonSOAPSonarQubeSpring Boot
Categories
About Ilias Solutions
ILIAS Solutions develops information management software for defense and humanitarian operations, covering asset management, maintenance, mission planning, and operational readiness. It sells enterprise platforms plus implementation, training, and support services, delivered by forward-deployed teams. Headquartered in Brussels and part of the Patria Group, the ISO 9001-certified company serves defense organizations managing complex, sensitive logistics and maintenance systems.