Java Kafka Developer (Hybrid)

Job Description Java Kafka Developer - Full-Time Ashburn, VA (Hybrid - 1 to 2 days onsite / 3 to 4 days remote), We have an immediate opening for a Java Kafka Developer to join an Agile Scrum team supporting a federal program. This role focuses on backend development within an event-driven, microservices architecture, delivering releasable software in short sprint cycles. Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement custom software and database applications across legacy and modernized systems
• Build and support event-driven, distributed systems using Kafka-based architectures
• Collaborate within Agile Scrum teams to deliver high-quality software in short sprint cycles
• Participate in sprint planning, backlog refinement, testing, demos, retrospectives, and releases
• Analyze complex technical challenges and develop scalable, innovative solutions
• Ensure product quality, timeliness, and performance standards
• Contribute to engineering standards and architectural best practices
• Mentor junior developers and support team growth

Must be a U.S. Citizen and currently reside in the Metro Washington, D.C. area, * U.S. Citizen able to pass a CBP background investigation:

• 3-year felony conviction check
• 1-year illegal drug use check
• 1-year misconduct check (e.g., theft or fraud)
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 7+ years of professional software development experience
• 5+ years of Java backend development
• 3+ years of hands-on Spring Boot experience

Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in Apache Kafka:
• Producer & Consumer APIs
• Kafka Streams
• Topics, partitions, consumer groups, offsets
• Schema Registry (schema evolution & governance)
• Strong experience implementing Kafka with Spring Framework
• Event-driven architecture and microservices design patterns
• Relational databases (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle)
• ORM frameworks (Spring Data JPA, Hibernate)
• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and debugging skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities

Desired / Nice to Have

• Experience with Confluent Kafka
• NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra) or in-memory data stores (Redis)
• Data governance and data quality principles in event-driven systems
• Advanced DevOps / CI/CD automation experience