Java Technical Lead

The Java Technical Lead will spearhead the backend development team for a payment solution, focusing on architecture, hands-on coding, and leadership. This role involves designing scalable, secure, and high-performance microservices using Java and Spring Boot, with an event-driven approach. The lead will mentor developers, enforce coding standards, drive Agile processes, and oversee cloud infrastructure on AWS and Kubernetes. Key responsibilities include ensuring robust security, managing integrations, and optimizing performance for critical payment processing logic.

Must Have

• Define and architect the overall backend solution for the payment platform
• Use a microservices and event-driven approach
• Ensure the system is scalable, fault-tolerant, and meets latency requirements
• Set coding standards and best practices for the team
• Lead by example in developing secure, high-quality code
• Perform thorough code reviews for other developers
• Mentor senior and mid-level developers
• Collaborate closely with product owners and business SMEs
• Drive Agile/Scrum ceremonies
• Remain hands-on with coding for critical or complex components
• Oversee the deployment architecture on AWS and Kubernetes
• Ensure seamless integration between backend services and other components
• Govern the API design and API Gateway (Kong) configurations
• Implement and enforce security measures such as data encryption, secure storage, and proper authentication/authorization flows
• Continuously monitor application performance in production and guide optimization
• 8+ years of software development experience in Java
• At least 3+ years in a technical lead or architect capacity
• Deep expertise in Java (11/17) and frameworks like Spring Boot
• Extensive experience with AWS cloud platform and services
• Hands-on skills with Docker and Kubernetes
• In-depth knowledge of messaging systems and streaming platforms, especially Apache Kafka
• Solid experience with NoSQL (MongoDB, DynamoDB) and relational databases
• Strong grasp of application security principles and IAM solutions (Keycloak or AWS Cognito)
• Demonstrated ability to lead a development team
• Strong communication skills to work with cross-functional stakeholders
• Experience acting as a technical lead in Agile teams
• Creative and proactive problem solver

Good to Have

• Experience in fintech or payment processing domains (cross-border payments, banking integrations, PCI-DSS compliance)
• Familiarity with infrastructure as code (Terraform/CloudFormation)
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines for automated deployments

Company Description

Technology is our how. And people are our why. For over two decades, we have been harnessing technology to drive meaningful change. By combining world-class engineering, industry expertise and a people-centric mindset, we consult and partner with leading brands from various industries to create dynamic platforms and intelligent digital experiences that drive innovation and transform businesses. From prototype to real-world impact - be part of a global shift by doing work that matters.

Job Description

Java Technical Lead will spearhead the backend development team for our payment solution. This role involves hands-on architecture and coding as well as leadership responsibilities – ensuring that the system’s design is scalable, secure, and optimized for high performance. The Technical Lead will guide senior developers, enforce best practices in code quality, and make key technical decisions to align the product with business goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical leadership & architecture: Define and architect the overall backend solution for the payment platform, using a microservices and event-driven approach. Make high-level design decisions (e.g. service boundaries, technology choices, data partitioning) to ensure the system is scalable, fault-tolerant, and meets latency requirements. This includes choosing appropriate tech strategies (e.g. leveraging Kafka for event streaming or using Redis for caching) and evaluating new tools or frameworks when necessary.
• High-quality, secure coding standards: Set coding standards and best practices for the team. Lead by example in developing secure, high-quality code and perform thorough code reviews for other developers. Ensure that all code is optimized and follows security best practices (no SQL injections, proper error handling, secure APIs, etc.), and that team members are educated on writing secure and high-performance code.
• Mentorship and team development: Mentor senior and mid-level developers, providing guidance on complex technical issues, debugging, and design patterns. Foster an environment of continuous improvement – pair programming, knowledge sharing sessions, and regular feedback to upskill the team.
• Project coordination & Agile process: Collaborate closely with product owners and business SMEs to translate requirements into technical tasks and architecture. Break down work for the team, estimate effort, and plan sprints. Drive Agile/Scrum ceremonies – lead sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives. Ensure timely delivery of features of high quality and help remove blockers for the team. (Experience in Agile Scrum methodology and managing development backlogs is expected.)
• Hands-on development: Remain hands-on with coding for critical or complex components – especially those related to core payment processing logic, security, and integration. Design and implement core microservices in Java, utilizing techniques like non-blocking/reactive programming when appropriate. For example, build services to handle currency conversions, transaction routing, and settlement with an eye on performance and precision.
• Cloud infrastructure & DevOps oversight: Oversee the deployment architecture on AWS and Kubernetes. Work with DevOps engineers to ensure the infrastructure (VPC networking, container orchestration, auto-scaling, etc.) is configured for high availability and security. Optimize build/deployment pipelines (CI/CD) to accelerate delivery while maintaining robust testing. The Tech Lead will also guide the team in using AWS services effectively – e.g., optimizing DynamoDB usage, configuring AWS KMS for encryption keys, leveraging AWS Lambda for serverless tasks, etc.
• Integration and APIs: Ensure seamless integration between the backend services and other components like the ReactJS front-end, third-party payment networks, and internal tools. Govern the API design and API Gateway (Kong) configurations for external/partner integrations, making sure APIs are secure (using OAuth2/JWT, rate limiting) and well-documented.
• Security and compliance: Take ownership of the application’s security posture. Implement and enforce security measures such as data encryption (using KMS/Vault), secure storage of sensitive information (PCI compliance if applicable), and proper authentication/authorization flows via Keycloak or similar IAM. Conduct risk assessments or code audits as needed to ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Performance and reliability management: Continuously monitor application performance in production and guide the team in proactive optimization. Analyze metrics and logs (e.g., throughput, response times, error rates) and lead efforts to tune the system (database indexing, GC tuning, caching strategies) for peak performance. Lead incident response for any critical performance or security issues – troubleshoot root causes and drive rapid resolution and post-mortems for continuous learning.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience:

• Experience: 8+ years of software development experience in Java, with at least ~3+ years in a technical lead or architect capacity. Proven experience in designing and delivering large-scale enterprise Java applications. Experience in fintech or payment processing domains (cross-border payments, banking integrations, PCI-DSS compliance) is a strong plus.
• Technical mastery: Deep expertise in Java (including newer features of Java 11/17) and frameworks like Spring Boot. Comfortable with system design for distributed systems and microservices, including knowledge of event-driven architecture and CQRS principles. Ability to evaluate and implement architectural patterns (monolith vs microservices, sync vs async communication, etc.) that best fit the problem.
• Cloud and infrastructure: Extensive experience with cloud platforms, particularly AWS. Strong understanding of AWS services related to microservices (EC2, ECS/EKS, ECR, Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, S3, CloudWatch, IAM, KMS, etc.) and how to utilize them to build secure, scalable infrastructure. Hands-on skills with Docker and Kubernetes (or OpenShift) for containerization and orchestration. Familiarity with infrastructure as code (Terraform/CloudFormation) and CI/CD pipelines for automated deployments is preferred.
• Messaging and databases: In-depth knowledge of messaging systems and streaming platforms. Expertise with Apache Kafka is required (designing topics, partitioning, consumer groups for scalability). Solid experience with databases: NoSQL (MongoDB, DynamoDB) and relational DBs if used; able to guide data modeling and query optimization. Experience implementing caching layers (Redis) and search engines (Elasticsearch) in an enterprise context.
• Security & IAM: Strong grasp of application security principles. Experience integrating Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions like Keycloak or AWS Cognito for SSO, OAuth2/OIDC flows. Knowledge of encryption standards and tools (TLS, AES, JWT signing) and managing secrets/keys (HashiCorp Vault, AWS KMS) in a production environment. Ensures compliance with secure coding standards and can conduct security code reviews or threat modeling.
• Leadership & Communication: Demonstrated ability to lead a development team – excellent mentorship skills, and the ability to break down complex problems and delegate effectively. Strong communication skills to work with cross-functional stakeholders (product managers, DevOps, QA, business teams) and to articulate technical decisions/rationale. Capable of writing technical documentation and diagrams for architectural decisions and guiding the team through implementation.
• Agile project management: Experience acting as a technical lead in Agile teams. Comfortable with Scrum processes, sprint planning, and using tools like JIRA or Trello for work management. Track record of delivering projects on time and meeting quality SLAs in a fast-paced, iterative development environment.
• Problem-solving: Creative and proactive problem solver with the ability to anticipate technical challenges and address them through design (e.g., designing for scalability and failure from the outset). Steadfast focus on both immediate issue resolution and long-term improvements – e.g., automating recurring fixes, refactoring to reduce tech debt, and continuously improving performance and security postures.

Additional Information

This requirement is open for Bangalore location only.

At Endava, we’re committed to creating an open, inclusive, and respectful environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to be their best. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives—because we know that inclusive teams help us deliver smarter, more innovative solutions for our customers. Hiring decisions are based on merit, skills, qualifications, and potential. If you need adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know.