Principal Engineer (Java Solution Architect)

TL;DR

Principal Engineer (Java Solution Architect): Designing and leading scalable microservices architectures for high-velocity IT and digital product engineering with an accent on event-driven systems, container orchestration, and real-time data streaming. Focus on building robust end-to-end ecosystems including Kafka-based streaming, Kubernetes deployments, and observability stacks to solve complex distributed system challenges.

Johannesburg, SA, South Africa (onsite)

Company

Global IT and digital product engineering firm with 18,000+ experts across 37+ countries, focusing on agile transformation and innovative solutions for complex challenges.

What you will do

• Architect and implement microservices using Java 17+, Spring Boot, and event-driven patterns with Apache Kafka.
• Manage containerization and orchestration with OpenShift, Docker, and Kubernetes.
• Design scalable data solutions integrating relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL), graph, and vector databases.
• Implement observability with Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, and Jaeger.
• Lead CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins/GitLab CI and Helm for deployments.
• Collaborate on design documentation and provide technical leadership.

Requirements

• Strong expertise in Java (JDK 17 or later)
• Solid understanding of Microservices and Event-Driven Architecture
• Experience with Apache Kafka, Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams
• Proficiency in container orchestration: OpenShift, Docker, Kubernetes
• Strong Design Documentation and Communication Skills
• Proven Leadership Skills
• Knowledge of databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Graph/Vector/Distributed DBs

Nice to have

• Solution Architect experience
• C# / .NET Core