Senior Full Stack Java EngineerOne full-time Senior Full Stack Java Engineer, starting approximately November 2026, builds and modernizes the Licensing App under HK Tech.
About the engagementHK Tech develops and supports a Licensing App, a system government entities use to license and oversee childcare and other related programs.
The app has two sides: a public portal where providers apply for, renew and maintain their licenses, and a staff portal where state licensing staff review applications, conduct inspections and track compliance.
Today it runs on a React frontend and Java EE with a PostgreSQL database and OAuth2/OpenAM authentication. The work ahead is to enhance what exists, deliver new features from user requirements, and modernize and replace legacy components with RESTful services and containerized deployments on AWS. Because it holds personal and provider data and serves the public, it must meet security, data encryption and WCAG accessibility standards.
The roleYou are a senior, hands-on developer on HK's team, working across the full stack: database, services, and user interface. You partner with developers, engineers, business stakeholders and licensing staff, and you are trusted to work independently. AI-assisted development (GitHub Copilot, Claude and similar tools) is part of how this team works: you use it to understand and refactor legacy code, generate tests and speed up migrations, and you review its output with the same rigor as any other code.
Responsibilities- Build and maintain the app. Develop and support Java applications and RESTful web services across the public and staff portals.
- Modernize legacy code. Modernize and replace legacy components with modern Java (Spring Boot) services and frontends, without disrupting licensing operations.
- Own the data layer. Design, query and tune PostgreSQL (SQL, PL/pgSQL), including schema changes and versioned migrations.
- Secure every release. Implement OAuth2/OpenAM authentication and authorization, and meet state security and data encryption standards.
- Ship through CI/CD on AWS. Contribute to build and deployment pipelines (Maven, GitHub Actions) and containerized deployments on AWS, and monitor and troubleshoot with CloudWatch.
- Deliver what users need. Turn requirements from licensing staff and childcare providers into tested, accessible features.
- Use AI to move faster. Apply AI coding tools to code comprehension, refactoring, test generation and documentation, and help set team practices for using them safely.
- Work as one Agile team. Take part in Scrum ceremonies (Jira, Confluence), review code and mentor other developers.
QualificationsRequired
- 5+ years of professional Java development, including Core Java and Java EE (JPA, JPQL)
- Hands-on experience with React or another modern frontend framework
- Solid PostgreSQL experience (SQL, PL/pgSQL)
- Experience building RESTful web services and documenting them with Swagger/OpenAPI
- Experience with OAuth2-based authentication (OpenAM, Spring Security or similar)
- Familiarity with AWS and cloud-based development
- Working knowledge of web accessibility standards (WCAG)
- Daily, hands-on use of AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Claude or similar), with the judgment to review and test what they produce
- Experience with Maven, GitHub (GitFlow) and Agile/Scrum teams using Jira and Confluence
- Strong communication skills, clear technical documentation, and the ability to work independently
Preferred
- Certified AWS professional
- Spring Boot, Spring Security and containerized applications (Docker, AWS ECS/ECR)
- Testing experience: JUnit, Selenium, Arquillian, TDD and integration testing
- Performance and load testing with JMeter
- CI/CD with GitHub Actions; Terraform or other Infrastructure as Code
- Event-driven architecture (AWS SNS/SQS)
- Leadership or team mentoring experience
