About Gapstars
At Gapstars, we partner with some of Europe’s most ambitious tech companies, from disruptive startups to fast-scaling scaleups, helping them build high-performing remote engineering teams. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with talent hubs in Sri Lanka and Portugal, we are home to 275+ engineers who thrive on solving real-world challenges with modern technologies. Our teams work across domains, from networking and marketplaces to SaaS and AI, delivering scalable solutions that drive meaningful outcomes. If you’re looking for a company that combines technical excellence, a strong culture, and room to grow, welcome to Gapstars.
The Role
We are looking for a Senior Java Software Engineer with strong backend engineering experience to help design, build, and evolve scalable backend systems. This role requires a senior-level engineer who can contribute across the full lifecycle, from architecture and high-level design to implementation, code quality, and collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders.
The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and microservices architecture, along with solid system design capabilities and strong communication skills. Experience with event-driven architecture is considered a plus, but it is not a knockout criterion at this level. Strong architecture and design experience in general is acceptable.
Core Responsibilities
Leadership and Technical Ownership
Take ownership of technical delivery from design through implementation
Contribute to high-level solution design and translate requirements into scalable backend solutions
Mentor junior and mid-level engineers and support overall team capability
Drive engineering quality through code reviews, clean code practices, and sound design principles
Engineering and Delivery
Design, develop, and enhance backend applications using Java and Spring Boot
Build and maintain robust microservices-based systems
Contribute to architectural discussions and implementation decisions
Lead incident analysis, root cause investigations, and preventive improvements
Ensure solutions meet expected standards for quality, performance, and maintainability
Collaboration and Continuous Improvement
Work closely with Product Owners, Team Leads, Architects, and Engineers
Support refinement sessions and help shape technically sound solutions
Promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement within the team
Must Have
5+ years of hands-on Java experience with Java 11 or above
Strong experience with Spring Boot and related backend development principles
Strong expertise in microservices architecture
Strong software architecture and design capability
Solid experience with relational databases, especially PostgreSQL
Experience with AI coding tools
Experience working with CI/CD pipelines and tools such as Jenkins
Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
Leadership mindset with the ability to guide technical discussions and support team growth
Preferred
Experience with event-driven architecture and messaging technologies such as Kafka, MQTT, RabbitMQ, or similar
Experience with time-series databases, including TimescaleDB or other similar databases
Familiarity with Docker
Basic frontend knowledge
Experience with clean code principles, design patterns, and refactoring practices
Soft Skills
Strong ownership and accountability
Excellent problem-solving skills
Clear verbal and written communication
Ability to collaborate across teams and stakeholders
Growth mindset and openness to continuous learning
"Gapstars is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, disability, or age. Your personal information collected during the application process is handled following our privacy policy and used exclusively for recruitment and hiring purposes only"
