Junior Java Backend Developer ( hybrid in Bucharest )

About the Project:  We are building a large-scale Big Data Intelligence Platform based on a distributed microservices architecture.The system ingests and processes high-volume data streams in real time, applies advanced analytics, and provides decision-support capabilities across multiple functional modules. The technical environment includes: Java 17 + Spring Boot microservices, Kafka for event streaming, message orchestration, and distributed processing; Elasticsearch as a primary data store for indexing and search; Docker/Kubernetes for containerization and orchestration; Integrations with external systems and optional AI/ML components.

Responsibilities:

Design, develop, and maintain microservices using Java 21 and Spring Boot.

Build and optimize event-driven data pipelines using Kafka (producers, consumers, partitions, schema evolution).

Work with Elasticsearch to design efficient indexing strategies and fast querying capabilities.

Contribute to system architecture, performance improvements, and scalability initiatives.

Implement clean, maintainable, well-tested code following best engineering practices.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams (DevOps, Data, Frontend, QA).

Participate in code reviews, technical discussions, and solution design sessions.

Requirements:

1 year of hands-on experience with Java and Spring Boot.

Experience with Kafka (streams, consumer groups, message delivery guarantees).

Experience with Elasticsearch (indexing, queries, performance tuning).

Understanding of microservices architecture, distributed systems, and REST APIs.

Experience with Docker, container-based deployment, and CI/CD pipelines.

Familiarity with asynchronous/event-driven systems and messaging patterns.

Ability to troubleshoot complex issues in distributed environments.

Strong English communication skills.

Nice to Have:

Experience + desire to integrate features end-to-end in both spring boot backend and react frontend.

Experience with Kubernetes.

Exposure to Python or Node.js services within a distributed ecosystem.

Experience with AI/ML pipelines or data processing frameworks.

Experience with security best practices for distributed systems.