Principal Java Engineer

About the Position

Principal Java Engineer

Innovate what matters, where it matters

At Avenga, we believe that human creativity empowers technology that matters. Operating globally, our 6000+ specialists provide a full spectrum of services, including business and tech advisory, enterprise solutions, CX, UX and UI design, managed services, product development, and software development.

This is the job

We are looking for a Principal Java Engineer to take a leading role in the design and evolution of complex, enterprise-grade backend platforms. You will act as a technical authority, driving architectural decisions, setting engineering standards, and ensuring the delivery of secure, scalable, and highly reliable systems in a regulated environment. This role combines deep technical expertise, architectural ownership, and close collaboration with business and technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive solution architecture and key technical decisions together with business and technical stakeholders, ensuring cloud portability and long-term maintainability
• Define and enforce engineering principles and standards: API-first design, contract versioning, security-by-design, observability, resiliency, and performance
• Lead the design and development of microservices / service-based architecture with event-driven communication (event modeling, topic design, schemas, reliability patterns)
• Design and oversee authentication and authorization strategies: OAuth 2.0 / OIDC, SSO integrations, token strategies, and secure API access patterns
• Ensure backend services expose functionality via REST APIs, enabling independent SPA and mobile application development
• Guide teams on deployment and operational readiness for Azure / Kubernetes / OpenShift, including autoscaling, failure handling, and production resilience
• Apply AI-assisted development tools pragmatically (e.g., refactoring support, test scaffolding, documentation), ensuring strict review and compliance with security policies
• Act as a technical mentor and trusted advisor, raising the overall engineering maturity of the teams

Requirements

• 10+ years of backend engineering experience, with a strong track record in Java and Spring Boot
• Proven experience as a Principal Engineer or Solution Architect on complex enterprise platforms (preferably in regulated domains)
• Strong knowledge of Kubernetes runtime and deployment patterns; experience with OpenShift is highly valued
• Demonstrated expertise in event-driven architecture (e.g., Kafka), including schema/versioning strategy, idempotency, retries, and delivery guarantees (exactly-once vs at-least-once)
• Deep understanding of distributed systems – consistency models, latency, resiliency, circuit breaking, backpressure, and operational reliability
• Strong security background, including mTLS, API security, and secure engineering practices
• Hands-on experience integrating OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect and SSO with external identity providers
• Ability to design systems for high performance and scalability, handling large datasets and peak usage patterns
• Demonstrated experience or strong motivation to use AI-assisted development tools to improve productivity and code quality, with disciplined review, traceability, and security considerations
• Bulgarian language proficiency is required

What Awaits You at Avenga?

Through our values – Better Minds, Bolder Ideas, and Bigger Hearts – we strive to provide you with the tools, autonomy, trust, and assistance you need to excel. You’ll work on high-impact systems, influence strategic technical decisions, and collaborate with strong engineering teams in an environment that values quality, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Enjoy benefits like private health insurance, well-being programs, flexible and hybrid work models, laptops and gear, training opportunities, language classes, social events, and more.

At Avenga, everyone matters. We provide equal opportunities in recruitment, career development, and leadership, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, or any other characteristic. We are committed to fostering a work environment where our diverse community of employees, candidates, and business partners actively shapes our growth. By bringing together people from different backgrounds and experiences, we build a workplace where everyone feels free to be themselves while honoring the boundaries of others.

Locations

• Ruse, Bulgaria
• Sofia, Bulgaria

Technology

• Java
• Spring Boot
• Kubernetes
• OpenShift
• Event-driven architecture
• Kafka
• Distributed systems
• Microservices
• OAuth 2.0
• OpenID Connect
• SSO
• AI-assisted development tools

Your Way In Starts Here

Application

Send us your application, we are ready to hear your story and explore how we can grow together.

Review

Our team carefully reviews every application with curiosity and care. If your profile isn’t the right fit today, we will keep it in mind for future opportunities that match your skills and ambitions.

Talent Acquisition Interview

You will meet our Talent team to talk about your goals and learn more about who we are, what we offer, and how we support our people.

Technical Interview

Our tech interview is all about diving deeper into your expertise and understanding your strengths, how you solve problems, and how you think – no trick questions, just a meaningful conversation.

Customer Interview

For some roles, especially when our clients are closely involved, you might also have a conversation with them – it’s a chance for everyone to align and get to know each other better.

Job Offer

If we both feel it’s the right match, we will send you an offer to join us. And even if it’s not the time just yet, you’ll always hear back from us.

Welcome!

Your new team is excited to meet you, support you, and build something great together. Let’s make your first day the start of a journey that shapes a career that matters.

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