Senior Java Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE

In this role, you'll help modernize search capabilities within a secure, mature enterprise platform. You'll evolve an existing Java and Solr-based solution toward smarter search, focusing on a safe, incremental migration that improves how users discover critical documents without compromising security or availability.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Analyze and map the existing Java and Solr/SolrCloud search architecture, including schemas, analyzers, indexing pipelines, tenant setup, ACLs, and document retrieval
• Design and implement a search facade with feature flags, enabling new retrieval capabilities alongside the existing search with safe rollback
• Collaborate with Search/AI engineers to establish lexical-search baselines and integrate enhanced retrieval capabilities into the existing search API
• Ensure document- and page-level permissions are consistently enforced so unauthorized content is never exposed in search results
• Develop and enhance Java components supporting search filters, pagination, indexing, tenant enablement, rebuilds, deletion, and lifecycle operations
• Improve index lifecycle management, including partial rebuilds, tenant deletion, aliases, and partitioning, while minimizing downtime and infrastructure impact
• Implement shadow and dual-run approaches to safely validate new retrieval capabilities against existing production behavior before migration
• Work closely with engineering teams to extend automated test coverage, introduce event-publishing contracts where needed, and modernize the existing platform incrementally

REQUIREMENTS

• Strong senior-level Java engineering experience, especially with long-lived backend systems or enterprise monoliths
• Hands-on experience with Solr/SolrCloud, Elasticsearch, or OpenSearch, including schemas and analyzers, indexing and reindexing, multi-tenant collections, index lifecycle management
• Experience designing search APIs, including filters, pagination, feature flags, rebuild, enablement, and deletion workflows
• Good understanding of lexical search (BM25) and how it works alongside semantic/vector search
• Experience implementing document- or page-level ACLs within search or retrieval flows
• Experience modernizing existing systems incrementally, using approaches such as strangler, shadow, or dual-run patterns, including adapting existing automated tests
• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, Search/AI, cloud, security, and product teams
• Experience with SolrCloud/ZooKeeper, Azure Service Bus/JMS, or document-management platforms (nice to have)