Senior Back End Java Developer

Pontera is a fintech company on a mission to help people retire better. Our software platform enables retirement savers to get the help they need managing their 401(k) and other retirement plan accounts as part of a personalized strategy by their trusted financial advisor.

Pontera is used by financial advisors across the nation– from SMB to Fortune 500 RIA firms, independent broker-dealers, plan custodians, and plan advisors.

Backed by leading venture capital firms including ICONIQ Growth and Lightspeed Venture Partners, Pontera is built by talented individuals who share a dedication to helping people retire with greater security.

Our team is fast-growing and driven to become one of the largest fintech companies in the world. Our culture is built on a people-first principle: in a complex and numbers-driven industry, we never lose sight of the people we serve and work alongside. That’s where you come in.

Pontera is looking for a highly skilled Senior Back-End Java Developer to join our core development team and help drive the architecture and scalability of our server-side systems. This is a high-impact role where you’ll design and build sophisticated, cloud-native microservices powering mission-critical functionality for our fintech platform.

You’ll work in close collaboration with cross-functional teams—including front-end developers, DevOps engineers, product managers, and QA—to deliver enterprise-grade software that’s scalable, secure, and built to last.

Responsibilities

Design & Develop at Scale

• Design, develop, and maintain robust and high-performance Java applications and distributed services.
• Build and optimize scalable RESTful APIs and microservice-based architectures that power our platform.
  
  

• Guide the adoption of best practices in design, development, testing, and deployment across the backend stack.
• Conduct code reviews and mentor team members, helping to raise the technical bar across the team.
  
  

• Collaborate with front-end, DevOps, and product teams to turn complex requirements into reliable solutions.
• Take ownership of performance, availability, and observability of backend components in a high-scale environment.
  
  

• Implement security best practices, caching strategies, and performance tuning for robust, real-time systems.
• Troubleshoot and resolve critical production issues with speed and precision.
  
  

• 7+ years of hands-on experience as a Java backend engineer working on production-grade systems.
• Expert-level proficiency in Java 8+, Spring Boot, and Hibernate/JPA.
• Strong background in designing and deploying scalable, fault-tolerant microservices.
• Deep understanding of relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Redis).
• Experience working with cloud platforms (AWS), including managed services (e.g., RDS, S3, ECS, etc.).
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Solid knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, Git workflows, and modern DevOps principles.
• Experience integrating message brokers like Kafka, RabbitMQ, or ActiveMQ in production systems.
• Proven ability to lead initiatives, improve system performance, and troubleshoot distributed systems.
  
  

• Experience with multi-threaded and concurrent programming in Java.
• Knowledge of GraphQL or WebSockets for real-time data delivery.
• Proficiency in testing frameworks like JUnit, Mockito, or TestNG.
• Hands-on experience with performance profiling, monitoring, and tuning.
• Prior work in the fintech space (familiarity with FIX protocol) is a strong plus.
  
  

• Impactful Opportunity: Be part of a fast-growing startup that's transforming the FinTech industry and make a significant impact on our products and customers.
• Team Culture: Join a collaborative, collegial, and fun work environment with regular team-building events and a supportive atmosphere.
• Equity Participation: All new hires are eligible for equity grants, ensuring you share in the company’s success.
• Professional Growth: Take advantage of sponsored learning and development programs to enhance your skills and grow your career.
• Work Flexibility: Enjoy a hybrid work model with in-office collaboration on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and remote work on Sunday and Thursday.