Backend Engineer – Java​/API Management

Backend Engineer / Java API Engineer

Job Title:

Backend Engineer – Java / API Management

Location:

Louisville, KY

Duration: 6 months

Experience

Required:

8–10 years

Primary Skill:
Java

Domain:
Core Java

Role Focus:
Backend Engineering, REST APIs, API Management, API Security, MCP

Seeking a strong Backend Engineer to design, build, and maintain enterprise-grade:

• RESTful APIs
• Middleware services
• Data-driven backend systems

Develop scalable API products and enable API consumers.

Enforce enterprise API governance and security standards.

Support secure API onboarding and consumption patterns.

Strong hands-on experience with REST APIs, API management, API product design, Swagger/OpenAPI, and security controls.

Hands-on experience building, maintaining, and optimizing MCP servers is highly valuable.

• Strong experience with Java / Core Java.
• RESTful API design and development.
• API management platforms such as Apigee or similar.
• Swagger/OpenAPI.
• OAuth 2.0 and token-based security.
• API product design and management.
• API gateways and API proxies.
• API security and access controls.
• Rate limiting, quotas, and traffic management.
• API onboarding and consumption.
• Postman or similar API testing tools.
• JSON and YAML.
• MCP (Model Context Protocol).
• JSON-RPC.
• Context Engineering.
• CI/CD and deployment automation.

• Design, develop, and maintain RESTful and event-driven APIs.
• Ensure APIs meet enterprise standards for:
• Scalability
• Reliability
• Security
• Maintainability
• Create and manage API products and API gateways.
• Define API product structures and access models.
• Configure rate limits, quotas, and volume plans.
• Configure API security policies.
• Publish REST methods using Swagger/OpenAPI documentation.
• Configure API proxies, policies, routing, authentication, authorization, and traffic management controls.
• Partner with application, provider, and consumer teams to support API onboarding and consumption.
• Manage the complete API lifecycle, including:
• Design
• Development
• Testing
• Publishing
• Versioning
• Promotion
• Retirement
• Create, review, and maintain Swagger/OpenAPI specifications.
• Implement modern authentication and authorization mechanisms, including:
• OAuth 2.0
• JWT
• API Keys
• Scopes
• Assist API consumers with:
• Application registration
• Credentials
• Subscription requests
• API access troubleshooting
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define API standards, governance practices, and reusable API patterns.
• Monitor API performance, traffic, errors, and consumption trends.
• Troubleshoot API integration issues across lower and production environments.
• Build, maintain, and optimize MCP servers.
• Support documentation and knowledge-sharing activities related to API products and onboarding.

• Experience with enterprise API catalogs.
• Experience with developer portals or API marketplaces.
• Experience with API subscription and approval workflows.
• Experience with identity providers such as:
• Azure AD
• Forge Rock
• Okta
• Ping
• Experience supporting internal, external, private, or partner-facing APIs.
• Ability to minimize dependency on third-party libraries.
• Experience with cloud platforms:
• Azure
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• AWS
• Familiarity with logging, monitoring, and observability tools.
• Experience working in Agile delivery environments.
• Knowledge of API governance and reusable API design standards.
• Knowledge of enterprise integration patterns.
• Experience with lower-level programming languages such as:
• C
• C++
• Rust
• Experience with Apigee Hybrid.
• Experience querying relational databases.
• Strong experience building, maintaining, and optimizing MCP servers.

• Hands-on experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP).
• Experience developing and maintaining MCP servers.
• Understanding of JSON-RPC communication.
• Knowledge of context engineering and AI integration patterns.
• Ability to design secure and scalable MCP-based integrations.
• Experience troubleshooting MCP server and client interactions.

• Strong understanding of API security principles.
• OAuth 2.0 implementation.
• JWT-based authentication.
• API key management.
• Scope-based authorization.
• Authentication and authorization controls.
• Secure API onboarding and access management.
• Experience integrating APIs with enterprise identity providers.

• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong team collaboration.
• Strong documentation and knowledge-sharing skills.
• Ability to work effectively with application, provider, and consumer teams.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work in Agile delivery environments.

• Role
  
  Description:
  
  Java
• Essential
  
  Skills:
  
  Java
• Desirable
  
  Skills:
  
  API Management, REST APIs, Apigee, MCP
• Keyword:
  Java
• Skills:
  
  Core Java
• Experience
  
  Required:
  
  8–10 years