Cloud-Native Backend Developer (Java)

Location: Leuven (2–3 days onsite per week)

Contract: Project until end of year + likely extension

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Cloud-Native Backend Developer to support the Service-to-Employee backend platform within a large enterprise environment. This platform underpins the automation of internal IT workflows and plays a key role in delivering personalised notifications and tasks to thousands of employees via a digital assistant.

You will join a team building and extending a modern, cloud-native backend based on Java, microservices, and OpenShift, sitting between an analytical data lake and employee-facing applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend microservices in a cloud-native environment
• Build and enhance RESTful APIs for secure system-to-system communication
• Process and enrich datasets flowing from the analytical data lake
• Translate business rules into clean, testable, and maintainable backend logic
• Ensure reliable data ingestion, error handling, and notification generation
• Contribute to security, authentication, and encryption standards across services
• Work within CI/CD pipelines to support reliable and automated deployments

Required Skills & Experience

• Fluent in Dutch and English
• Strong knowledge of object-oriented programming and design patterns
• 4+ years’ professional experience with Java, Spring, and Spring Boot
• Proven experience building RESTful web services (JSON, HTTP)
• Excellent knowledge of PostgreSQL
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g. Jenkins, GitHub)
• Solid understanding of security and authentication protocols (SSL, OAuth2, OpenID)

Nice to Have

• Experience with Kotlin
• Hands-on exposure to OpenShift / Kubernetes
• Experience with cloud-native or containerised environments
• Familiarity with data ingestion patterns (e.g. S3-style storage, file-based flows)
• Experience in enterprise-scale, regulated environments

Working Environment

• Modern Java backend framework using industry-standard integration patterns
• Microservices architecture deployed on OpenShift
• Close collaboration with data, platform, and security teams
• Hybrid working model with 2–3 days onsite in Leuven

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to work on a strategic internal platform used daily across the organisation, combining backend engineering, data processing, and automation. You will help build a reliable and secure system from the ground up, directly improving the digital employee experience at scale.