Software Engineer II - AI-Native Backend Development

About the Role

We are seeking a Software Engineer II to join our dynamic team at Tekion, where you will play a pivotal role in developing AI-native backend services for automotive retail intelligence. This Software Engineer II remote position is perfect for engineers with 2-4 years of experience who are eager to take ownership of features and enhance their skills in distributed systems.

What You'll Do

• Develop and maintain Java (Spring Boot 3.x) backend services, implementing domain logic, REST APIs, and Kafka event consumers/producers.
• Build features across the full backend slice, including domain models, port interfaces, adapter implementations, unit tests, and integration tests.
• Write integration tests using Testcontainers for MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Kafka, and Elasticsearch adapters.
• Participate in design discussions, architecture reviews, and code reviews, learning from experienced engineers.
• Investigate and resolve bugs, performance issues, and Kafka consumer lag across services.
• Write clean, well-documented, and testable code with a focus on hexagonal design principles.
• Contribute to golden dataset test scenario design under the guidance of the Product Manager and SDET.
• Operate with ownership and curiosity in a fast-paced, startup environment.

Requirements

• 2-4 years of backend engineering experience; Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Solid Java fundamentals: object-oriented design, Spring Boot, REST API implementation, and unit testing (JUnit 5).
• Working knowledge of MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or Kafka, with a willingness to develop depth across all three.
• Understanding of hexagonal architecture concepts and ability to implement adapters under senior engineers' guidance.
• Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS), containerization (Docker), and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to code quality.
• Collaborative mindset and clear communication skills.

Nice to Have

• Exposure to Kafka producers and consumers in a production or learning context.
• Familiarity with Elasticsearch for search and analytics use cases.
• Curiosity about AI/ML systems and awareness of scoring models and embeddings.
• Exposure to Redis or Aerospike for caching patterns.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation and generous stock options.
• Medical insurance coverage.
• Work with some of the brightest minds from Silicon Valley's most dominant companies.