Senior, Lead Java Developer (AI Architecture focus)

Company Overview

Metantz partners with some of Bangalore's most ambitious product startups and scale-ups to place senior technical leaders who can drive transformational change. We are sourcing for Senior, Lead Java Developer (AI Architecture focus) for high-growth companies.

What You Will Be Doing

We are looking for an experienced senior (Java, AI) Developer with a strong foundation in backend engineering and a growing interest and proven skills in AI/ML to help shape the next generation of our enterprise SaaS platform. This role is primarily focused on designing, developing, and maintaining scalable Java-based solutions for data resiliency, ransomware defense, and data security — while also contributing to and gradually leading our AI initiatives. You will work closely with our product, engineering, and DevOps teams to build core platform capabilities, and also lead and build a small AI team to integrate agentic capabilities into our product. This is not a pure AI research role; we want someone who remains deeply connected to the core product and brings AI as a force multiplier, not as a separate discipline.

Core Engineering

Required Qualifications

Design, develop, and maintain high-performance, scalable Java-based enterprise applications
Build and enhance backend services, APIs, and microservices architecture
Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code following best practices and coding standards
Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize application performance and reliability
Ensure application security, scalability, and high availability
Support continuous integration and deployment processes
Participate in architecture discussions and contribute to technical design decisions AI Integration & Leadership

Lead a small AI team to design and deliver AI-powered features within our core platform
Integrate AI/ML capabilities — such as automated reporting, anomaly detection, smart alerts, and incident workflows — into existing Java-based services
Evaluate and adopt emerging AI tools and frameworks (e.g., LLMs, RAG, Agentic AI) where they add practical value to the product
Ensure AI solutions are production-grade, secure, explainable, performant, and aligned with business goals
Act as a bridge between AI experimentation and core product engineering — keeping AI grounded in real product impact

Core Java & Backend

10+ years of experience in software development for enterprise applications
Strong proficiency in Java, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture
Hands-on experience with Apache Kafka for building scalable, real-time data pipelines and event-driven microservices
Experience building RESTful APIs and distributed systems
Good understanding of databases (SQL, NoSQL) and data modeling concepts
Strong understanding of software design patterns and system architecture

AI/ML (Hands-on Experience Preferred)

Practical experience integrating AI/ML models or services into production Java applications
Familiarity with Python and AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, or equivalent) is a strong plus
Understanding of LLM integrations, RAG pipelines, or agent-based AI systems
Exposure to AI system design and scalable AI architectures Leadership

Demonstrated ability to lead small technical teams or work streams
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional and distributed teams Work Environment & Expectations

Based in Bangalore, working from the HSR Layout office
Willingness to work alternate Saturdays
Comfortable with dynamic workloads and flexible work hours, typical of a startup environment

Senior/Lead Java Developer (AI Architecture focus)