Senior Java ADX Developer

We’re hiring a senior backend contractor to build and enhance a Java 17 event-driven service running in Azure AKS. The service consumes events from Azure Event Hubs, processes JSON payloads, stores metadata and operational data in Azure Data Explorer / ADX, stores large objects in ADLS, and exposes secure Search and Retrieval APIs.
This is a Java / ADX / API role first, with Azure Event Hub experience also required. The right candidate has strong hands-on backend experience, can write and tune KQL for application-facing use cases, can build production APIs, and understands event-driven processing patterns.
This is a senior IC feature-delivery role. The person should be able to work independently, provide design input, deliver production-quality code, validate performance, document decisions, and partner with the existing service SME and SRE team. This is not a primary SME, architect, platform engineer, or SRE role. The pay rate ranges based off the years of experience between $55-65/hour.

What you’ll build:
• Event ingestion and processing flows from Azure Event Hub → Java service.
• Java 17 backend logic for JSON processing, validation, retries, idempotency, and error handling.
• ADX/KQL query patterns for search, retrieval, diagnostics, and operational use cases.
• Search APIs with structured filters, sorting, pagination, and stable response contracts.
• Retrieval APIs using ADX metadata and ADLS-backed large-object access.
• Targeted performance validation for ingestion, API latency, ADX query behavior, retrieval flows, concurrency, and back-pressure.
• Implementation notes, query examples, test results, and troubleshooting documentation.

Key responsibilities:
Java backend / event-driven processing
• Implement Java service logic for Event Hub consumption and event processing.
• Build Event Hub flows using consumer groups, partition awareness, batching, checkpointing, retries, idempotency, and replay/backfill safety.
• Tune concurrency controls, thread pools, scheduled work, and back-pressure behavior.
• Build robust JSON parsing, validation, schema-evolution handling, and operational error routing.
ADX / KQL
• Write KQL queries for application-facing search, retrieval, and diagnostics.
• Profile and tune ADX queries for latency, reliability, and cost-aware execution.
• Create clear query patterns and guardrails, including parameterization, paging strategy, safe filtering, and consistent query shapes.
• Help validate ADX query behavior under realistic application traffic.
Search and Retrieval APIs
• Implement production APIs for search, filtering, sorting, pagination, fetch-by-ID, and fetch-by-IDs retrieval.
• Provide design input on API contracts, response shape, error handling, pagination, versioning, and backward compatibility.
• Build APIs backed by well-shaped ADX/KQL query patterns.
• Support retrieval flows that use ADX metadata and ADLS-backed large objects.
• Add tests for API behavior, edge cases, query construction, response contracts, and error handling.
Testing and performance validation
• Write unit and integration tests for backend service behavior.
• Create repeatable performance tests or validation harnesses for ingestion, APIs, ADX queries, retrieval flows, and concurrency behavior.
• Publish clear test results, thresholds, assumptions, and caveats.
• k6 experience is preferred, but equivalent performance testing experience is acceptable.
Azure / AKS platform literacy
• Work with SRE to deploy, validate, and troubleshoot service changes in AKS.
• Understand Helm values, ArgoCD workflows, pod logs, service metrics, probes, resource limits, and common runtime failures.
• Escalate to SRE with clear evidence when deeper cluster, network, identity, or platform investigation is needed.

We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment regardless of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to HR@insightglobal.com.To learn more about how we collect, keep, and process your private information, please review Insight Global's Workforce Privacy Policy: https://insightglobal.com/workforce-privacy-policy/.

• 7+ years of overall software engineering or backend engineering experience.
• Senior-level hands-on experience shipping production backend services.
• Strong hands-on Java backend development experience.
• Experience working in or ramping quickly into a Java 17 environment.
• Strong ADX/KQL experience, including writing, profiling, and tuning queries for production or application-facing use cases.
• Production API development experience, especially search, filtering, pagination, retrieval, or lookup APIs with stable contracts.
• Hands-on Azure Event Hubs experience, including event consumption, batching, checkpointing, retries, idempotency, and replay/backfill safety.
• Experience with JSON processing, validation, schema evolution, and operational error handling.
• Ability to work independently as a senior IC while partnering with an existing SME and SRE team.
• Strong written communication, including implementation notes, query examples, test results, troubleshooting documentation, and clear risk calls.

• Experience with k6 or similar performance testing tools.
• Experience with ADLS Gen2 or large-object retrieval patterns.
• AKS/Kubernetes troubleshooting experience.
• Helm values and ArgoCD deployment literacy.
• JWT, claims handling, Managed Identity, or service-to-service auth experience.
• HashiCorp Vault, Akeyless, or similar secrets-management experience.
• API versioning, projection/view patterns, and backward compatibility experience.
• Observability experience with logs, metrics, dashboards, traces, and query diagnostics.
• Production support or incident triage experience.

Benefit packages for this role will start on the 1st day of employment and include medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as HSA, FSA, and DCFSA account options, and 401k retirement account access with employer matching. Employees in this role are also entitled to paid sick leave and/or other paid time off as provided by applicable law.