Senior Java Developer Application Support & Development

Job Title: Senior Java Developer - Application Support & Development
Location: Decatur, IL (preferred) or East Peoria, IL
Work Arrangement: On-site, 5 days per week
Pay Rate: $45 - $50/hr

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Java Developer – Production Support & Application Maintenance for one of our clients in the manufacturing and industrial technology sector.
This role primarily focuses on maintaining and supporting existing Java-based enterprise applications, resolving production incidents, investigating defects, and ensuring application reliability.
The selected candidate will also contribute to Java development, enhancements, security remediation, and integration-related activities as business needs evolve.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on problem-solver who can independently navigate legacy code, investigate unfamiliar application behavior, and resolve technical issues in an environment where documentation may be limited.The position is approximately 80% production support and 20% development, depending on business priorities and incident volume.
Work Environment and Location:

This is a fully on-site opportunity requiring attendance at a client office five days per week. Decatur, Illinois, is the preferred location; East Peoria, Illinois, may also be considered. A split arrangement between the two offices may be possible, subject to business requirements.
Remote work is not available under the current arrangement.
Candidates considering relocation may be evaluated if they can relocate promptly and meet the on-site requirement from their first day.
The role requires flexibility in responding to production issues reported through multiple channels, including ticketing systems, email, phone, Microsoft Teams, and direct user requests.
The developer must also be comfortable coordinating with other teams when issues originate outside the application's scope.
A bachelor's or master's degree is not mandatory. Candidates with an associate degree or equivalent relevant experience may be considered based on their technical skills and practical experience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide production support, maintenance, and operational stability for existing Java-based enterprise applications.
• Investigate application incidents, identify root causes, and resolve issues involving application logic, databases, interfaces, performance, and deployments.
• Develop, enhance, test, and maintain Java applications, services, integrations, and existing functionality.
• Analyze business requirements and translate them into reliable, maintainable technical solutions.
• Navigate legacy codebases to understand business logic and address issues arising from changing manufacturing processes.
• Perform unit and integration testing, support system and user acceptance testing, and resolve identified defects.
• Use Oracle databases and SQL to investigate data discrepancies and troubleshoot application-to-database interactions.
• Collaborate with business users, technical teams, and stakeholders to assess reported issues and coordinate timely resolutions.
• Identify application vulnerabilities and implement code changes to address security findings.
• Use approved development tools and repositories, including Azure DevOps and GitHub.
• Support technical reviews, deployment activities, production stabilization, and knowledge transfer.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and contribute to transition activities throughout the engagement.

Required Qualifications:

• Approximately 3–7 years of hands-on Java development experience, with at least 3 years preferred as a minimum.
• Strong practical experience with Java 8, particularly in enterprise, production, and legacy application environments.
• Hands-on experience with Spring MVC and full-stack Java applications, including backend and frontend application logic.
• Strong SQL skills and practical experience working with Oracle databases.
• Significant experience in production application support, incident management, troubleshooting, and defect resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to investigate unfamiliar code, perform root-cause analysis, and resolve issues independently.
• Experience maintaining legacy applications, including environments with incomplete documentation or evolving requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder collaboration skills.
• Ability and willingness to work on-site five days per week in Decatur or East Peoria, Illinois.
• Willingness to participate in a mandatory 24/7/365 on-call rotation approximately once every four weeks, running Monday through Monday and including nights and weekends.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Azure DevOps, GitHub, and source control workflows.
• Knowledge of secure coding practices, application security, and vulnerability remediation.
• Familiarity with GitHub Copilot or other approved AI-assisted development tools.
• Exposure to C#, ASP.NET, or DB2.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, industrial, or complex enterprise applications.
• Ability to work effectively in a less-structured, waterfall-oriented development environment.

Engagement Details:

The anticipated engagement duration is approximately six months. The resource will provide application support and development capacity while the existing technical lead concentrates on an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) integration initiative.The engagement is subject to budget availability and leadership approval.