Job Description

Overview

We are looking for a Senior Java Platform / Developer Experience Engineer to improve the development workflow of a large, long-running legacy web application.

This is not a rewrite or modernization project. The focus is on enablement, guardrails, automation, and documentation so our engineers can safely ship bug fixes and small features faster using AI-assisted tools such as Claude Code.

If you enjoy improving developer productivity while respecting stable legacy systems, this role is for you.

Existing Technology Stack

The application has been running for over 20 years and follows established patterns that must remain intact.

Backend

• Java
• JSP
• Servlets
• Spring Framework
• Hibernate

Frontend

• prototype.js
• jQuery
• Angular (legacy usage)

Infrastructure

• Apache
• Tomcat
• SQL Server
• SVN

Build Tools

• Ant (build.xml)

Environment

• Windows-based development

Important:
No framework migrations or frontend rewrites are planned.

Key Responsibilities

Developer Enablement

• Create a CLAUDE.md guide and AI-friendly repository documentation
• Document codebase structure and development workflows
• Improve clarity for engineers working with AI coding assistants

Build & Testing Improvements

• Make Ant builds deterministic and reliable on Windows
• Introduce lightweight smoke tests
• Add a small set of UI journey tests

Workflow & Automation

• Define a diff-only AI workflow that is easy for humans to review
• Improve development guardrails to prevent risky changes
• Automate simple staging deployment and verification

Knowledge Transfer

• Provide documentation and scripts that the team can maintain long-term
• Help engineers work safely within the legacy architecture

Required Skills

• 10+ years of experience with Java web applications
• Strong experience with:
  • JSP
  • Servlets
  • Spring
  • Hibernate
• Experience maintaining legacy frontend stacks
  • prototype.js
  • jQuery
  • Angular
• Expertise with:
  • Ant build systems
  • SQL Server
  • Apache
  • Tomcat
• Comfortable working in SVN repositories
• Experience improving build systems, testing workflows, and developer productivity

Nice to Have

• Experience with Playwright or Selenium
• Background in Developer Experience (DevEx) or Platform Engineering
• Experience using AI coding tools on large codebases
• Strong documentation practices

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate:

• Respects stable legacy systems
• Focuses on safety, clarity, and productivity
• Improves workflows without rewriting the application
• Communicates clearly with engineering teams
• Builds tools and documentation that last

Please Include in Your Application

Any experience working with AI-assisted development

Examples of legacy Java systems you have worked on

How you improved developer productivity in those systems

Confirmation that you will preserve the existing frontend stack