AWS Tech Lead

We need to identify candidates who have progressed from a strong Java Development background into an AWS Architect role. The ideal candidate should have: Strong hands-on Java Development experienceSolid AWS Architecture experienceStrong experience in Application ModernizationProven Solution/Technical Architecture experienceHands-on experience with AI/GenAI technologiesA clear career progression from Java Development to Cloud/AWS ArchitectureOverall, the candidate should demonstrate a strong combination of: Java Development + AWS Architecture + Application Modernization + Solution Architecture + AI/GenAI Role Overview We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on Technology Lead to drive a strategic application modernization programme, transforming legacy Java applications into scalable, secure and cloud-native solutions on AWS. The role combines architecture leadership, software engineering, database administration, DevOps and customerfacing delivery ownership. The successful candidate will define the target architecture, lead engineering teams, guide database and platform modernisation, establish delivery standards, and act as a trusted technical advisor to customer stakeholders throughout discovery, design, build, migration and production transition. Core mandate: Modernise a Java-based enterprise application using AWS serverless and container services, supported by robust data architecture, automated delivery and strong customer communication. Key Responsibilities Application Modernization Leadership • Lead end-to-end modernization of enterprise Java applications into AWS cloudnative, microservices and event-driven architectures. • Define the modernization roadmap, target architecture, transition states, technical standards and engineering guardrails. • Drive API-first design, domain-driven design, serverless adoption and decomposition of monolithic applications. • Own technical decisions, architecture reviews, non-functional requirements and resolution of cross-workstream dependencies. • Ensure solutions meet scalability, availability, security, maintainability and operational readiness objectives. AWS Cloud Architecture & Engineering • Design and implement containerised workloads using Amazon ECS, AWS Fargate, Docker, Application Load Balancer and Amazon ECR. • Design serverless and event-driven solutions using AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, EventBridge, SQS, SNS and AWS Step Functions. • Apply AWS services including Amazon S3, CloudWatch, CloudTrail, IAM, Secrets Manager, Systems Manager, AWS Config, VPC, Route 53 and PrivateLink. • Define resilient deployment patterns, observability, security controls, backup, recovery and production support models. • Provide hands-on support for solution prototypes, complex defects, performance bottlenecks and production readiness. Software Engineering • Provide hands-on technical leadership across Java 11/17+, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, REST APIs, Python and TypeScript. • Define coding standards, reusable components, design patterns, secure development practices and code review processes. • Guide teams on microservices, distributed systems, asynchronous integration and fault-tolerant application design. • Contribute directly to critical code, proof-of-concepts, technical spikes and root-cause analysis when required. • Mentor developers and ensure consistent engineering quality across distributed teams. Database Architecture & Hands-on DBA Responsibilities The Technology Lead must bring strong hands-on database architecture, engineering and DBA capability, with particular depth in Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL. Amazon DynamoDB • Design DynamoDB data models aligned to application access patterns, scale, latency and consistency requirements. • Apply single-table and multi-table design approaches, including partition keys, sort keys, GSIs and LSIs. • Configure and optimise capacity models, auto scaling, TTL, point-in-time recovery, Streams and Global Tables where appropriate. • Diagnose hot partitions, throttling, inefficient access patterns and cost or performance issues. • Plan and execute data migration, validation and operational support for highvolume serverless workloads. Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL • Provide hands-on architecture, administration and operational support for Aurora PostgreSQL and PostgreSQL environments. • Design schemas, data models, indexing strategies, partitioning and database standards for transactional workloads. • Perform SQL tuning, execution plan analysis, query optimisation, workload troubleshooting and performance remediation. • Design high availability, replicas, failover, backup, restore, patching, maintenance and disaster recovery arrangements. • Lead database migration from Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL or other legacy platforms using appropriate AWS migration services and tools. • Implement database security, encryption, access controls, secrets management, auditing, retention and archival policies. Broader Database Capabilities • Strong knowledge of relational and NoSQL data modelling, transaction management and consistency patterns. • Experience supporting mission-critical, high-volume systems with demanding availability and performance requirements. • Hands-on monitoring using Amazon CloudWatch, Performance Insights and database-native diagnostic tools. • Ability to assess when to use Aurora PostgreSQL, DynamoDB or other AWS data services based on workload characteristics. DevOps, Automation & Platform Engineering • Design and govern CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, Git, GitHub Actions, AWS CodePipeline and AWS CodeBuild. • Automate infrastructure and application deployment using Terraform and/or AWS CloudFormation. • Embed automated testing, code quality checks, vulnerability scanning, policy controls and release approvals into delivery pipelines. • Establish container image management, environment promotion, rollback, configuration and secrets-management standards. • Define monitoring, logging, tracing, alerting, SLOs and operational dashboards for cloud-native workloads. • Drive DevSecOps practices and continuous improvement across engineering and operations teams. Customer Engagement & Delivery Leadership • Act as the primary technical point of contact and trusted advisor for customer architects, engineering leaders and programme stakeholders. • Lead discovery sessions, architecture workshops, design reviews, technical governance forums and steering discussions. • Translate business and operational requirements into clear, scalable and pragmatic technical solutions. • Communicate architecture decisions, delivery progress, dependencies, risks and mitigation actions to technical and executive audiences. • Provide clear written documentation, presentations and recommendations, adapting the level of detail for each stakeholder group. • Lead, mentor and coordinate architects, developers, DevOps engineers, cloud engineers and database specialists across workstreams. • Support estimation, planning, resource shaping, technical proposals and delivery assurance. Mandatory Skills & Experience Capability Required experience Cloud & Architecture AWS architecture; ECS; Fargate; Lambda; API Gateway; microservices; serverless; event-driven architecture; distributed systems Application Engineering Java; Spring Boot; Spring Cloud; REST APIs; Python; TypeScript; hands-on coding and code reviews Databases DynamoDB; Aurora PostgreSQL; PostgreSQL; RDS; SQL tuning; data modelling; migration; backup and recovery; hands-on DBA DevOps & Automation Jenkins; Git; CI/CD; Docker; Terraform and/or CloudFormation; automated testing and security scanning Leadership Architecture governance; technical decision-making; mentoring; delivery leadership; risk management Customer Communication Strong workshop facilitation, consulting, stakeholder management, presentation and written communication skills Preferred Qualifications • 12-15+ years of enterprise application engineering, architecture or technology leadership experience. • Proven delivery of large-scale Java modernization or cloud transformation programmes on AWS. • AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional, AWS Certified Developer - Associate, or relevant database certification. • Experience working in Agile delivery models and with geographically distributed engineering teams. • Experience in logistics, retail, financial services, manufacturing or other highvolume enterprise environments is advantageous. Ideal Candidate Profile A seasoned Technology Lead or Solution Architect who combines strategic architecture capability with strong hands-on engineering and database expertise. The candidate should be comfortable moving between customer workshops, architecture decisions, Java and cloud-native code reviews, DynamoDB data modelling, Aurora PostgreSQL troubleshooting, CI/CD implementation and team mentoring. SUCCESS PROFILE Delivers a secure, resilient and maintainable AWS-native platform; improves engineering velocity and operational readiness; builds customer confidence; and develops the technical capability of the wider delivery team.