Principal Java Engineer (Java & Angular)

Application Modernization Specialist (Java & Angular)

Location: Toronto, ON, Hybrid (2-3 days per week; in total 5 days onsite across 2 weeks)
Language: Strong written and verbal English communication skills
Duration: 6-month contract, with possibility of extension

About the Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced Application Modernization Specialist to support a major technology transformation within the higher education sector. This hands‑on role focuses on assessing and modernizing a complex, high-volume application that supports essential student services, including registration, payments and personal information management.

Working alongside developers, database specialists and infrastructure teams, you’ll investigate legacy Java and Angular applications, identify performance and technical debt challenges, and develop practical modernization solutions. This is an opportunity to combine deep technical expertise with architectural thinking, helping shape a more scalable, secure and maintainable digital experience.

What’s In It for You

• Work on a meaningful modernization initiative impacting a large and diverse student community.
• Collaborate with experienced technical professionals in a knowledge-sharing environment.
• Influence architectural decisions while remaining hands‑on with code, performance diagnostics and proof‑of‑concept development.
• Gain exposure to complex enterprise integrations and future cloud modernization opportunities.

Your Responsibilities

• You'll assess Java 8, Angular and AngularJS codebases, identifying technical debt, security vulnerabilities, dependencies and modernization opportunities.
• You'll investigate application performance using Java profiling, distributed tracing, SQL analysis and repeatable load testing.
• You'll evaluate legacy REST integrations, JAX‑RS/JPA services and Db2 database interactions to identify bottlenecks and coupling.
• You'll design incremental Java and AngularJS upgrade strategies, including monolith decomposition and service extraction.
• You'll develop implementation‑ready technical designs and hands‑on prototypes to validate proposed solutions.
• You'll translate findings into prioritized remediation plans with effort estimates, dependencies and measurable outcomes.
• You'll collaborate with internal development teams through technical workshops, code reviews and knowledge transfer.

Skills and Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional Java development, including at least 3 legacy Java modernization projects involving upgrades from Java 8 or earlier.
• Experience delivering at least 2 production AngularJS‑to‑Angular migrations, including hybrid coexistence strategies.
• Proven experience assessing large codebases (500,000+ lines), modernizing monolithic applications and extracting services without disrupting production.
• Strong expertise in Java, Spring/Spring Boot, JAX‑RS, JPA/Hibernate, REST APIs, Maven, Gradle, Angular, AngularJS and legacy frameworks such as EJB, JSP or Struts.
• Hands‑on experience with Db2 or comparable relational databases, JDBC/SQL tracing, Java Flight Recorder or similar profilers, thread/heap analysis, SonarQube, vulnerability scanning and performance/load testing.
• Knowledge of Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, automated testing, OWASP secure coding practices and Azure‑hosted Java applications. Familiarity with IBM JSR‑352, accessibility standards and student information systems is an asset.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering or equivalent experience, with strong communication and collaboration skills. Java, Spring or application security certifications are assets.

We appreciate the time and effort all applicants invest in their submissions. Please note that only candidates shortlisted for this role will be contacted directly. However, your profile will remain under consideration for future opportunities that align with your experience and career goals.All qualified applicants will receive fair consideration for employment. We welcome individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities including those who identify as women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. If you require an accommodation, please review our accessibility policy and reach out to our accessibility officer with any questions. Our human recruiters review all applications and always make the final hiring decision. On occasion, we also use AI-assisted tools to help review applications.