Senior Java Software Engineer - Search Team

About the Role

Wiley is seeking a talented Senior Software Engineer to join our innovative Search Team. In this role, you will help design, build, and maintain the backend search systems that power millions of user interactions globally. You will work on scalable, high-performance search solutions built on Apache Solr, collaborating on services and infrastructure across a modern backend technology stack that includes Java, Docker, Kafka, and Solr. This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving complex challenges related to search relevance, performance, scalability, and reliability within large-scale distributed systems. As a senior member of the team, you will take ownership of technical solutions from design through delivery, contribute to architectural decisions, mentor peers through collaboration and code reviews, and help drive engineering best practices. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will: Design, develop, and maintain core search platform components and backend systems. Build and enhance scalable services and features that improve search performance, relevance, and reliability. Troubleshoot and resolve issues across development, testing, and production environments. Participate in architectural discussions, technical design reviews, and code reviews. Improve software quality through automated testing, refactoring, and proactive management of technical debt. Take ownership of features and systems throughout their lifecycle, from design and implementation to deployment and ongoing support. Work independently while demonstrating a proactive, self-driven approach to identifying and implementing improvements. Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and colleagues across multiple regions and time zones. Contribute to the continuous improvement of engineering practices, platform capabilities, and team effectiveness. What We Look For Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 5+ years of professional software development experience. Professional experience developing applications using Java, with a strong understanding of object-oriented programming principles, data structures, software design patterns, and engineering best practices. Experience designing and building RESTful APIs and backend services. Experience writing unit and integration tests using frameworks such as JUnit and Mockito. Hands-on experience working with Git and Linux-based environments. Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a distributed team environment. Preferred Qualifications Experience working with search technologies or within the information retrieval domain. Hands-on experience with Apache Solr, Elasticsearch, or other Lucene-based search platforms. Familiarity with distributed systems and event-driven architectures using technologies such as Kafka.