Backend Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL
Backend Engineer jobs in Chicago are in strong demand, concentrated in the Loop, River North, and the Fulton Market tech corridor across fintech, enterprise software, and healthcare technology. Employers hiring right now include Cboe Global Markets, Robotics Technologies, and Comcast. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find Backend Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 10+ Backend Engineer jobs
Job ID:
J55018
Job Title:
Lead Java Backend Engineer
Location:
Chicago, IL
Duration:
24 Months + Extension
Domain Exposure:
Healthcare
Client:
To Be Discussed Later
Employment Type:
W-2, 1099, C2C
Work Authorization:
US Citizen, Green Card, H-1B, OPT-EAD, CPT, Other
Job Title: Lead Java Backend Engineer
Location: Chicago, IL(Remote)
Duration: 24 Months + Extension
Bill Rate: $78/hour (C2C)
Job Type: W-2, 1099, C2C
Client: To Be Discussed Later
Work Authorization: US Citizen, Green Card, OPT-EAD, CPT, H-1B, H4-EAD, Other
Job Description:
Looking for a hands-on Lead Java Backend Engineer to help design, develop, and scale enterprise-level APIs and microservices supporting its AWS-hosted digital platform.
This is a technical leadership role on a team of approximately 12–13 engineers. The ideal candidate can drive architecture and design decisions, guide other developers, and take ownership of complex initiatives while remaining actively involved in hands-on backend development.
This is NOT a pure architect or people management role. Candidates must still be hands-on with Java/Spring Boot development.
Must-Have Requirements:
10+ years of software engineering experience, including extensive hands-on Java backend development.
Java 17+ (Java 21 preferred) and strong Spring Boot experience.
Extensive experience designing and developing RESTful APIs and microservices.
Strong AWS/cloud experience, including deploying and supporting production applications.
Proven technical leadership experience involving architecture decisions, design reviews, code reviews, and mentoring engineers.
Strong API design and integration experience; Apigee/API Gateway experience highly preferred.
Experience with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and end-to-end software delivery.
Must be able to work onsite in Chicago Mondays and Wednesdays.
Highly Preferred Technical Experience:
API Management: Apigee, OpenAPI/Swagger, API-first architecture.
Security: OAuth 2.0, JWT, service-to-service authentication.
Event-Driven Architecture: Kafka, AWS SQS/SNS/Kinesis, RabbitMQ, or similar.
Databases: PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, DynamoDB, or similar SQL/NoSQL databases.
CI/CD: Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GoCD.
Testing: JUnit, Mockito, integration and performance testing.
Additional: Redis, Elasticsearch, GitHub Copilot/Cursor, Agile/Scrum.
Candidate Screening Guidelines:
Prioritize candidates who have:
Recent hands-on Java/Spring Boot development experience, not just architecture oversight.
Experience functioning as a technical lead on enterprise backend/API projects.
Strong AWS and microservices architecture experience.
Stable work history with reasonable tenure.
We are an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship/ immigration status, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
Job ID:
J55018
Job Title:
Lead Java Backend Engineer
Location:
Chicago, IL
Duration:
24 Months + Extension
Domain Exposure:
Healthcare
Client:
To Be Discussed Later
Employment Type:
W-2, 1099, C2C
Work Authorization:
US Citizen, Green Card, H-1B, OPT-EAD, CPT, Other
Job Title: Lead Java Backend Engineer
Location: Chicago, IL(Remote)
Duration: 24 Months + Extension
Bill Rate: $78/hour (C2C)
Job Type: W-2, 1099, C2C
Client: To Be Discussed Later
Work Authorization: US Citizen, Green Card, OPT-EAD, CPT, H-1B, H4-EAD, Other
Job Description:
Looking for a hands-on Lead Java Backend Engineer to help design, develop, and scale enterprise-level APIs and microservices supporting its AWS-hosted digital platform.
This is a technical leadership role on a team of approximately 12–13 engineers. The ideal candidate can drive architecture and design decisions, guide other developers, and take ownership of complex initiatives while remaining actively involved in hands-on backend development.
This is NOT a pure architect or people management role. Candidates must still be hands-on with Java/Spring Boot development.
Must-Have Requirements:
10+ years of software engineering experience, including extensive hands-on Java backend development.
Java 17+ (Java 21 preferred) and strong Spring Boot experience.
Extensive experience designing and developing RESTful APIs and microservices.
Strong AWS/cloud experience, including deploying and supporting production applications.
Proven technical leadership experience involving architecture decisions, design reviews, code reviews, and mentoring engineers.
Strong API design and integration experience; Apigee/API Gateway experience highly preferred.
Experience with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and end-to-end software delivery.
Must be able to work onsite in Chicago Mondays and Wednesdays.
Highly Preferred Technical Experience:
API Management: Apigee, OpenAPI/Swagger, API-first architecture.
Security: OAuth 2.0, JWT, service-to-service authentication.
Event-Driven Architecture: Kafka, AWS SQS/SNS/Kinesis, RabbitMQ, or similar.
Databases: PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, DynamoDB, or similar SQL/NoSQL databases.
CI/CD: Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GoCD.
Testing: JUnit, Mockito, integration and performance testing.
Additional: Redis, Elasticsearch, GitHub Copilot/Cursor, Agile/Scrum.
Candidate Screening Guidelines:
Prioritize candidates who have:
Recent hands-on Java/Spring Boot development experience, not just architecture oversight.
Experience functioning as a technical lead on enterprise backend/API projects.
Strong AWS and microservices architecture experience.
Stable work history with reasonable tenure.
We are an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, citizenship/ immigration status, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.
See All 10 Backend Engineer Jobs in Chicago
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Find Backend Engineer JobsBackend Engineer Job Market in Chicago
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
Backend Engineer Jobs in Chicago: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a backend engineer job in Chicago?
Target Chicago's fintech corridor along LaSalle Street, the Fulton Market tech cluster, and the growing healthtech scene anchored near the Medical District. Employers here lean toward engineers with strong API design, distributed systems, or cloud platform experience. Familiarity with the stack choices common in Chicago fintech and enterprise software, such as Java, Go, or Python, gives candidates a concrete edge in this market.
Which companies hire backend engineers in Chicago?
Employers hiring backend engineers in Chicago right now include Cboe Global Markets, Robotics Technologies, and Comcast, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Chicago's mix of established financial services firms, fast-growing fintech startups, and large healthcare technology companies means backend engineers here work across a wide range of industries and team sizes.
Are there remote backend engineer jobs in Chicago?
Yes, backend engineering is one of the more remote-friendly disciplines since the work is almost entirely code and infrastructure rather than on-site presence. About 60% of backend engineer openings tied to Chicago are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how widely distributed teams have become in tech and fintech. Systems and API-focused roles tend to offer the most location flexibility among Chicago employers.
How can I get a backend engineer job in Chicago with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Chicago is targeting associate or junior engineer roles at mid-size fintech and SaaS companies in Fulton Market or the Loop, where teams are growing and more likely to invest in early-career developers. Chicago's developer community also supports pathways through coding bootcamps with local employer partnerships. Building a portfolio that demonstrates REST API work, database design, or a deployed side project makes a concrete difference when competing for those roles.
Which industries hire the most backend engineers in Chicago?
The sectors hiring the most backend engineers in Chicago are Technology & Software, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Chicago's deep roots in financial services and its expanding healthtech ecosystem create consistent backend engineering demand, particularly for engineers who can build reliable, high-throughput systems.
Related Jobs in Illinois
See All 10 Backend Engineer Jobs in Chicago
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