Sr Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer (Direct Hire/FTE) Location: Columbus, OH (Hybrid Schedule) Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire (FTE) Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. Important Requirements Candidates must currently reside in the Columbus, OH area . This is a hybrid position requiring regular onsite presence. No C2C, third-party agencies, subcontractors, or visa sponsorship available. Direct hire opportunity only. About the Opportunity Our client is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead the technical design, architecture, and development of the next generation of the EZproxy platform. This role will play a critical part in modernizing a legacy C-based application into a scalable, secure, and modern access management solution serving more than 6,000 libraries worldwide . The ideal candidate combines strong hands-on software engineering expertise with technical leadership, system modernization experience, and a passion for building high-quality enterprise applications. This individual will help drive architectural decisions, mentor engineers, and contribute to the long-term evolution of a highly visible and globally utilized platform. Key Responsibilities Lead the technical design, architecture, and development of EZproxy NextGen and related platform initiatives. Utilize industry-standard programming techniques to translate business requirements and architectural designs into scalable, maintainable code, with a strong emphasis on Java and modern application development practices. Drive the modernization of a legacy C-based application, transforming it into a secure, scalable, cloud-ready access management platform. Evaluate and leverage AI-assisted development tools and emerging AI technologies to improve engineering productivity, accelerate modernization efforts, and identify opportunities for future AI-driven platform capabilities. Analyze and solve complex technical challenges within existing systems while identifying opportunities for architectural, performance, scalability, and operational improvements. Design, develop, test, and deploy high-quality software components and services while maintaining strong standards for security, reliability, maintainability, and performance. Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to develop, refine, and interpret business and technical requirements. Follow established SDLC processes, quality standards, and engineering best practices while continuously identifying opportunities for process improvement. Lead architectural reviews, technology assessments, and long-term platform modernization planning efforts. Evaluate and implement third-party technologies and solutions, ensuring alignment with business goals, technical requirements, scalability needs, and long-term maintainability. Plan and participate in load, scalability, reliability, and performance testing initiatives. Support production environments by troubleshooting and resolving complex application, infrastructure, and customer-impacting issues. Mentor and provide technical leadership to development team members, promoting engineering excellence and best practices. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline. 5 years of professional software development experience, including significant experience with Java and enterprise application development. Strong ability to read, understand, debug, and develop software written in C, with demonstrated experience supporting or modernizing legacy applications. Deep understanding of networking concepts and protocols, including: TCP/IP DNS

SSL/TLS

Proxy technologies Authentication and access management solutions Experience with: Object-Oriented Design (OOD) RESTful APIs Spring Framework JavaScript React Modern web application architectures Experience working with Linux/UNIX and Windows environments. Experience with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Oracle. Knowledge of unit testing, integration testing, performance testing, and CI/CD practices. Excellent analytical, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills. Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on development, technical leadership, architecture, and operational support responsibilities. Preferred Qualifications Experience with cloud platforms, containerization technologies, and modern software delivery practices. Experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools and emerging AI technologies within software engineering workflows. Experience designing and supporting large-scale enterprise applications. Prior experience leading modernization, migration, or platform transformation initiatives. Proven mentoring and technical leadership experience. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. EEO Notice Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law. 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You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring's discussions with its Client, Highspring's understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly). 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Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: the individual's skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certification requirements; office location and other geographic considerations; other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses. Vaco