Expert Programmer (Java)

About the Role

Diverse Agile Solutions is seeking an Expert Programmer (Java) to provide technical leadership for the UI Job Assist Tool (JAT), an initiative that connects New York State's Unemployment Insurance (UI) system of record with an AI-enabled job assistance tool through secure APIs and Model Context Protocol (MCP) services. This hybrid position is based in Albany, New York.

The Expert Programmer will lead backend development and API architecture, vendor integration, security, data integrity, performance, and knowledge transfer across the solution.

Key Responsibilities

• Build REST endpoints, optimize database queries in collaboration with the Data Architect, and implement business logic and validation.

• Design and review Java microservices and APIs connecting the core UI system and the AI Job Assist Tool.

• Review vendor API specifications, data schemas, and integration designs, and recommend approval before ITS development begins.

• Serve as a technical liaison among the vendor AI team, NYSDOL business subject matter experts, and ITS security and infrastructure teams.

• Establish coding standards and branching strategies; conduct code reviews focused on security, performance, and maintainability.

• Design end-to-end integration across REST APIs, the MCP server, and the UI system of record.

• Collaborate with GCP Cloud Engineering on secure egress proxies, VPC Service Controls, GKE, Pub/Sub, IAM, and related cloud-native architecture.

• Design validation controls to prevent corrupt or unapproved AI-generated data from being written back to the UI system.

• Anticipate and mitigate API instability, dependency, and database-change risks; develop technical workarounds as needed.

• Develop and execute load-testing strategies for approximately 1,500 concurrent users and document-heavy workloads.

• Integrate AI capabilities and MCP services with enterprise Java and microservice solutions.

• Maintain technical documentation and provide knowledge transfer and mentoring to State staff.

Required Qualifications

• 84+ months of experience. The candidate can guide large teams and/or has extensive industry experience and is considered at the top of their field.

Preferred Qualifications

• 96 months of enterprise backend software development and API architecture using Java and microservices, including REST API design and implementation.

• 36 months in a technical leadership or architecture role on enterprise systems, including code review, technical standards, and cross-functional or vendor coordination.

• 24 months integrating enterprise applications with AI-enabled services or AI platforms, including validation of data exchanged between AI services and systems of record.

• 12 months designing, implementing, or validating MCP servers, clients, tools, or integrations.

• 24 months with GCP cloud-native architectures and services, including one or more of GKE, Pub/Sub, IAM, VPC Service Controls, or secure egress patterns.

• 24 months delivering solutions in high-compliance environments such as IRS Publication 1075, CJIS, HIPAA, or comparable regulated environments.

• 24 months designing data-integrity, write-back validation, or API security controls for transactional enterprise systems.