Principal Platform Software Engineer

Software Engineer, Project Babylon (IC4)

The Java Platform Group is responsible for advancing the Java platform through the OpenJDK community and delivering innovative capabilities to millions of developers worldwide. Within this organization, Project Babylon is defining the next generation of Java metaprogramming by extending the platform with powerful code reflection and transformation capabilities. Project Babylon enables Java libraries and frameworks to analyze, transform, and execute Java code across a wide range of programming models, including GPUs, AI/ML accelerators, SQL engines, and other heterogeneous computing environments. The team works at the intersection of the Java language, compiler technology, runtime systems, and libraries, designing APIs and platform capabilities that expand what developers can express in Java while maintaining the platform's core principles of performance, safety, and portability.

Software Engineer, Project Babylon Team. We are looking for an experienced software engineer to join our team developing Project Babylon, one of the most ambitious initiatives underway in OpenJDK. Babylon is extending the Java platform with new code reflection and program transformation capabilities that enable Java code to be analyzed, optimized, and adapted for modern programming models, including AI/ML, GPU computing, SQL processing, and other domain-specific execution environments. As a member of the team, you will work alongside some of the industry's leading Java architects and OpenJDK contributors to design and implement foundational platform technologies that will shape the future of Java.

Responsibilities include designing new platform APIs, implementing compiler and runtime functionality, developing high-quality tests, evaluating performance, and collaborating across OpenJDK projects to deliver robust, production-quality features. Additional responsibilities include working with the OpenJDK community, customers, and technology partners to investigate defects, evaluate enhancement requests, and help drive the evolution of future Java releases.

Requirements:

• B.S. or above in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent degree.
• 5+ years of software engineering experience developing complex systems software.
• Strong proficiency in Java and object-oriented software design.
• Strong understanding of programming language implementation, compiler technologies, or runtime systems.
• Experience designing and implementing public APIs and software frameworks.
• Strong background in algorithms, data structures, concurrency, and performance optimization.
• Experience debugging complex software across multiple platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows, or similar).
• Strong commitment to software quality, including unit testing, integration testing, and automated validation.
• Experience working on large-scale, collaborative software projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with OpenJDK or other open-source language runtimes.
• Experience with compiler infrastructure, intermediate representations (IRs), static analysis, or code generation.
• Familiarity with JVM internals, bytecode, class loading, or reflection.
• Experience with GPU programming, heterogeneous computing, AI/ML frameworks, or accelerator programming models.
• Familiarity with language design, metaprogramming, or program transformation techniques.
• Experience contributing to technical standards or open-source communities.

As a member of the software engineering division, you will assist in defining and developing software for tasks associated with developing, debugging, and designing software applications and platform technologies. You will provide technical leadership to other software developers and contribute to the design and implementation of significant enhancements to the Java platform. You will specify, design, and implement changes to existing software architecture while helping define new capabilities for future Java releases. Duties and tasks are varied and complex, requiring independent judgment and technical leadership. You will be fully competent in your area of expertise and may lead projects or mentor other engineers. BS or MS degree or equivalent experience relevant to the functional area.

Key Responsibilities

Platform Software Development:

• Lead cross-team evolution of middleware patterns or runtimes to standardize interoperability at scale.
• Define and enforce versioning, deprecation, and rollout strategies that minimize downstream breaks.
• Drive shared observability baselines (SLOs, error budgets) and resilience patterns across several services.

Software Development and Coding - Design, Testing, and Optimization:

• Designs software solutions and analyzes and identifies requirements to achieve business and operational goals, sharing results with manager upon completion.
• Adheres to and improves execution of all phases of the software development lifecycle; provides guidance and coaching to engineers to drive improvements.
• Utilizes advanced knowledge to develop and guide new software features and enhancements leading design specifications, ensuring accessibility, and develops documents to clarify software design and code.
• Leads code reviews in multiple areas to help drive improvements.
• Conducts debugging and troubleshooting to identify and fix complex software issues.
• Develops fixes for identified issues.
• Implements comprehensive software testing (e.g., functional and non-functional testing), quality assurance processes, software error logging, monitoring, and observability for effective debugging, sharing work with manager and/or lead upon completion.
• Conducts performance profiling and optimization of coding, building scalable solutions, and anticipating and resolving potential outcomes.
• Troubleshoots and resolves complex issues related to application programming interface (API) functionality and integration.
• Implements complex API versioning, lifecycle, and interoperability strategies.

Software Architecture - Software System Structural Design:

• Implements and contributes to developing software, systems, and services, ensuring review by manager and/or senior technical leaders upon completion. Recommends project or design scope.
• Provides technical guidance and coaching to less experienced developers in existing software architecture.
• Contributes to periodic reviews and ensures adherence to architectural standards.
• Collaborates with stakeholders and networks externally to ensure work aligns with software architecture.
• Implements complex performance optimization and scalability strategies in software design.
• Occasionally conducts technology research and evaluation for potential architectural changes that may have an impact on results for the team.

Issue/Defect Collaboration - Software Products Support:

• Collaborates with stakeholders to understand customer issues and align solutions.
• May provide advanced technical guidance and support to customers regarding customer-reported issues.
• Advocates for customers' interests and suggests product enhancements based on feedback.
• Provides input to ensure customer satisfaction through timely resolution of issues and effective communication.
• Identifies and implements customer issue and/or defect handling and training processes.
• Investigates and troubleshoots complex and broad-reaching/scoped maintenance issues to ensure customer agreement on short- and long-term solutions (e.g., future enhancements).

Practices and Standards Compliance - Security and Compliance:

• Collaborates with the team and externally to follow development practices and coding standards, providing coaching to less experienced team members.
• Participates in peer review processes, provides technical leadership, and ensures code quality and adherence to broad acceptance criteria during development, independently.
• Demonstrates and shares advanced knowledge of industry best practices and applies them to software development processes.
• Implements complex secure coding practices to prevent security vulnerabilities.

Development Operations - System Maintenance:

• Performs periodic maintenance and testing operations for systems that require upgrading or patching (e.g., for critical vulnerabilities), sharing results with manager upon completion.
• Drives improvements, ensures automation, testing, and debugging of systems to ensure service/product availability, health, support, and reliability.

Core Responsibilities:

Planning & Execution:

• Manages and coordinates moderately complex tasks, monitoring timelines and deliverables to ensure timely completion and adherence to requirements for a moderately sized project or initiative. Efficiently delegates, monitors, and prioritizes work across multiple projects, providing technical oversight and adjusting plans to address shifts in resources or timelines.

Collaboration & Partnership:

• Collaborates across the organization to align on expectations and achieve shared objectives. Leverages understanding of business leaders, stakeholders, and/or customers to ensure proposed solutions meet their needs. Supports inclusivity by actively seeking and listening to diverse perspectives, ensuring others feel heard and respected.

Problem Solving:

• Identifies and addresses moderately complex issues by analyzing a wide range of data and/or information to identify solutions in accordance with standard practices. Proactively escalates unresolved or critical issues with a thorough assessment and suggests potential solutions. Reviews, contributes to, and documents problem solving strategies.

Continuous Learning:

• Pursues learning opportunities to expand knowledge and skills and