Java Tech Lead with AI exp (Github Copilot / Claude Code) - Only W2

Role: Lead Software Engineer (Java) Remote (US) Job Type: W2 Contract Duration: 12 months Primary Skills: Java, Spring boot, Microservices, AI (GitHub Copilot / Claude Code) Lead Level Experience Is a Must Senior / Lead Forward Deployed Engineer (AI-Assisted) Technical Must-Haves (Non-Negotiables) Core Stack: Deep expertise in Java and Spring Boot within enterprise-scale distributed systems and microservices architectures. End-to-End Delivery: Must be highly proficient with the entire lifecycle independently: Clone -> Build -> Debug -> Modify -> Test -> CI/CD Integration. DevOps & Tooling: Hands-on ability to configure, troubleshoot, and fix CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions or similar) and build tools (Gradle/Maven). Advanced Debugging: Proven ability to resolve build failures, dependency conflicts, and complex runtime issues. The AI Differentiator (Crucial Sourcing Filter) We Need Candidates Who Have Experience with structured prompt writing and multi-step AI workflows. Experience using tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, or similar to accelerate debugging, generate tests, and iterate on code. The critical thinking skills to evaluate AI-generated outputs, spot architectural gaps or hallucinations, and refine the output to production-quality levels. An understanding of when AI can accelerate development versus when manual engineering is strictly required. Nice-to-Haves (Bonus Points) Experience with Kotlin or Go (Golang). Experience with agent-based AI orchestration tools (e.g., LangGraph, Claude Code). Familiarity with advanced developer workflow environments (e.g., tmux, Warp, advanced scripting).