In this role, you join a team building and maintaining key applications that support social protection services. You will work across multiple systems, combining hands-on Java development with technical design, code quality, mentoring, and close collaboration with analysts and business stakeholders.
The applications span eligibility processing, case management, and secure digital interactions with citizens and institutions. You will contribute to both new development and critical enhancements within a modern cloud-enabled architecture.
What you’ll do
You design, build, and maintain Java-based applications in a service-oriented and API-driven environment.
You take ownership of technical design, challenge implementation choices, and guide the team toward robust and scalable solutions.
You perform code reviews, mentor developers, support best practices, and help elevate engineering quality across the team.
You contribute to the evolution of application architecture in areas such as API design, containerisation, integration patterns, and cloud execution.
You analyse functional requirements and translate them into clean, maintainable code and clear technical documentation.
You participate actively in Agile ceremonies and collaborate closely with analysts, testers, and business users.
You support testing, troubleshooting, performance optimisation, and secure deployment of new features.
What are we looking for?
You have at least 7 years of experience in Java development within complex environments.
You possess strong skills in
Java
,
Spring Boot
,
REST API design
, and relational databases such as
PostgreSQL
.
You have hands-on experience with container-based execution and orchestration through
Docker
and
OpenShift
, and you understand how applications behave in a cloud-native environment.
You are experienced in authentication and authorization patterns and apply
OAuth
confidently in secure API landscapes.
You are proficient with modern development workflows using
Git
, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing practices.
You work fluently with
SOAP
and
REST
interfaces and understand service-oriented architectures.
You have experience with
Angular
or similar front-end technologies and can contribute to full-stack development when needed.
You apply Agile and test-driven development practices in your daily work.
You communicate clearly, simplify complex topics, and adapt your explanations to both technical and non-technical audiences.
You are fluent in
Dutch
, with good working knowledge of English; understanding French is an advantage.
What do we offer?
Location: Brussels (hybrid — 2 days onsite per week)
Duration: Until 31 December 2026 (extendable)
Contract: Freelance or Permanent
Start date: As soon as possible