Tana is proud to announce an exciting new career opportunity for a Senior Software Engineer (Java) based in Nairobi, Kenya. As part of our continued mission to empower Kenya’s brightest minds, Tana partners with leading global companies to provide full-time, remote opportunities in the fields of software engineering and data science. Our vision is to create an ecosystem where talent in Kenya thrives on the global stage.
This opportunity places you directly within a high-impact engineering team at a leading U.S.-based software company. The company is renowned for developing next-generation composable automation platforms that are driving digital transformation initiatives across North America and Europe. The selected candidate will be embedded full-time within this company via Tana, engaging in complex, hands-on work that enhances global enterprise systems.
About the Role
As a Senior Software Engineer, you will contribute directly to the development of innovative migration tools that move enterprise applications from outdated Java-based frameworks into cutting-edge automation environments. This is not just another backend development role — it’s a critical position that combines engineering, architecture, analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to modernize and simplify technology infrastructure on a global scale.
You will become a key player in a collaborative and cross-functional team, where engineers, field experts, and product professionals unite around a shared goal: to automate and streamline the modernization of software that businesses depend on. This opportunity is ideal for a deeply analytical and experienced Java engineer who enjoys solving tough problems, reverse-engineering complex systems, and working in a high-performing, globally distributed environment.
Key Responsibilities
Your day-to-day work will include a blend of hands-on coding, technical analysis, and collaborative design. You will be expected to take ownership of your tasks while contributing to the broader architectural vision of the migration platform. Key responsibilities include:
- Migration Tool Development
- Design, develop, and maintain sophisticated tools that automate the migration of legacy Java-based enterprise systems.
- Ensure the tools produce clean, maintainable, and functional output suited for modern platforms.
- Technical Collaboration
- Work closely with the Engineering Leadership Team to scope, design, and prioritize migration features and strategies.
- Engage in regular discussions with stakeholders from various departments including product management, field engineering, and migration consulting.
- Reverse Engineering and Analysis
- Analyze legacy codebases and reverse-engineer applications to extract business logic, application flows, and functional requirements.
- Use these insights to inform tool development and migration planning.
- Architectural Input
- Participate in architectural design sessions and help propose improvements to current migration methodologies and infrastructure.
- Apply best practices for scalability, performance, and reliability in all developed components.
- Mentorship and Code Quality
- Perform peer code reviews, promote knowledge sharing, and support junior engineers through guidance and mentorship.
- Contribute to team-wide quality standards and continuous improvement processes.
- Problem Solving
- Identify and troubleshoot issues in existing migration tools and suggest enhancements to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Agile Participation
- Be an active participant in Agile ceremonies including stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives, and demos.
- Work collaboratively across time zones with global team members.
Requirements
To be successful in this role, candidates must bring both technical depth and collaborative energy. The minimum requirements for this position include:
- At least 5 years of professional experience in Java software development.
- Strong backend engineering focus, with hands-on experience using Java frameworks.
- Proven ability in using unit testing frameworks, particularly JUnit.
- Advanced understanding of data structures and algorithms.
- Experience with relational databases as well as flat-file data sources.
- Familiarity with developer tools such as Git, Jira, and version control systems.
- Strong analytical skills, especially when dealing with legacy systems and unfamiliar codebases.
- Excellent problem-solving ability in complex technical environments.
- Clear communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
- Comfort working in diverse and distributed teams.
Bonus Skills (Not Required but Advantageous)
- Exposure to compiler concepts such as static code analysis, parsing, linking strategies, and code generation.
- Previous experience in systems migration or software modernization.
- Understanding of transformation pipelines and automated code rewriting.
Work Location and Setup
This role is offered as a full-time, hybrid position based in Nairobi, Kenya. Selected candidates will be required to operate from Nairobi, with the flexibility of remote collaboration, in alignment with the client’s distributed team structure.
Contracting Structure
You will be officially hired by Tana and embedded full-time into the client’s engineering team. This model ensures you receive the necessary local support while gaining access to global-level projects, mentorship, and career growth opportunities.
Tana takes pride in ensuring that our embedded engineers are not only supported but also thrive in international work environments. By joining this program, you’ll be part of a growing network of Kenyan talent making a mark across the global tech landscape.
About Tana
Tana exists to unlock potential. We train young professionals across Kenya in software and data engineering, and connect them with full-time opportunities in high-growth companies across Europe and North America. Our goal is to make high-quality remote jobs accessible to talented individuals regardless of their geography. Through rigorous vetting, training, and mentorship, we ensure that our engineers succeed and thrive in some of the world’s most challenging and rewarding tech roles.
As part of Tana, you’ll benefit from:
- Ongoing career support and mentorship.
- Access to a professional network of global engineers.
- Exposure to international projects and standards.
- A thriving community of like-minded professionals in Kenya.
Why This Role Stands Out
This isn’t your typical Java development role. You’ll be part of a sophisticated effort to modernize legacy systems that are critical to Fortune 500 businesses. You’ll help shape the future of software automation tools and solve real-world engineering challenges — all while working from Nairobi with the support of a local ecosystem and the vision of a global enterprise.
If you thrive on hard problems, love working on meaningful solutions, and want to grow your career by building tools that matter, then this role is designed for you.
How to Apply
Ready to apply your Java expertise to global-scale problems and contribute to a next-generation software platform? Tana is accepting applications for this position through the following link:
http://bit.ly/44lttKQ
We encourage early applications as the selection process is ongoing.
We look forward to receiving your application and potentially welcoming you to our growing team of world-class engineers.
