Senior Software Engineer (Java / Kotlin) - A26140

Activate Interactive Pte Ltd (“Activate”) is a leading technology consultancy headquartered in Singapore with a presence in Malaysia and Indonesia. Our clients are empowered with quality, cost-effective, and impactful end-to-end application development, like mobile and web applications, and cloud technology that remove technology roadblocks and increase their business efficiency. We believe in positively impacting the lives of people around us and the environment we live in through the use of technology. Hence, we are committed to providing a conducive environment for all employees to realize their full potential, who in turn have the opportunity to continuously drive innovation. We are searching for our next team members to join our growing team. If you love the idea of being part of a growing company with exciting prospects in mobile and web technologies that create positive impact on people’s lives, then we would love to hear from you. This is a fixed term contract role. What will you do? We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer who can work independently on key priority projects while contributing strategically to ministry-wide initiatives. This role requires someone who can balance immediate project delivery with building reusable capabilities that benefit the broader ministry family. The ideal candidate understands trade-offs, delivers outcomes on time, and leaves behind patterns and practices that enable other teams. Primary ResponsibilitiesStrategic Technical Delivery• Lead and deliver priority projects independently with minimal oversight, ensuring timely completion while maintaining quality standards • Make pragmatic technical decisions that balance project timelines, scope, budget constraints, and long-term sustainability • Navigate complex modernization efforts involving legacy systems (Java, Appian, OutSystems, Pega Cloud, Microsoft Dynamics) • Identify and manage critical technical dependencies early in project lifecycles, ensuring stakeholders understand constraints and impacts on delivery timelines Ministry Family Contribution• Build solutions with reusability in mind — create patterns, frameworks, and infrastructure that can be leveraged across multiple ministry systems • Document architectural decisions, implementation patterns, and lessons learned to enable knowledge sharing across teams • Contribute to shared technical goals and continuous improvement processes across the ministry family • Mentor and enable other engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and establishing best practices that others can adopt Trade-off Management & Decision Making• Evaluate when to build custom solutions versus adopting existing platforms, considering factors like data sovereignty, operational complexity, and organizational constraints • Balance immediate delivery needs with establishing sustainable infrastructure for future initiatives • Navigate competing priorities between perfect solutions and pragmatic approaches that meet current needs while allowing for future evolution • Understand and communicate the implications of technical debt, making conscious decisions about when to incur it and how to manage it RequirementsTechnical Expertise• 5+ years of software engineering experience with demonstrated progression in technical complexity and scope • Strong foundation in software architecture, system design, and engineering best practices • Experience with modern tech stacks relevant to government systems (e.g., Java, Salesforce, Kotlin, cloud platforms like GCC/AWS) • Proven ability to work with both greenfield development and brownfield modernization projects • Understanding of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, and observability Strategic & Leadership Capabilities• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining alignment with broader organizational goals • Track record of making pragmatic technical decisions that consider business constraints, timelines, and long-term sustainability • Experience contributing to technical strategy beyond immediate project boundaries — establishing standards, creating reusable components, or building shared infrastructure • Ability to articulate trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders • Evidence of knowledge sharing through documentation, mentorship, or establishing practices that enable other teams Problem-Solving & Execution• Strong analytical skills with evidence-based problem-solving approach backed by testing and validation • Ability to identify root causes beyond surface-level symptoms (e.g., database indexing issues masked as front-end performance problems) • Proactive in identifying technical dependencies, risks, and constraints early in project lifecycles • Comfortable working within government constraints (security requirements, compliance needs, data sovereignty) while finding pragmatic solutions Desired Experience (Nice-to-Have)• Government or highly regulated industry experience with understanding of compliance, security, and governance requirements • Experience with platform migrations or modernization initiatives (legacy system upgrades, cloud migrations, technology stack changes) • Background in establishing technical standards or creating reusable frameworks used across multiple projects or teams • Familiarity with grant management, social services systems, or ministry family domain knowledge Work EnvironmentYou will be working in a complex ministry environment characterized by: • Multiple ongoing modernization initiatives (ECDA systems, Baby Bonus, GPLS) alongside legacy system maintenance • Diverse technology stack including Salesforce, OutSystems, Appian, Pega, Kotlin, Java, and cloud infrastructure (GCC/AWS) • Government security and compliance requirements that shape technical decisions • Resource constraints requiring pragmatic approaches that balance immediate needs with long-term sustainability The Ideal CandidateWhat Success Looks LikeIn the first 6–12 months, a successful candidate will: • Deliver at least one priority project on time while establishing reusable patterns or infrastructure that other teams can leverage • Identify and document technical dependencies early, preventing last-minute surprises and ensuring stakeholder awareness • Make clear technical recommendations backed by trade-off analysis that considers business constraints, not just technical ideals • Contribute to ministry-wide technical goals through documentation, standardization efforts, or enabling other engineers • Demonstrate progression from delivery execution to strategic technical leadership within their project area Red Flags — What We're NOT Looking ForWe will screen out candidates who demonstrate: • Execution-only focus without strategic thinking or awareness of how their work contributes to broader organizational goals • Inability to articulate trade-offs in technical decisions or explain reasoning behind choices made under constraints • Heavy on buzzwords but light on specifics when probed — vague answers about implementation details or challenges faced • No evidence of knowledge sharing, documentation, or building reusable solutions that benefit other teams • Narrow experience working only in ideal scenarios without handling constraints like legacy systems, budget limits, or compliance requirements BenefitsWhat do we offer in return? • Fun working environment • Employee Wellness Program • To work in Singapore Government Agencies projects • We provide structured development framework and growth opportunities. (We are a “SHRI 2025 Gold winner” in “Learning & Development; Coaching & Mentoring”) Why you'll love working with us? If you are looking for opportunities to collaborate with leading industry experts and be surrounded by highly motivated and talented peers, we welcome you to join us. We provide all employees with equal opportunities to grow and develop with us. We believe your success is our success. Does it sound like something you are interested in exploring further? Please be in touch with our team for an initial chat at  Activate Interactive Singapore is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions will be based on merit, qualifications and abilities. Activate Interactive Pte Ltd does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexuality, national origin, age, disability, marital status or any other characteristics protected by law. 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