Senior Backend Java Engineer

Senior Backend Java Engineer

Rate: £500 - £575 a day pay inside

Location: Remote, with expectations to attend onsite meetings when required (1-2 a month)

Duration: 6 months+

We are looking for a hands-on Senior Backend Java Engineer with recent experience building, testing, and deploying production-grade APIs and microservices. This is a coding-first backend role. We want someone actively engineering in their current or most recent role, not someone whose recent experience is mainly support, coordination, architecture-only, or line management. Essential skills and experience

Strong hands-on commercial coding experience with modern Java (Java v17 min, v21 LTS or newer preferred)

Strong experience with Spring Boot

Experience building REST APIs / microservices from scratch

Strong testing skills using JUnit, Mockito, and ideally TDD

Experience with PostgreSQL or another relational SQL database

Experience with Docker

Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g. Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps)

Comfortable working in agile, cross-functional teams

Has current SC clearance, or is willing and eligible to undergo SC clearance

Desirable

OpenAPI / Swagger

Liquibase or Flyway

Gradle

Kafka

Observability / monitoring experience

Exposure to Kubernetes

Some awareness of React / TypeScript

What we need from candidates

Built backend services or APIs themselves

Worked on microservice-based systems

Written automated tests as part of delivery

Used Docker and CI/CD in practice

Stayed technically current with modern Java and Spring Boot

Non-negotiables

Recent hands-on Java backend coding experience

Built Spring Boot APIs/services from scratch

Used Java 17/21+ in recent roles

Written unit/integration tests

Worked with SQL databases

Used Docker and CI/CD

Has SC clearance, or is willing and eligible to obtain it

Ability to complete a practical coding assessment

Profiles unlikely to be a fit

Production support / L3 support

Bug fixing only

Release or process coordination

Line management with limited coding

Architecture / governance without recent delivery

Legacy Java maintenance without clear modern backend engineering experience

Recruiter screening questions

What Java version has the candidate used most recently?

Are they currently hands-on coding?

Have they built a Spring Boot API/service from scratch in the last 5 years?

What testing do they write personally?

What database have they used most recently?

Have they used Liquibase or Flyway?

What CI/CD tooling have they used hands-on?

Have they used Docker hands-on?

Have they worked mainly on microservices or monoliths?

Do they already hold SC clearance, or are they willing and eligible to obtain it?

Are they comfortable with a practical coding exercise?

Short recruiter summary We need a genuinely hands-on Senior Backend Java Engineer with recent Java 17/21+ and Spring Boot experience, who has built APIs/microservices from scratch, writes automated tests, has worked with PostgreSQL, Docker, and CI/CD, and either already holds SC clearance or is willing and eligible to obtain it.

Reasonable Adjustments

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.