Back End Developer

Experis - ManpowerGroup; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a skilled Backend Developer for a contract role in Croydon. The ideal candidate will have strong Java and Kafka experience, with responsibilities including designing robust backend services and integrating event-driven systems. This position offers long-term stability and flexibility through remote work. Applicants should have a solid understanding of backend engineering principles and experience developing RESTful APIs. The contract length is 12 months with a daily rate up to £522 inside IR35.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience with Java.
• Hands-on experience with Kafka in production environments.
• Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs.
• Solid understanding of backend engineering principles.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain robust backend services using Java.
• Develop and integrate event-driven systems using Kafka.
• Build and consume REST APIs to support internal and external services.
• Collaborate with product owners, architects, and other engineers.
• Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code.
• Support system performance, scalability, and reliability.
• Contribute to code reviews and best-practice engineering standards.

Skills

Java

Kafka

RESTful APIs

Backend engineering principles

Tools

Spring Framework

Postgres

OpenSearch

Node.js

Wiremock

Job description

Backend Developer (Contract)

Start Date: ASAP
Contract Length: 12 months
Rate: Up to £522 per day inside IR35.
Location: Mostly remote, with occasional travel to Croydon
Clearance: SC Clearance (existing clearance preferred but not essential)

About the Role

• We're looking for an experienced Backend Developer to join a high-impact project delivering scalable, reliable backend services. You'll work with modern Java-based technologies in a collaborative, delivery-focused environment, contributing to systems that are critical, secure, and built to scale.
• This is a contract role offering long-term stability, flexibility through remote working, and the opportunity to work on meaningful, production-grade systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain robust backend services using Java

• Develop and integrate event-driven systems using Kafka

• Build and consume REST APIs to support internal and external services

• Collaborate closely with product owners, architects, and other engineers

• Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code

• Support system performance, scalability, and reliability

• Contribute to code reviews and best-practice engineering standards

Must-Have Skills

• Strong commercial experience with Java

• Hands-on experience with Kafka in production environments

• Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs

• Solid understanding of backend engineering principles

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Spring ecosystem (Spring Framework, Spring Boot, Spring Data)

• Postgres or other relational databases

• OpenSearch / Elasticsearch

• Node.js

• Wiremock or other API mocking/testing tools

• Experience working in cloud-based or distributed systems

All profiles will be reviewed against the required skills and experience. Due to the high number of applications we will only be able to respond to successful applicants in the first instance. We thank you for your interest and the time taken to apply!