Java Engineering Lead

ZipRecruiter; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading tech organization in Manchester seeks a Technical Lead with deep Java expertise. In this hybrid role, you'll lead and mentor a team of Java engineers, drive technical direction, and contribute to high-impact features. The ideal candidate has at least 3 years in leadership and over 8 years coding experience. You'll enjoy flexible working hours and a chance to shape the future of the company.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Wellness stipends

Learning stipends

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing or leading software engineering teams (3+ years).
• Strong expertise in Java and JVM-based systems (8+ years coding experience preferred).
• Solid background in system design, distributed systems, and cloud architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of Back End engineers primarily in Java.
• Drive design and architecture decisions for scalable systems.
• Conduct code reviews and establish coding standards.
• Stay hands-on with coding when necessary.

Skills

Java

JVM-based systems

System design

Distributed systems

Cloud architectures

Leadership

Clean code

Communication

Tools

Spring Boot

Hibernate

AWS

Azure

GCP

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Job Description

This is a Hybrid Manchester based role. All candidates must be able to occasionally commute to a Manchester office base.

About Them

This flagship tech organisation are shaping the future of their highly valuable sector. Their platform is built on cutting-edge technologies, and they are scaling fast. They believe in clean code, strong ownership, and empowering their engineers to build with purpose. Now, they're looking for a Technical Lead with deep Java expertise to lead one of their core development teams.

The Role

As a Java Engineering Lead, you'll split your time between hands-on technical leadership and people management. You'll be leading a team of talented Java engineers, driving project delivery, shaping technical direction, and nurturing a high-performance engineering culture.

What You'll Do

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Back End engineers working primarily in Java (Spring Boot, Hibernate, etc.)
• Drive design and architecture decisions for scalable, secure, and performant systems
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Design, and DevOps to deliver high-impact features
• Conduct code reviews, establish coding standards, and promote engineering best practices
• Own the hiring process for your team and help us attract world-class talent
• Continuously improve team workflows and development processes
• Stay hands-on with coding when necessary, especially in system-critical components

What They're Looking For

• Proven experience managing or leading software engineering teams (3+ years)
• Strong expertise in Java and JVM-based systems (8+ years coding experience preferred)
• Solid background in system design, distributed systems, and cloud architectures (AWS/Azure/GCP)
• Passion for clean code, testing, and performance optimization
• Excellent communication, leadership, and decision-making skills
• A mindset for innovation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement

Bonus Points For

• Experience in microservices architecture and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Background in agile methodologies and delivery management
• Contributions to open-source Java libraries or frameworks

Why Join Them?

• Work with brilliant, passionate engineers
• Real ownership & influence over the product roadmap
• Flexible working hours and remote-friendly culture
• Wellness and learning stipends
• A chance to shape a growing tech company at a pivotal stage

InterQuest Group is acting as an employment agency for this vacancy. InterQuest Group is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of , , , /belief, , marriage, civil partnership, , maternity, or . Please make us aware if you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.