Lead Java Developer Must hold active SC

Amber Labs Ltd; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology consultancy in the UK is looking for an experienced Lead Java Developer to drive the development of scalable, cloud-native solutions. You will provide technical direction for a talented team, utilizing your expertise in Java, AWS and Agile best practices to mentor junior engineers and shape CI/CD practices. The role demands a strong understanding of microservice architectures and a commitment to modern standards in software development. This position supports high-profile government projects.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading development teams within agile environments.
• Eligible for or holding active SC Security Clearance.
• Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to developers.
• Define and deliver test plans, strategies, and automated test suites.
• Mentor junior engineers, fostering professional growth.

Skills

Java (11/17/21)

Spring Boot

Microservice architecture

API principles

TDD/BDD

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

AWS cloud services

Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform)

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Lead Java Developer to join a major government programme, driving the development of scalable, cloud-native solutions using AWS and Java. You will lead a talented engineering team, providing technical direction, mentoring, and hands on development expertise across complex microservice architectures.

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to developers, ensuring best practice in coding, testing, and design.
• Collaborate across teams to review specifications, design, code, test, and document programmes of medium to high complexity.
• Drive adoption of modern standards and tools, mentoring others to follow suit.
• Define and deliver test plans, strategies, and automated test suites.
• Work with AWS and Infrastructure-as-Code principles (Terraform desirable).
• Shape and optimise CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI desirable).
• See the bigger picture, identifying opportunities to improve service integration and system performance., Collaborates effectively, supporting peers and promoting technical excellence.
• Guides others to understand user stories and define optimal solutions.
• Champions modern standards and continuous improvement.
• Mentors junior engineers, fostering professional growth and best practices.
• Balances technical depth with strategic vision, ensuring scalable and maintainable outcomes.
• Proven experience leading development teams within agile environments.
• Expert knowledge of Java (11/17/21) and the Spring Boot framework.
• Strong understanding of microservice architecture and API principles.
• Skilled in TDD/BDD, Docker, and containerisation.
• Deep understanding of the software development lifecycle.
• Experience with AWS cloud services.
• Exposure to Infrastructure-as-Code and CI/CD pipelines.
• Knowledge of functional and non-functional testing.
• Eligible for or holding active SC Security Clearance (essential for production access).

At Amber Labs, we are a cutting-edge UK and European technology consultancy that empowers autonomy, promotes experimentation, and enables rapid learning to deliver exceptional value to our clients. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, with our cross-functional consultants, engineers, and analysts working together to shorten delivery times, minimise risk, and drive impactful results for high-profile government and commercial programmes.