Lead Software Engineer - Backend

HOLLAND AND BARRETT; London; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading wellness brand in London seeks a Senior Backend Engineer to design and deliver backend services within the Online Customer Experience team. Candidates must be fluent in Java, proficient in SQL, and have solid experience with Docker and AWS. The role offers flexible working, competitive benefits, and opportunities for career development. Join us to shape the future of wellness through technology.

Benefits

Pension company contribution = 3%

Incentive scheme up to 10%

33 Days Holiday per year

Private Medical Care after 1 year

Learning and Development opportunities

Refer and Earn Scheme

25% discount on products

Free 24/7 Confidential Advice

Onsite Gym access

Colleague Reward and Recognition Schemes

Qualifications

• Experience leading software design.
• Proven ability to work independently.
• Strong mentorship capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver backend services independently.
• Lead cross-functional software development.
• Mentor engineering squads and enhance capabilities.
• Ensure security and compliance.

Skills

Fluent in Java (17+)

Deep understanding of RESTful architecture

Strong knowledge of asynchronous programming techniques in Java

Proficient in SQL with experience in RDBMS

Experience with Docker

Familiarity with AWS services

Proficient with CI/CD tools

Strong testing capabilities

Tools

Spring Boot

Docker-compose

Kubernetes

Job description

About the role:

At Holland & Barrett, our mission is to make health and wellness a way of life for everyone - and technology is key to achieving that goal. As we evolve into a truly omni-channel business, we're investing in the innovation and digital capabilities that will deliver speed, convenience, and personalisation to millions of customers worldwide.

We build with purpose. We're collaborative, cloud-first, and committed to delivering meaningful value at pace. We prefer building smart, tailored solutions over buying generic ones - and we integrate automation and testing into every part of our tech stack, from infrastructure to software to data.

As a Senior Backend Engineer, you'll join our Online Customer Experience (OCX) vertical - the team behind our e-commerce platforms across web and mobile. With a large-scale technical transformation nearing completion, we're entering a new and exciting phase: building next-generation digital propositions that align with our mission to be the go-to wellness brand.

This role will see you lead by example - owning software design across key functional areas, mentoring engineers, and delivering high-quality, secure, and scalable systems that enhance the customer experience.

What You'll Be Doing

• Take ownership of designing and delivering backend services, operating independently without technical oversight
• Lead by example to consistently ship high-quality, cross-functional software
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure projects are delivered on time and meet expectations
• Bring fresh thinking and share new techniques across disciplines including product, QA, and UX
• Support and mentor your engineering squad, helping to grow technical capabilities and confidence
• Evaluate the impact of new information and changing priorities, adapting plans accordingly
• Communicate complex concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Understand how your team's work connects to the wider business strategy
• Keep the customer at the heart of what you do - building features and systems that serve their needs
• Take responsibility for security and compliance, planning proactively for operational impact

Key requirements:

Essential Skills:

• Fluent in Java (17+) and frameworks like Spring Boot, Quarkus, or Micronaut
• Deep understanding of RESTful architecture and HTTP
• Strong knowledge of asynchronous programming techniques in Java
• Proficient in SQL, with experience in RDBMS like Postgres or Oracle
• Experience working with Docker and docker-compose
• Familiarity with AWS, particularly services like S3, Aurora, and ElasticCache
• Proficient with CI/CD tools such as GitLab, GitHub Actions, or CircleCI
• Strong testing capabilities using JUnit, RestAssured, or similar frameworks
• Proactive with monitoring, observability, and system health

Desirable Skills:

• Exposure to monitoring platforms like Datadog, Grafana, Prometheus, or PagerDuty
• Familiarity with Python scripting
• Experience with Kubernetes and deployment tools such as Helm

Why Join H&B Tech?

• Help define the future of digital health & wellness in a purpose-led organisation
• Work in an agile, cloud-native tech environment with a clear vision and mission
• Be part of a collaborative, people-first team that encourages continuous learning
• Enjoy a flexible working culture, competitive benefits, and the opportunity to make a real impact

Join us and shape the future of wellness through technology.

Apply today and be part of something bigger.

What we offer:

• Pension company contribution = 3%
• Incentive scheme up to 10% of annual salary, based on company performance.
• Your wellbeing is paramount so you can get away and take 33 Days Holiday per year.
• Private Medical Care (Self after 1 year)
• Learning and Development opportunity with Holland & Barrett is a great base for career development long term.
• Career progression.
• Refer and Earn Scheme - as we're growing you can earn money by referring people to join us from your network.
• Epic Extras gives you access to exclusive benefits, free advice and savings from a range of retailers and providers.
• Stay healthy with Discounted Products - from day one you'll get a 25% discount (on top of other promotions) when you shop at H&B on anything that you buy.
• We all need a little help sometimes, so we offer Free 24/7 Confidential Advice & Colleague Welfare.
• Mental Health First Aiders - we have lots of qualified Mental Health First Aiders because its all about your health & wellbeing.
• Stay active in the Onsite Gym at our Nuneaton Hub!
• We have colleague Reward and Recognition Schemes, so your hard work and loyalty won't go unnoticed.
• And many more!

We're passionate about helping every colleague thrive across all dimensions of wellbeing, and we're committed to having a diverse and inclusive workplace. In line with our EPIC values (Expertise, Pioneering, Inclusive, Caring), we embrace and actively celebrate all our colleagues' unique and varying experiences, backgrounds, identities and cultures - I am me, we are H&B.


Holland & Barrett does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Please do not forward resumes to our job alias, employees, or any other company location. Holland & Barrett is not and will not be responsible for any fees if a candidate submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless otherwise agreed with respect to specific open position(s).