Senior Java Architect

Falcon Smart IT (FalconSmartIT); Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Falcon Smart IT seeks an experienced Java Engineering Architect in London to lead enterprise-scale banking and payments platforms. The role centers on payments mastery, platform design and AI-enabled engineering within cloud-native, Kubernetes-based environments.

You will guide real-time processing, messaging, and API architectures while mentoring teams and aligning with senior stakeholders. This is a contract-to-permanent position based in London.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of software engineering experience, including 8+ years in Architecture or Led Engineering roles.
• Strong banking and payments solutions delivery experience.
• Expert in Java, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud and Microservices.
• Deep knowledge of Kafka, NATS, event streaming, API architecture and integration patterns.
• Hands-on with Oracle, PostgreSQL, data modelling, performance tuning and high-availability systems.
• Excellent stakeholder management, leadership and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Architect high-volume payment platforms covering real-time payments, SWIFT, ISO 20022, settlement, reconciliation and compliance.
• Design event-driven and messaging architectures using Kafka, NATS, and microservices.
• Drive AI-led software engineering using tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor and LLM-based frameworks.
• Lead cloud-native platform design using Kubernetes, Docker and modern DevOps practices.
• Manage and mentor engineering teams, define technology roadmaps, and engage with senior stakeholders.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

Spring Cloud

Microservices

Kafka

NATS

Event-driven

API Architecture

Integration patterns

Oracle

PostgreSQL

Data modelling

Performance tuning

High availability

Leadership

Stakeholder Mgmt

Cloud-native

Kubernetes

Docker

DevOps

GenAI/LLM

Tools

GitHub Copilot

Claude Code

Cursor

LLM frameworks

Job description

Job Location: London, UK (4 days per week from office)

Job Type : Contract (6 months ) / Permanent

Role Summary

Seeking an experienced Java Engineering Architect to lead the design and delivery of enterprise-scale banking and payments platforms. The role requires deep expertise in payments, banking operations, messaging architectures, cloud-native platforms, AI-driven engineering, and enterprise solution architecture.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect high-volume payment platforms covering real-time payments, SWIFT, ISO 20022, settlement, reconciliation, and compliance.
• Design event-driven and messaging architectures using Kafka, NATS, and microservices.
• Drive AI-led software engineering using tools such as GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, and LLM-based development frameworks.
• Lead cloud-native platform design using Kubernetes, Docker, and modern DevOps practices.
• Manage and mentor engineering teams, define technology roadmaps, and engage with senior stakeholders.

Required Skills & Experience

• Min 15+ years in software engineering, including 8+ years in Architecture or Led Engineering roles.
• Strong experience delivering banking and payment solutions.
• Expert in Java, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Microservices.
• Deep knowledge of Kafka, NATS, event streaming, API architecture, and integration patterns.
• Hands-on expertise with Oracle, PostgreSQL, data modelling, performance tuning, and high-availability systems.
• Excellent stakeholder management, leadership, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Banking or Financial Services background.
• Experience leading large-scale transformation and modernization programs.
• TOGAF, Kubernetes, Cloud, or Architecture certifications.

Experience building AI-enabled engineering organizations and integrating GenAI/LLM solutions into enterprise platforms