Senior Java Developer

Russell Tobin; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Russell Tobin is seeking experienced Senior Java Developers to join a large-scale UK public-sector digital programme delivering and supporting high-quality digital services. The role emphasizes strong Java development, mentoring, and contribution to technical standards across engineering teams.

You will design and implement robust applications, build scalable microservices and RESTful APIs, and work with AWS, Kafka and MongoDB in distributed systems.

Qualifications

• Requires strong hands-on Java development experience.
• Ability to mentor and support less experienced engineers.
• Proven experience with Spring Boot and Java ecosystems.
• Experience with AWS cloud services and distributed systems.
• Experience implementing Kafka-based event-driven architectures.
• Experience with MongoDB and RESTful APIs in microservices.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain complex software applications and services.
• Develop high-quality solutions using Java and Spring Boot.
• Build and support scalable microservices and RESTful APIs.
• Work with AWS cloud services to develop and operate modern applications.
• Develop and support event-driven solutions using Kafka.
• Work with MongoDB and other technologies as part of distributed systems.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching and mentoring to junior developers.
• Participate in code reviews and promote high standards of software craftsmanship.
• Support diagnosis and resolution of application and infrastructure issues.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and continuous improvement.

Skills

Java

Spring Boot

AWS

Apache Kafka

MongoDB

RESTful APIs

Microservices

DevOps

CI/CD

Mentoring

Job description

Location: Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham

Working Pattern: Hybrid – 60% office attendance

Contract: 12 months

About the Role

We are looking for experienced Senior Java Developers to join a large-scale UK public-sector digital programme delivering and supporting high-quality digital services used by citizens.

You will work as part of experienced software engineering teams, developing robust and scalable applications while contributing to technical standards, engineering best practices and the continuous improvement of the wider engineering community.

The role requires strong hands‑on Java development experience, together with the ability to support and mentor less experienced engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop and maintain complex software applications and services.
• Develop high-quality solutions using Java and Spring Boot.
• Build and support scalable microservices and RESTful APIs.
• Work with AWS cloud services to develop and operate modern applications.
• Develop and support event‑driven solutions using Kafka.
• Work with MongoDB and other technologies as part of distributed systems.
• Contribute to technical design and solution development alongside architecture and engineering teams.
• Apply modern software engineering standards, principles and best practices.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching and mentoring to junior and less experienced developers.
• Participate in code reviews and promote high standards of software craftsmanship.
• Support the diagnosis and resolution of application and infrastructure issues.
• Provide 3rd‑line support for developed products where required.
• Contribute to improving operational stability, resilience, availability and performance.
• Identify technical risks and contribute to practical solutions.
• Share knowledge and good practice across software engineering teams.
• Contribute to the technical direction and continuous improvement of products and services.
• Strong hands‑on experience with Spring Boot.
• Proven experience working with AWS.
• Strong experience with Apache Kafka.
• Commercial experience with MongoDB.
• Strong experience developing microservices and RESTful APIs.
• Experience working with complex, production‑grade software systems.
• Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices and development standards.
• Experience providing technical guidance or mentoring to junior developers.
• Experience with system integration and integration testing.
• Experience troubleshooting and supporting production applications.
• Strong problem‑solving and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively within large, multi‑disciplinary engineering teams.
• Experience with large‑scale digital platforms.
• Experience working with highly available, resilient and distributed systems.
• Experience within public‑sector, regulated or highly governed environments.
• Experience contributing to architecture and technical design decisions.
• Experience with DevOps, CI/CD and modern cloud‑native development practices.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for experienced Senior Java Developers who can hit the ground running, work independently on complex development tasks and contribute positively to the wider engineering team.

You should be comfortable supporting less experienced developers, participating in technical discussions and taking ownership of the quality, reliability and maintainability of the software you develop.