Senior Java Engineer | Investment Manager | £130,000

Vodafone; London; On-site; GBP 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading systematic hedge fund seeks a Senior Java Developer for a 12-month Fixed-Term Contract in London. Join their Middle Office Engineering team on an exciting greenfield project, replacing legacy platforms with a modern, scalable system. Ideal candidates will have strong Java and Kafka experience, and possess hands-on technical skills necessary for this high-performance environment.

Qualifications

• 6-8+ years of commercial Java development experience.
• Deep, production-grade Kafka experience is non-negotiable.
• Financial services experience is a plus but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Work on rebuilding key trading and operational systems.
• Take full ownership of technical delivery as a hands-on contributor.
• Build across trading support systems, infrastructure, and execution tools.

Skills

Java

Kafka

Microservices

Job description

Java Developer - 12-Month FTC | Greenfield Build | London

We're partnering with a leading systematic hedge fund on an exciting opportunity for a Senior Java Developer to join their Middle Office Engineering team. The team is embarking on a greenfield digital transformation programme, rebuilding key trading and operational systems from the ground up.

• Location: Central London (4 days per week in office - non-negotiable)
• Engagement: 12-month Fixed-Term Contract, rolling based on start date
• Salary: £130k base + potential completion bonus
• Start date: ASAP preferred - 1 month notice acceptable

The Role

You'll work as a hands-on contributor in a team of high-performing engineers, taking full ownership of technical delivery. The current focus is an internal project, a large-scale initiative replacing legacy internal platforms with a more modern, performant, and scalable system.

Expect to build across trading support systems, infrastructure, and execution tools, with strong autonomy and end-to-end ownership.

What They're Looking For

Key Skills:

• Strong Java experience (Java 17 preferred)
• Kafka - Power User level only (critical requirement)
• Microservices experience is a nice-to-have

Background & Experience:

• Deep, production-grade Kafka experience is non-negotiable
• 6-8+ years of commercial Java development
• Financial services experience is a plus (swaps, pricing, middle/back office etc.) but not essential

Important Notes

• This is an on-site role (4 days/week) - no remote/hybrid flex beyond the agreed schedule
• Please only apply if you're 100% comfortable with that
• The team is looking for engineers, not managers - strong individual contributors only

Interview Process

• 30-45 min technical screen with engineering leads
• On-site technical deep dive (~2-2.5 hours) with the wider team
• Feedback and offer turnaround expected within days

If you're a seasoned Java developer with serious Kafka experience and want to work on a genuinely interesting greenfield project at a high-performance trading firm, this is well worth a conversation.

Apply here or reach out directly.