Senior JVM Engineers - Java, Scala & Kotlin

Oliver Bernard; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 96,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Oliver Bernard is seeking a Senior JVM Engineer to join a high-performing UK team in Canary Wharf. This hands-on role focuses on building scalable distributed systems using Java, Scala and/or Kotlin, with a strong emphasis on TDD and automated testing.

You'll work in a hybrid setup with 3 days in the Canary Wharf office, influence architectural decisions, own complex technical problems, and contribute to robust CI/CD pipelines in a collaborative engineering-led environment.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience with Java, Scala and/or Kotlin.
• Excellent understanding of the JVM ecosystem.
• Strong experience with TDD, unit testing and clean code.
• Proven experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience designing and developing scalable, distributed systems.
• Strong understanding of software architecture and engineering principles.
• Experience with microservices and/or event‑driven architectures.
• Comfortable working in a collaborative, engineering‑led environment.
• Ability to take ownership of complex technical problems and influence design decisions.

Skills

Java

Scala

Kotlin

JVM ecosystem

TDD

Unit testing

CI/CD pipelines

Distributed systems

Microservices

Event-driven architectures

Software architecture

Ownership / design decisions

Tools

Cloud platforms

Job description

Location: Canary Wharf, London – 3 days per week in the office

Salary: Up to £160,000 + benefits

We’re looking for an exceptional Senior JVM Engineer to join a high-performing engineering team in Canary Wharf. This is a hands‑on role for an engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, building highly scalable systems and working in a strong engineering culture. You’ll work primarily across the JVM ecosystem, with Java, Scala and/or Kotlin, contributing to the design and development of robust, high‑performance distributed systems.

You’ll be expected to bring strong software engineering fundamentals, with TDD, clean code and automated testing embedded in your approach to development. Strong CI/CD experience is essential, along with a solid understanding of modern engineering practices and deployment pipelines. Experience with cloud platforms, distributed systems, microservices, event‑driven architecture or high‑throughput environments would be highly advantageous. We’re looking for engineers who can operate at senior level, influence technical decisions and raise engineering standards across the team.

What we’re looking for

• Strong commercial experience with Java, Scala and/or Kotlin
• Excellent understanding of the JVM ecosystem
• Strong experience with TDD, unit testing and clean code
• Proven experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines
• Experience designing and developing scalable, distributed systems
• Strong understanding of software architecture and engineering principles
• Experience with microservices and/or event‑driven architectures
• Comfortable working in a collaborative, engineering‑led environment
• Ability to take ownership of complex technical problems and influence design decisions

What’s on offer

• Hybrid working – 3 days per week in Canary Wharf
• Highly technical, engineering‑focused environment
• Opportunity to work on challenging, large‑scale systems
• Strong emphasis on quality, automation and modern engineering practices
• Significant scope for technical ownership and progression